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how does the world - in aggregate - generate a non-zero return?
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i think you'll find some sound answers here: money creation in the modern economy by the bank of england where does money come from?  in the modern economy, most money takes   the form of bank deposits. but how those bank deposits are created is   often misunderstood. the principal way in which they are created is   through commercial banks making loans: whenever a bank makes a loan,   it creates a deposit in the borrower’s bank account, thereby creating   new money.  this description of how money is created differs from the   story found in some economics textbooks.
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