Unlimited Funds
Larbonne was visibly agitated. Unable to keep his exasperation in check, he blurted, “It’s not crypto! It’s Central Bank Digital Currency, and it’s totally different, and you know it!” He glared at Anderson, challenging him.
“It’s worse,” Anderson’s hands were balled into fists on the conference table. He moved them to his lap. “They’ll be able to track every purchase and every payment of every firm in the US.”
“What is zee the matter, Mitch? Do you have something to hide?” Larbonne retorted. He turned his head from side to side, scowling at all the board members. “Your minds are all stuck in the old-school trap of Keynesian economic theory! Don't you get it? It doesn't matter how much the prices go up. With CBDC, they adjust the money circulating in the economy to match price levels. The whole system is kept in equilibrium.”
“Tell that to the farmers who didn't get their crops planted this year!” Anderson slapped his palms down, and he made to get up. “We're getting crop failure estimates. We're already in a Depression, and now we'll have soup lines again. This administration's insane policies will lead to famine! Can you even imagine that? Famine in the United States? Last year I would have told you something like this was impossible, but it's coming!”
“Hold it. Hold it, you two!” Perspiration beaded Ranell’s forehead as he struggled to retain control of the meeting. Then he turned to face Larbonne and said gently, “Dominique, you’ve got to admit, it does sound crazy.”
Larbonne was inconsolable. “They would have got their crops in on time if they hadn't stubbornly fought against progress.”
Now Anderson rounded on Ranell to vent his pent-up fury. “He calls it ‘progress,’ and you call it ‘crazy.’ But just what do you think the Lockheed Martin deal is to GML Josef? You know they’re expecting to make payments to us in digital currency, right? That’s ‘unlimited funds.’ That’s how they’re doing it.”
“We’re not required to do that,” Ranell felt himself deflating. Don’t I ever get to enjoy a win? “Yes, they did offer that option, but we haven’t explored it yet.”
“They haven’t required it yet.” Anderson spat the last word.
“Josef,” Larbonne's purposefully retrieved a manilla folder from his briefcase, “this morning, I received instructions from Lockheed Martin for setting up a CBDC account.” He smiled reassuringly, “Don't let fear cause you to throw away the best deal in GML history.”
Ranell sighed. “It doesn’t matter what I think, Dominique. It’s not my decision to make. This meeting is adjourned for now. I’ve got to call the boss. We’ll reconvene after lunch.”
You are the CEO of GML. You make the call:
Choose Option 1: Macroeconomic problems are none of your concern. The economists know what they’re doing, and everyone else is just fearmongering. What you know for sure is that GML has an amazing offer on the table from Lockheed Martin. Act with boldness and take it!
Choose Option 2: You've been in business a long time, and the fundamentals never change, despite what the academics say in their ivory towers. Follow the lead of the farmer protesters and insist on conventional funding methods for the Lockheed Martin deal.