Inflation: The Last Gasp of the Obama Economic Crisis

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/inflation_the_last_gasp_of_the.html

August 03, 2010

Inflation: The Last Gasp of the Obama Economic Crisis
By Monty Pelerin

Inflation is the inevitable ending of this awful economic crisis. The only questions are how much and when.

A rising number of supports champion inflation as a salvation strategy. Richard Russell in a recent newsletter provides the rationale (emboldening by Mr. Russell):

In my opinion, the US MUST default on its debt. There are two ways to default. One is simply to renege on the debt ... The other way to default on the debt is to inflate it away. I'm absolutely convinced that this is the path that the US will take. If the US inflates enough, then over time (many years) the devalued dollar will tend of reduce the power of the debts.

SNIP

Former Fed Chair Paul Volcker understood the dangers of inflation in the early 1980s and took forceful action at a critical time. It is likely his actions prevented hyperinflation from destroying the economy. His was a personal act of courage, aided by at least two factors not present today. First, the economy was much more resilient and not overburdened with debt. Second, Mr. Volcker had President Reagan backing him. Reagan took the political heat because he considered inflation an evil: "Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man."

Today, we have no Volcker, Reagan, or functioning economy. To argue that our economic salvation depends on default is to admit the intractability of our problems. To believe that we can manage an inflationary default strategy is the height of folly.

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And that is the path Obama and Bernanke are pursuing as we speak.