If printing money causes inflation, you might wonder: why print money at all? Why not just stop?
The answer is usually short-term gain.
Governments have huge bills to pay. They need to fund armies, build roads, and pay for social programs. Raising taxes is unpopular; voters hate it. Cutting spending is also unpopular; nobody wants fewer services.
So, they choose the third option: Print new money.
It feels like “free money” at first. The government pays its bills, the economy gets a sugar rush, and everyone feels richer for a moment.
But the hangover comes later. The cost isn’t gone; it is just hidden. Instead of taking money from your paycheck (taxes), they take value from your savings (inflation).
It is the political path of least resistance.
Bitcoin removes this option. Since no one can print more Bitcoin to pay bills, governments would have to be honest about their spending.
So why print money? Because it is easier than making hard choices about budgets and taxes.