The money distributed to the public would eventually flow back into the real economy. Thus, this 20 trillion USD was essentially channeled to the industrial conglomerates, bringing satisfied smiles to the faces of their representatives. They had initially estimated a successful outcome with around 10 trillion USD, but now they were receiving 20 trillion USD, an unexpected windfall that made them ecstatic.
However, after the initial jubilation, everyone soon realized the problem. The total required funds had escalated to a staggering 60 trillion USD, far exceeding the initially agreed-upon 40 trillion USD. How was this to be managed?
The representatives present turned their gaze towards Malik, who was in charge of the allocation. Malik pushed his glasses up his nose with a smile and said, "This is a last resort, a solution devised by our President after listening to all parties' input!"
"We've had numerous discussions, and you've all made many concessions. Yet, the figures you've requested, when added together, still exceed the 40 trillion USD cap."
"Our President, considering it unfair to cut anyone's budget, ultimately decided to fulfill all your demands, even exceeding them, to ensure everyone is satisfied!" Malik said with a smile.
"We are indeed satisfied, but where will the additional 20 trillion USD come from?" a representative from Wall Street asked with a frown. The President's campaign promise had consistently been 40 trillion USD, which had almost become his personal brand.
Suddenly announcing an increase from 40 trillion USD to 60 trillion USD would be incredibly difficult to manage and could potentially incite public anger, which would be counterproductive.
"Our President had already considered this issue. The initial 40 trillion USD can be covered by increasing the money supply. As for the remaining 20 trillion USD, we will have to borrow it!" Malik stated.
"Borrow? You plan to issue more government bonds? That would make the process even more complicated!" the Wall Street representative retorted.
"No, we won't be issuing government bonds. Instead, we'll be asking our banking friends for a favor and borrow 20 trillion USD directly from the government!" Malik said with a smile, looking at the representatives of several large financial groups who had remained silent.
Hearing this, everyone else present was stunned.
Although these representatives of the financial groups had been quiet, it was said that silence often masked the most formidable individuals. The forces they represented were, in fact, the most powerful in the United States.
Whether it was the military-industrial complex, Wall Street, or the industrial conglomerates, their ultimate controllers were the Wall Street financial groups and the banks they controlled. They were the undisputed kings, the true masters of the United States.
Yet, here was the new President directly asking the financial groups for a loan. Was there ever a case of a servant asking their master for money?
Indeed, the representatives of these financial groups revealed a hint of a cold smile. "Mr. Malik, does your brother feel uncomfortable in that position?"
"Please, gentlemen, don't be angry. This is a loan. A loan implies repayment, and you will not suffer any losses!" Malik said with a smile.
"Oh, and what do you plan to repay it with? This is 20 trillion USD, a figure I can't just dismiss lightly!" the financial group representative said calmly.
"What if I told you it was the entire Middle East?" Malik's words caused the perpetually grim representative of a financial group to be stunned by his audacious statement.
"Gentlemen!" Malik continued with a smile. "Whether it's 40 trillion USD or 60 trillion USD, these funds will ultimately enter the industries you control. Therefore, this money is essentially being given to you. You won't be at a loss even if you lend us an additional 20 trillion USD, as it will ultimately be spent on your industries."
"At the same time, we must also consider one crucial point: if a large amount of directly issued currency enters the market, it will inevitably lead to inflation, which will be unbearable for the future of the United States. We must find a place to consume this excess capital."
"And where better to do that than on the battlefield?"
"As soon as the cannons and missiles roar, trillions of dollars will instantly vanish on the battlefield, thereby absorbing all the financial risks generated by our over-issuance. Meanwhile, the Middle East possesses abundant oil reserves and is a crucial transportation hub. If we can control the Middle East, all the oil on its land will naturally become ours. Uh... the control of this oil will naturally be managed by our own oil companies. Surely the value of this oil exceeds 20 trillion USD?"
"Finally, and most importantly, we certainly cannot manage a distant enclave thousands of miles from our homeland for a prolonged period. Afghanistan is a prime example of how much capital and lives our country expends there annually. It's simply too costly!"
"Therefore, we believe that once the Middle East is secured, it should be handed over to our friendly regimes there for proxy management. For instance, we can entrust our long-standing ally, Israel, to help us manage the Middle East on our behalf. I suggest a term of 99 years!" Malik said calmly, causing the financial group representatives present to clench their fists.
The financial groups in the United States were almost entirely Jewish. Handing over the management of the Middle East to Israel was a stroke of genius. These financial groups simply couldn't refuse such a brilliant proposal.
"Very well, we will lend you the money!" After some deliberation, the representatives of the financial groups readily agreed.
Thus, the entire conference concluded.
It was a victorious conference, a harmonious conference, one that satisfied everyone's demands and left all parties feeling extremely pleased. Such a successful meeting had not occurred in decades.
Following the conference, everything proceeded according to the agreed-upon outcomes. Congress swiftly approved the additional 40 trillion USD in fiscal spending, passing it with an overwhelming majority. Apart from a small minority who refused to partake, even the opposition party's members voted in favor.
Shortly thereafter, major private banks in the United States issued statements expressing their decision to provide the government with 20 trillion USD in interest-free loans, free of charge, for 99 years, to help their beloved nation overcome the subprime mortgage crisis.
This meant that the U.S. government would only have to repay this 20 trillion USD loan after 99 years, making the money almost a gift.
Upon the announcement of these two pieces of news, the entire U.S. stock market began to surge, skyrocketing by 6.2% in a single day, equivalent to an increase in market capitalization of hundreds of billions of dollars, which was utterly surreal.
Simultaneously, the reputation of the much-maligned bankers was largely redeemed. After all, if 20 trillion USD couldn't buy public favor, then the dollar would indeed be worthless.
Subsequently, the allocation strategy for the total 60 trillion USD was announced, largely following the discussions at the conference. When the American public learned that they would also receive money, a monthly stipend of $300, the President's approval rating soared, reaching nearly 80%, making him the second-highest in history, second only to Roosevelt.
Even Washington was deemed inferior, as the troops led by him were constantly suffering defeats and eventually had to hunker down in a valley, barely surviving until they received assistance from their "French daddy" to achieve independence.
Therefore, some argued that the true founding father of the United States was not Washington but the great Napoleon III, who, unfortunately, was captured by the Germans, a tragic fate.
In summary, this 40 trillion USD stimulus plan—no, the 60 trillion USD stimulus plan—achieved unprecedented success. Businesses, Wall Street, financial groups, the military-industrial complex, and ordinary American citizens were all highly satisfied.
The funds were soon disbursed, sent to the accounts of various institutions as planned, and the entire U.S. stock market began to recover at a visible pace.
However, when the American people prepared to claim their monthly $300 subsidy vouchers, they discovered that the process was somewhat complicated.
This subsidy was in the form of vouchers rather than cash, a common practice adopted by governments during subsidy programs.
The core purpose of government subsidies was to encourage citizens to spend, thereby driving the overall market recovery.
But if the subsidy money was disbursed and citizens saved it instead of spending it, their primary objective would not be achieved.
Therefore, governments typically issued vouchers with time limits, requiring them to be used by a certain deadline before the government would transfer the money to the businesses that received the vouchers.
So, the citizens received vouchers, but instead of the paper vouchers distributed directly by various institutions in the past, this was the first time in U.S. history that electronic vouchers were issued to all citizens.
As the name suggests, these vouchers were not cash but were stored online.
According to the rules later announced, the 500 billion USD in subsidies would be directly deposited into the accounts of "Western Mustang Wallet," and users would need to apply for their vouchers through "Western Mustang Wallet."
Since "Western Mustang Wallet" was registered using personal social security accounts, theoretically, each person would have only one account, ensuring that the funds were accurately delivered to each citizen. Citizens could then spend directly online or at stores that supported "Western Mustang Wallet" payments.