Here are a couple of reasons why Keynesian economists are truly a menace in today’s bubble ridden and debt-impaled world. It seems that both Harvard’s Kenneth Rogoff and Princeton’s Paul Krugman are on the global advice circuit, peddling what amounts to sheer snake oil to desperate politicians and policy-makers who have already buried themselves—-so far to no avail—-in unprecedented waves of fiscal and monetary “stimulus”.

But never mind. The professors have a three part solution, and its more, more……and moar! To make room for more monetary stimulus after six-years at the zero bound, therefore, Professor Rogoff has a truly juvenile solution. Namely, to abolish cash. That’s right, this Harvard windbag proposes to confiscate your kids’ piggy bank and any green stuff that may  be left in your wallet.

Meanwhile, Krugman has made a quick circuit through Tokyo, where he apparently was instrumental in convincing Japan’s prime minister to cancel the next installment of the consumption tax increase—a move that was utterly necessary in order to stem the nation’s massive flow of red ink. But why not spend a few more years adding to Japan’s staggering debt burden, which is already at 230% of GDP and rising inexorably in a nation that is fast becoming the world’s foremost retirement colony? After all, Professor Rogoff has now perfected a scheme which will allow central banks to monetize all the debt that even the most profligate government can possibly issue.

So start with Professor Rogoff ‘s incredible assault on the peoples’ cash and coins—a necessary prelude to even more fantastic rates of central bank monetary expansion. Here is exactly what he recently advocated at a “prestigious” international policy forum:

“Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff even argues in the daily paper FAZ that cash currency should be banned altogether. Central banks could impose negative interest rates more easily that way, he explained. Tax evaders and criminals would also find life more difficult. From this perspective, banknotes and coins appear superfluous, he said at a presentation at the IFO institute in Munich.Measures to spur the economy could be implemented more easily that way.”

In short, central banks would like to escalate their devastating war on savers by driving interest rates even deeper into negative nominal and real territory. But they are now stymied for two reasons.