Inflation

[Q9]

Quote:
The Depression ended AFTER World War Two - after most of FDR's policies were dismantled and the war economy ended.

Yes, GDP went up - it consisted almost entirely of things that shoot or get shot. Yes, employment went up - all those soldiers paid for by cash taken from the population, to be sent to die in Europe and the Pacific. However right the fight against the Nazis, let's face it - soldiers in combat don't aid the economy at all. They may accomplish a great deal of good, but they literally produce nothing. War makes the economy WORSE, because material is diverted from civilian goods to military goods. Living standards go DOWN in a war economy - if you can even call it an economy.

 

[debilorrah]

I am only concerned with how this whole thing effects ME. Selfish, yes.

 

[chickened]

The short answer is your dollar does not buy you as much.
Quote:

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:

Well DUH!

 

[chickened]

Basically the more money that the Government prints the less it is worth. Gold and other precious metals have a tangible value and were once the basis for currency. The government would take gold melt it down and mix it with less valuable metal therefore devaluing it. That became costly and now we just print it. Inflation also causes hoarding of goods which can deprive people of them or make them too costly which would effect you and me. I can go on but it gets real boring.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
Seems to be the predominate opinion too. At our level I tend to agree. The problem is that our people in Congress have the same attitude. All they care about is getting as much as they can for themselves and their friends while it's still there to be had. There are exceptions of course, but they seem to be in the minority. Instead all of their actions are based on what they think will get the most corporate funding and therefore the best chances at re-election. So they use their voices and convince the people that what the corporations want is what is good for them. Then we have what we have now. Too bad Ross Perot didn't get elected. At least the country would be in a lot better position financially. If you remember his debate with Bush 41 and Clinton he was against NAFTA and said it would do exactly what it did. Bush 41 already had it in motion and Clinton finally signed off on it. Look what it did for us.

 

[rufus]

Quote:
The Depression ended AFTER World War Two - after most of FDR's policies were dismantled and the war economy ended.

Yes, GDP went up - it consisted almost entirely of things that shoot or get shot. Yes, employment went up - all those soldiers paid for by cash taken from the population, to be sent to die in Europe and the Pacific. However right the fight against the Nazis, let's face it - soldiers in combat don't aid the economy at all. They may accomplish a great deal of good, but they literally produce nothing. War makes the economy WORSE, because material is diverted from civilian goods to military goods. Living standards go DOWN in a war economy - if you can even call it an economy.

You are correct. During the depression, my family was eating weeds and rattle snakes. After Pearl Harbor, they were still eating weeds and rattle snakes, but with a purpose. I don't count the war years as depression years, but they sure were not times of prosperity.

And again you are correct in that war does not improve the standard of living, unless the victor totally loots the vanquished. Stalin had Eastern Europe and Germany stripped of all industrial equipment and supplies. That definitely must have improved things in mother Russia.

Early in my career as part of my job we bought scientific books from a company, Mezdurania Kniga, in Moscow. Almost all of them were in German and still had the stamps from the German libraries in them.

Rufus

 

[Q9]

Quote:
The Depression ended AFTER World War Two - after most of FDR's policies were dismantled and the war economy ended.

Yes, GDP went up - it consisted almost entirely of things that shoot or get shot. Yes, employment went up - all those soldiers paid for by cash taken from the population, to be sent to die in Europe and the Pacific. However right the fight against the Nazis, let's face it - soldiers in combat don't aid the economy at all. They may accomplish a great deal of good, but they literally produce nothing. War makes the economy WORSE, because material is diverted from civilian goods to military goods. Living standards go DOWN in a war economy - if you can even call it an economy.

You are correct. During the depression, my family was eating weeds and rattle snakes. After Pearl Harbor, they were still eating weeds and rattle snakes, but with a purpose. I don't count the war years as depression years, but they sure were not times of prosperity.

And again you are correct in that war does not improve the standard of living, unless the victor totally loots the vanquished. Stalin had Eastern Europe and Germany stripped of all industrial equipment and supplies. That definitely must have improved things in mother Russia.

Early in my career as part of my job we bought scientific books from a company, Mezdurania Kniga, in Moscow. Almost all of them were in German and still had the stamps from the German libraries in them.

Rufus

Oh, okay, I see what you're meaning.

I cannot decide who was worse, the Nazis or the Soviets. But that's a WHOLE other thread.

 

[Wifezilla]

different sides of the same coin

 

[country lady]

According to what I've heard/read, food and energy are not figured in the inflation figure. I may be a mine of misinformation, but I've heard that food and energy were taken out of the inflation figure by President Johnson during the Viet Nam War. If true, the inflation figure is always a lie because I certainly eat and drive my car! I haven't read all the posts so hope I am not repeating someone. Just hang in there--times ARE tough. I've always tried to spend as little as possible just to be a stinker. We always eat better when I'm mad at high food prices--more variety.