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Senator warns of hyperinflation rivaling the 1980s
thehill.com ^ | August 25, 2009 | Michael O'Brien

Posted on 08/25/2009 12:10:00 PM PDT by Palin Republic

Grassley, speaking about the renomination of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to a second term as head of the Fed, asserted that Bernanke's ability to hold down inflation would be the metric by which the Fed's success would be measured.

"We won't know for a year if he's done a good job so far, because he shoveled money out of an airplane to save banks and the financial system," Grassley said in a conference call with Iowa reporters. "But shoveling money out of an airplane to solve problems can be inflationary — in this case, hyperinflationary — if he doesn't start mopping up some of the money that's out there."

Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said that inflation as a result from government spending on bailouts could result in inflation rivaling rates in 1980, when it hit a peak of 13.5 percent.

(Excerpt) Read more at briefingroom.thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bernanke; bhoeconomy; democrats; economy; federalreserve; grassley; hyperinflation; obama; thecomingdepression
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To: Palin Republic
How many trillions can Helicopter Ben

Bernanke was quoting Milton Friedman in his "helicopter" speech.

One of the reasons for the severity of this downturn is that all the central banks had their yield curves inverted a few years ago for no good reason.

21 posted on 08/25/2009 12:26:37 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: DallasDeb

Hyperinflation is a very specific term that is overused. Hyperinflation is tripple-digit and up, not double-digit.

Double-digit inflation is just “high” inflation.


22 posted on 08/25/2009 12:26:50 PM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (Depression Countdown: 55... 54... 53...)
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To: dinoparty

I’m just waiting for the door armed masses march on the Fraudural Reswerve and burn it to the ground.


23 posted on 08/25/2009 12:28:08 PM PDT by RAO1125 (Neoconservatism:Failed. Socialism:Failing (again). Next up: Libertarianism)
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To: Palin Republic

jimmah al-carter redux


24 posted on 08/25/2009 12:28:25 PM PDT by kingattax (99 % of liberals give the rest a bad name)
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To: nascarnation

Not exactly sure, bt he seemed happy.


25 posted on 08/25/2009 12:29:43 PM PDT by EnquiringMind
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To: EnquiringMind

It is easy just replace the 20 ont he dollar bill with 20^100^100

or 2.0E500


26 posted on 08/25/2009 12:37:38 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: Palin Republic

It’s more accurate to say, “The Seventies” and it peaked in 1980 at 13.5% when The Peanut Man was in the WH. Reagan didn’t take office until Jan. 1981.


27 posted on 08/25/2009 12:45:31 PM PDT by Signalman
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To: DallasDeb
IIRC money has to be losing half it's value every few weeks in order for there to be “hyper-inflation”.

Zimbabwe's situation — I think — qualifies.

28 posted on 08/25/2009 12:47:18 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: Palin Republic

I’ve been predicting rampant near-term late-70s inflation for the last 6-9 months, starting any time now.

I’m glad I don’t need any loans in the near future. My first house note was >10%, in the mid-80s.


29 posted on 08/25/2009 12:47:41 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (No Representation without Taxation!)
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To: Palin Republic
...said that inflation as a result from government spending on bailouts could result in inflation rivaling rates in 1980

My husband works with bankers all the time. It's going to be worse than that. We're storing all we can right now. Because of the kids, we're working our butts off. We need a lot.
The bankers warned us as soon as Oboma took office. They told my husband to stop spending and start hording - everything.

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

30 posted on 08/25/2009 12:47:58 PM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: Palin Republic
Senator Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee and he doesn't even know the basic definition of hyperinflation? We haven't had hyperinflation in this country - ever.

Not only that, but we're not heading for it either. We're in a classic deflationary spiral. Sen. Grassley really needs to learn some basic economics since he's on a committee making important fiscal decisions for our country.

Voters should be very concerned about the lack of common economics knowledge by our elected officials. They're clueless.

31 posted on 08/25/2009 12:56:31 PM PDT by politicket (1 1/2 million attended Obama's coronation - only 14 missed work!)
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To: DallasDeb
You don’t think double-digit inflation is hyper?

Well, not according to anyone that read enough to earn at least a C in a high school economics class.

32 posted on 08/25/2009 12:59:27 PM PDT by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: Centurion2000

My, what intellect you demonstrate. NOT.


33 posted on 08/25/2009 1:04:35 PM PDT by what's up
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To: Palin Republic
There was no hyperinflation in the 1980`s.

YEAR
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
AVE
  1985   3.53%   3.52%   3.70%   3.69%   3.77%   3.76%   3.55%   3.35%   3.14%   3.23%   3.51%   3.80%   3.55%
  1984   4.19%   4.60%   4.80%   4.56%   4.23%   4.22%   4.20%   4.29%   4.27%   4.26%   4.05%   3.95%   4.30%
  1983   3.71%   3.49%   3.60%   3.90%   3.55%   2.58%   2.46%   2.56%   2.86%   2.85%   3.27%   3.79%   3.22%
  1982   8.39%   7.62%   6.78%   6.51%   6.68%   7.06%   6.44%   5.85%   5.04%   5.14%   4.59%   3.83%   6.16%
  1981   11.83%   11.41%   10.49%   10.00%   9.78%   9.55%   10.76%   10.80%   10.95%   10.14%   9.59%   8.92%   10.35%
  1980   13.91%   14.18%   14.76%   14.73%   14.41%   14.38%   13.13%   12.87%   12.60%   12.77%   12.65%   12.52%   13.58%
  1979   9.28%   9.86%   10.09%   10.49%   10.85%   10.89%   11.26%   11.82%   12.18%   12.07%   12.61%   13.29%   11.22%
  1978   6.84%   6.43%   6.55%   6.50%   6.97%   7.41%   7.70%   7.84%   8.31%   8.93%   8.89%   9.02%   7.62%
  1977   5.22%   5.91%   6.44%   6.95%   6.73%   6.87%   6.83%   6.62%   6.60%   6.39%   6.72%   6.70%   6.50%
  1976   6.72%   6.29%   6.07%   6.05%   6.20%   5.97%   5.35%   5.71%   5.49%   5.46%   4.88%   4.86%   5.75%
  1975   11.80%   11.23%   10.25%   10.21%   9.47%   9.39%   9.72%   8.60%   7.91%   7.44%   7.38%   6.94%   9.20%
  1974   9.39%   10.02%   10.39%   10.09%   10.71%   10.86%   11.51%   10.86%   11.95%   12.06%   12.20%   12.34%   11.03%

34 posted on 08/25/2009 1:04:42 PM PDT by Reagan Man ("In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.")
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To: Reagan Man

Liberals have been doing their best to trivialize Reagan and drag him into the Carter/Democrat mess of 1976-1980 even though Reagan didn’t take office until 1981.


35 posted on 08/25/2009 1:10:03 PM PDT by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: CodeToad
Before someone asks, 86-89:

YEAR
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
AVE
  1997   3.04%   3.03%   2.76%   2.50%   2.23%   2.30%   2.23%   2.23%   2.15%   2.08%   1.83%   1.70%   2.34%
  1996   2.73%   2.65%   2.84%   2.90%   2.89%   2.75%   2.95%   2.88%   3.00%   2.99%   3.26%   3.32%   2.93%
  1995   2.80%   2.86%   2.85%   3.05%   3.19%   3.04%   2.76%   2.62%   2.54%   2.81%   2.61%   2.54%   2.81%
  1994   2.52%   2.52%   2.51%   2.36%   2.29%   2.49%   2.77%   2.90%   2.96%   2.61%   2.67%   2.67%   2.61%
  1993   3.26%   3.25%   3.09%   3.23%   3.22%   3.00%   2.78%   2.77%   2.69%   2.75%   2.68%   2.75%   2.96%
  1992   2.60%   2.82%   3.19%   3.18%   3.02%   3.09%   3.16%   3.15%   2.99%   3.20%   3.05%   2.90%   3.03%
  1991   5.65%   5.31%   4.90%   4.89%   4.95%   4.70%   4.45%   3.80%   3.39%   2.92%   2.99%   3.06%   4.25%
  1990   5.20%   5.26%   5.23%   4.71%   4.36%   4.67%   4.82%   5.62%   6.16%   6.29%   6.27%   6.11%   5.39%
  1989   4.67%   4.83%   4.98%   5.12%   5.36%   5.17%   4.98%   4.71%   4.34%   4.49%   4.66%   4.65%   4.83%
  1988   4.05%   3.94%   3.93%   3.90%   3.89%   3.96%   4.13%   4.02%   4.17%   4.25%   4.25%   4.42%   4.08%
  1987   1.46%   2.10%   3.03%   3.78%   3.86%   3.65%   3.93%   4.28%   4.36%   4.53%   4.53%   4.43%   3.66%
  1986   3.89%   3.11%   2.26%   1.59%   1.49%   1.77%   1.58%   1.57%   1.75%   1.47%   1.28%   1.10%   1.91%

36 posted on 08/25/2009 1:23:18 PM PDT by Reagan Man ("In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.")
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To: politicket

“...We’re in a classic deflationary spiral...”

It’s all very confusing to me, because it seems like what the Fed is doing by selling so many bonds (and accumulating so much debt) would be very inflationary, even though, empirically, this does not appear to be the case. I don’t see how we can have so much deficit spending (and accumulated debt) without it leading to inflation, because it seems to me that at some point the debt will be so huge that it can only be managed by paying it off in highly inflated dollars.


37 posted on 08/25/2009 1:23:51 PM PDT by Texan Tory
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To: Centurion2000

“The sh*t is about to really hit the fan in the next 6 months.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

You seem overoptimistic, the scenarion I keep hearing is no later than October, by Thanksgiving we may not be able to afford a turkey.


38 posted on 08/25/2009 1:26:43 PM PDT by RipSawyer (Change has come to America and all hope is gone.)
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To: what's up
My, what intellect you demonstrate. NOT.

No, I understand math. I KNOW we're headed to a collapse.

You seem to be unwilling or unable to grasp this fact with your pollyanna 'he's doing a great job' attitude.

39 posted on 08/25/2009 2:10:30 PM PDT by Centurion2000 (The way to destroy a countercultural movement is to have white people start liking it.)
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To: Centurion2000
with your pollyanna 'he's doing a great job' attitude.

Never said it. Figures you would twist the truth. People who claim they have great intellects usually do.

40 posted on 08/25/2009 2:12:02 PM PDT by what's up
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