I find it interesting how so many people think we have more of a deflation problem than an inflation problem.
There is an ever-larger circle of smart money and financial/economic analysts (albeit typically not mainstream) who consider eventual dollar collapse so certain, so inevitable that it doesn’t warrant debate regarding IF it will happen.
I’m in that camp. The long-game (to deal with eventual massive inflation) is so thoroughly discussed and planned out by most, that I don’t even mention it in posts any more.
Now, as for what will happen in the short to mid-term (next several years), that is very much open to debate.
Further, it is LAUGHABLE that anyone would think the last few YEARS have been inflationary for most items that Americans consume.
Not just for months, but for several years now we have seen price deflation, NOT inflation.
Almost every single item my family consumes, from cars to food to clothes to rent to satellite TV to electronic toys, has declined in price say 10% to 20% even 30% since late 2007.
One more important point, looking back we acknowledge that with the onset of this ugly recession in 2007,and the massive government stimulus that followed, we saw many inflation pundits jump up and exclaim that high inflation will follow immediately or within a year or two.
I bet my retirement portfolio (in the market, in commodities) that they were WRONG. I made lots of money.
The markets have PROVEN THEM WRONG about inflation in the near-term, and they have been forced to give up their position that inflation is imminent. What a joke!
Huge amounts of money have been lost by many since 2007 by their betting that inflation is about to hit (with the exception of those who bought and held gold)