Why is counterfeiting illegal?

That's a really complicated thing, so I'll try to keep it simple. Paper is worthless unless it's backed up by something. The US is no longer on the god standard so we aren't limited to printing only the money that's backed by the gold stored in Fort Knox. we do, hwever, have strict parameters that nobody can bend or stretch. The Treasury Dept. lets the Congress know current needs, and the Congress decides whether more money can be added into the economy. If just anybody could print the bills, they'd have no value at all, and it wouldn't be accepted as payment for anything. I hope I haven't made it more confusing than necessary.

Well, if we could make our own money, no one would work. There wouldn't be anything to buy because no one would work to make things to sell.

For two reasons that I can think of. First, if everyone could print as much money as they wanted then everything would lose value. What would be the point in selling a $40,000 home if someone could just print the money up and buy it. No one would have to work for anything anymore. Second, the government uses money as a way to control ppl. If ppl could print their own then the government wouldn't have that control anymore. Ppl could buy their way into anything and before long they'd have more then the government does...they aren't about to let that happen. **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~

Counterfeiting alone is already wrong since an item made in exact imitation of something valuable with the intention to deceive or defraud is what its all about. Counterfeiting money would make it more worse. If a country has a lot of money circulating yet the supplies of commodities are still the same, it would just result to an individual needing more money just to purchase even the simplest things. The less money circulating within the economy of the country, the more that it would imply that you can afford things even with a little amount of money.

Hmm.. Demand and supply governs the currency. There must be a balance if not the whole system will collapse and the money that we hold will just become useless. For example, if we are all allowed to make our own money, wouldn't that render 'Work' as useless? Most people work to earn a living, to earn money. If we can produce our own money, who would work? If no one works, how can the economy grow? My 2 cents - poohgal^^

welll this is a one that makes you really think. if we could make our own money than every one would buy what they want witch wouldnt be too bad but if everyone had all the money they would need there would be no need to work so then everyone would quit and then you would have no one to sell you gas or food or the things that you need so i dont think that i would be a good idea because we would be rich but have nothing to survive.

You would actually do more for the economy if you did the exact opposite and destroyed real money. This would increase the real value of the rest of the money and reduce or even reverse inflation.