How Long Do We Have Before Seeing Hyperinflation? One Expert’s Answer May Frighten You

The Blaze ^ | October 2nd, 2013 | Erica Ritz

[MrB]

Like zombies, but not interested at all in brains.

[A CA Guy]

Food has already risen 40% in the last year or so and gas stays high for no real reason.

[jsanders2001]

They don’t allow us to keep livestock where I live. I guess some may have to setup communes with families that are willing to work hard and pitch in to help each other out sort of like The Walking Dead only the zombies are the Obamazombies...

[citizen]

Bitcoins, hmmm....How many bitcoins can you bury in your backyard in a mayonnaise jar?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

It’s critical to know the functional difference between inflation and hyperinflation. It is not just a difference in scale.

Inflation is when the price of goods and services rises, *in relation* to the availability of goods *or* the availability of money. So this means that one of three conditions applies:

1) The price of goods or services rises “because it can”, that is, because the market can tolerate it. Prices rise until consumption drops, with the good or service finding “it’s own level”.

2) There is a decline in the availability of goods. A shortage. Since *less* can be sold, it costs more, if people are willing to pay more.

3) There is too much money available. The markets raise prices because more consumers can afford it. This is not dependent on the availability of goods.

However, hyperinflation has different rules:

1) First, there must be too much money available. And not just some, but a lot. Built up, but not yet in the economy.

2) Second, typically there is a business connection between producers and retailers. Producers only want to produce what retailers can sell, so limit their production to fit. However, if speculators intervene between the two, offering higher prices than the retailers, three things happen at once.

Not just inflation caused by shortage of the product, but inflation because of the speculation. Then the speculator sells into this shortage, increasing prices further. And because there is a surfeit of money available, prices get even higher.

Often, hyperinflation can happen on the heels of deflation, in which there are too many goods, at too low a price, because there is a *shortage* of money in the economy, even if there is lots of money just outside the economy.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

There is also a potential problem with the dollar itself. While virtual money can instantly inflate or hyperinflate, physical money cannot. That is, no, they just cannot print more. They even can’t print higher denominations, either.

The US has only two printing offices for currency. And working all the time, they can barely print enough physical dollars to support 4% of US daily retail. If it was the only money we had, it would instantly be worth 25 times its face value. That is, it is “deflated” by 25 times.

However, virtual money can be “printed” with the touch of a button on a computer. If the government wanted to it could inflate or hyperinflate it instantly.

So if there is hyperinflation, it might cause a “currency split”, in which everybody wants physical money, and nobody wants virtual money.

Importantly, only physical money is “legal tender”, good for all debts, public and private. Virtual money is not. So if a retailer demands payment for a debt in physical money; or if you pay in physical money to resolve a debt, it *must* be accepted.

But nobody has to accept credit or debit, checks or drafts or electronic transfer.

Bottom line: it would be a very good idea to have cash on hand, in a safe place at home. You may not be able to trust banks or anyone else holding your money for you.

[BfloGuy]

Hyperinflation is caused by a lack of confidence in the currency.

True.

Deflation is now a far larger threat.

I dont' agree with that, but deflation is not a threat unless it's caused by government action, i.e., the Fed yanking away the cheap credit. Normally occurring deflation is a boon -- it means the currency's purchasing power is increasing.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I don’t believe you understand the devastation that will come

[PeterPrinciple]

Land would be good as well, especially land with a mortgage as you can pay it back with inflated $.

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This assumes you have a job and the land generates the money to pay the mortgage. Big assumption.

[JAKraig]

Too many people don't understand the way money works. When people don't have money to spend on anything but commodities then the price of commodities goes through the roof. When people can't afford anything but commodities all other items suffer. Food prices skyrocket while stock prices tumble. Housing? The price of real estate will fall like a rock because nobody can afford to buy a house when they can't afford food. The government is spending 40% more than they are collecting. Think about that, 40% of the money each year that the government is spending is fake money. You can't pour counterfeit money into the economy and expect stability. If you pour counterfeit money into the economy you will get inflation. Sure confidence is important to support fiat but inflated means increased. If you increase the amount of money in circulation then prices HAVE to go up. The advantage to the government is that they get to spend it first. Inflation is a tax. It is not voted on, the executive branch wants more money and they can't get congress to raise taxes so they raise taxes on their own by inflating the money supply. We have to pay it back, somebody has to pay all those bonds the Fed creates, your tax dollars will do that but at a much higher rate than today. This government thinks all your money is theirs. They are taking it whether or not your realize it.

[reformedliberal]

Just a country girl, here, but what is an “illegal apartment”? Is that a sublet from one renter to another without the landlord’s knowledge?

I do know someone in NJ who has sublet her rented basement.

[reformedliberal]

Where do you live? Here in SW WI, 12oz of name brand, thick sliced hickory bacon is under $4. Still high, of course.

[reformedliberal]

Do I live in bubble?

I pay $12+/- for 7# of fresh bone in, skin on chicken breasts that weigh about 2#/ea or a bit less. I can get a package for $10 if they are at the best by date. Frozen fillets are 3# for under $7. Whole roasters are in 2paks for around .70/#. I just paid 4.99/# for a whole strip loin and $3.69/# for a whole top sirloin. About $116 for 30# of prime meat. Just got done portioning it for the freezer and sampling some of each and it was prime: tender, flavorful, well-marbled, with the right amount of fat cap. Both whole muscle cuts have been absent for nearly 8-12 months as even Sam’s would rather sell it by the pound as steak, so when my local IGA had their annual meat sale, I stocked up on my two favorite cuts. I also found a manager’s special package of 1” thick rib eyes for 4.99/#.

A 6oz can of StarKist Albacore in water is just about the same as posted at about $2+. I usually buy the 8-paks at Sam’s for around $11& change.

Someone mentioned propane. My bulk propane last year was $1.89/gallon and I haven’t received this year’s quote, yet. But I use the 20# tanks regularly in my business and the exchange rate has been the same, at a little under $18 for years, now. I think a new full tank (and they do hold less than they did 5 years ago)is $45 or so. I get 25-26 hours out of one tank.

I am in a rural area just East of the Mississippi. Most of the prices I see posted here are eye-watering to me.

[Carriage Hill]

Better prices than here in York, PA. Nice.

[Iron Munro]

Not bad at all.

I would definately stock up at those prices.

[PeterPrinciple]

Too many people don’t understand the way money works.

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there are a lot of ways this can work it’s way out because it is people that are involved. People make it complex and not fully predictable. Money is not the major factor.

I can predict a crap storm is coming but I don’t know exactly how and when. There is no safe harbor in this storm.

Even looking back at Germany in the 30’s with hindsight there was no way out that I can see. The only way out was leaving EARLY.

[lucky american]

When Glenn Beck told us to start and prepare, we used every spare nickle to buy those things we thought would be useful. We have saved ourselves so much money because food has gone up so much in the last few years.
Thanks to Beck, we are ready and able to care for ourselves and some others if need be.
If we never use everything, we still feel “free” and more relaxed about the future in case it is needed.
It may come that everything will be just fine. but just in case, peace of mind is everything.

[VRWC For Truth]

There is inflation but it isn’t counted. Food, energy, taxes. There is deflation that isn’t counted. Unemployment, reduced investing, and reduced private sector spending. The Feds don’t count anything that makes them look bad.

[eartick]

“commercial tobacco tastes like crap compared to the homegrown”

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I am in full agreement with you on that. I do not smoke only chew it and it is so much better tasting and chemical free.

I had a row this year with 24 plants with 2 of each type. I let all 24 go to seed. I got seeds running out of my ears

[JRandomFreeper]

I only let 2 plants go to seed, and I've got about a million seeds myself. I had about 18 plants that made it through a storm. All of mine are bright leaf burley.

I've got an extra 300 sq ft of garden that I just opened up that will be dedicated to tobacco next year.

/johnny