[lbryce]

How about this? We're all going to die someday from something. Notwithstanding whether or not this esoteric, exotic economic theory has merit or not, I would venture to say that of the top 100 things that will be the end of us, of civilization, humanity, whatever, inflation, which by the way has had every bit as much a disastrous effect on us as any disease, plague, is not one of the things that keeps me up at night.

[LearsFool]

Much like the universe, which began with a big bang nearly 14 billion years ago, but is expanding so rapidly that scientists predict it will all end in a “big freeze” trillions of years from now, our current monetary system seems to require perpetual expansion to maintain its existence.

*snort*

Much like the universe, our monetary system was created. And much like the universe, everything is proceeding according to plan.

[alloysteel]

We don’t “die” of inflation. At worse, inflation is highly uncomfortable, but as has been shown all over the world, people deal with it on many different levels, beginning with simply dispensing with trying to use the currency in circulation. The first step is to try to find a substitute form of exchange, say some kind of precious goods that have a recognized exchange value, or common goods that have high utility. If neither of these two approaches are available, then the individual is only able to offer his (or her) personal expertise or talents in exchange for the basic necessities of life, i.e., food, shelter and personal care.

Money, as such, is actually a highly artificial construct, based entirely on trust and a common belief that it is somehow a storehouse of value. But a fistful of cruzeiros or pesos is mostly not recognized as that far from the place of its origin, and there has been a concerted effort to strip the US dollar of its value as a representation for wealth.

Even with rampant inflation, people still keep on going.

[roadcat]

We're all going to die someday from something.

We're all going to die of old age. Because we're old, the younger generations (our kids) will kill us to get our money. If we don't have any money, then they'll kill us so they won't have to spend it on us.

[shove_it]

Is this the same Bill Gross who shorted government debt in 2011 and lost a bundle for Pimco?

[Alberta's Child]

Interesting article. I don't disagree with much of what the author says, but I'm wondering if inflation is as much of a problem as he makes it out to be.

The only real "victims" of inflation are those who own large cash holdings, or those who hold debt instruments valued in dollars that will not change in value over time. Anyone who owns "real" assets -- and by this I mean assets that produce income and/or growth potential that is tied to underlying economic realities and has nothing to do with the nominal value of the asset at any given time -- is not likely to be impacted nearly as much by inflation, since the income and growth tied to that asset will change as currency value changes.

[Alberta's Child]

The other important point to note here is that the article is supposed to be about the imminent threat of inflation, but the author ends up using Japan as an indicator of what's to come for the U.S.

Japan's decades-long problem is its deflationary quagmire, not inflation.

[Mack the knife]

Talk to someone with white hair who lived through the inflation generated by the oil shock under Carter. Ask them about house mortgages that ran 20%. Ask them about the silliness of the politicians, especially (acting) President Ford and his “Whip Inflation Now” buttons.

The coming inflation will screw the low information voters out of all of their disposable income, and the Dems will still find a way to blame it on the Republicans, especially the Tea Party folks.