ECB Tweet On Valentine’s Day Backfires, Prompts Scorching Criticism From Social Media

Perhaps looking to be lighthearted, or perhaps just looking for something to do in between printing more money, the ECB took to their Twitter account on Valentine’s Day to Tweet out a love poem about monetary policy.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
We’ll keep financing conditions favourable
‘Til the crisis is through#ECBmyvalentine #ValentinesDay

— European Central Bank (@ecb) February 14, 2021

While some would just write this off as a bit of PR or some good-natured spin in order to acknowledge the holiday, the Tweet instead backfired in a big way. It prompted over 2,000 responses, many of which seemed to be critical not just of the ECB’s attempt at making a joke, but also at their larger ongoing failure of monetary policy as a whole.

While browsing some of the responses, it dawned on us: it is starting to feel like (perhaps as a result of bitcoin’s popularity) the average person is understanding the folly of Central Banking moreso than they ever have. 

The responses to the ECB Tweet varied in subject matter, but many people hilariously responded in kind. There were digs on authoritarianism and taxes:

Then we’ll raise your tax
Steal all your wealth
Make you wear your mask
And Pretend we want to help

— Jake Ducey (@jakeduceyauthor) February 14, 2021

There were responses critical of monetary policy as a whole, including rigging interest rates and the bond market:

Weaken the Euro, prop up growth
Shove liquidity down your throat
Narrow spreads by buying bonds
Flatten treasuries, across the pond
Risk free yield is, yield free risk
Interest on cash is something we’ll miss

— The Long View 🍥 (@HayekAndKeynes) February 15, 2021

Others who couldn’t even finish their poetry because the sound of the BRRRRR was just too overwhelming:

Roses are red
Violets are brrrrrrrr
We’ll keep financing conditions favourabrrrrrrrr
‘Til the crisis is through#ECBrrrrrrrrmyvalentine #ValentinesDay

— Breakout Point (@BreakoutPoint) February 14, 2021

There were predictions of coming hyperinflation:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
ECB keeps printing money
Until hyperinflation is true

— Geert-Jan de Krijger (@GJDK22) February 14, 2021

And the obvious acknowledgment that Central Banks are out of options:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Y’all must hope this works
Or you’d wouldn’t know what to do

— Sven (@IlegemsSven) February 14, 2021

You also had your bitcoin fanatics weigh in:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Keep printing money
Till #Bitcoin is a mil or two

— Lex Moskovski (@mskvsk) February 14, 2021

And then there was the obligatory nod that money printing only leads down one road; currency collapse:

Rose are red
Violets are blue
When the € collapses
It will be because of you

“Nations are not ruined by one act of violence, but gradually and in an almost imperceptible manner by depreciation of their circulating currency,through its excessive quantity.”
Nicolaus Copernicus

— alejandro villa (@a73villa) February 15, 2021

We hope you had a nice Valentine’s weekend, Christine.