".... has to borrow ... " I'm not bright enough to understand the entire concept: but I guess the point is that the ink and paper had to come from somewhere ... and the "somewhere" is an imaginary space and time that someone created, then assigned to it an arbitrary value. Does this economic philosophical observation include the newest fad -- the "new" ...er .. "currency," the name of which I can't recall,
but I sure don't want to become involved with ANOTHER form of what boils down to "barter," no ?

I'd more appreciate the quote if I understood the word "them;" or as my well-educated father would have said, "What's the antecedent of 'them' ?"

Goody ! A man with humor.