Comments (8)

• Alvaro

  Truly amazing. Even here in Uruguay the ruling left-wing coalition (comprising social-democratic types, Cuba-loving socialists, Cuba-worshipping communists and Cuba-trained ex-guerrilla & terrorists) they know better than to unleash hyperinflation.

  The man is from the American Enterprise Institute.... amazing.
  

  Published: April 14, 2008 12:31 PM

• James Crosswell

  More incredible still, they actually printed the fruit loop's comments in the Wall Street Journal!?

  Published: April 14, 2008 1:10 PM

• Fephisto

  Why does the Wall Street Journal have any credibility left?

  Published: April 14, 2008 6:15 PM

• Jardinero1

  Back in '68, they had to destroy the city of Hue in order to save it. It's the same kind of thing.

  Published: April 14, 2008 6:53 PM

• Dan Mahoney

  Uhm, where exactly does Makin advocate hyperinflation?

  Published: April 14, 2008 9:55 PM

• P.M.Lawrence

  Just to clarify, hyperinflation isn't simply another word for a lot of inflation, although of course it comes with that. It has a specific meaning, inflation at such a level that the function of currency in transmitting economic signals breaks down. These people are contemplating inflation that would do that, but they aren't contemplating the breakdown - they think they can inflate enough for their purposes, but it hasn't occurred to them that they would get a breakdown too (or maybe it has, but they have faith that their levels wouldn't get that high).

  Published: April 14, 2008 10:34 PM

• pazlenchantinrocks

  Would hyperinflation end the US dollar hegemony?

  After all, it seems to me that having the complete destruction of the USD would remove at least one of the mechanisms the state uses to extort wealth from the masses.

  How could the state have and continue to hold the empire it has obtained (for any length of time) without the use of the printing press?

  Propaganda only goes so far. As stated in a recent article posted on mises.org, mainstream economists are now recognizing that the Fed's policies have an effect on the housing market.

  If "saving" the dollar and nationalization of the mortgage business were to occur, would this not be even more control the state can exercise against the people?

  Is there anyone here that would condone the continued encroachment upon liberty through the use of the printing press? If so, then would you consider yourself libertarian? If so, why?

  Published: April 14, 2008 10:49 PM

• Alvaro

  @Dan Mahoney

  when he says
  "If instead we let housing prices fall another 25%-30% ..."

  and

  "Printing money is a radical step that enables the Fed ... start increasing market liquidity directly."

  One would think he wants to print to "keep house prices stable". Very few people can or want to pay for houses nowadays, so he might as well print until he runs out of ink.

  @pazlenchantinrocks
  "Would hyperinflation end the US dollar hegemony?"

  Dollars used to be the reserve currency of a lot of people, including yours truly. Inflation was encroached so long here in Uruguay, that foreign currency accounts became widespread as well as valuing expensive goods (cars, houses) in dollars.

  A few years ago two other types of accounts appeared: Euro accounts and Indexed Units accounts. The Indexed Unit is pegged to the Consumer Price Index of Uruguay.

  So you see, in the face of current US dollar devaluation, institutions and individuals around the world are dumping their dollars in favor of other currencies or value stores.

  Oddly enough, our Central Bank (and Chile's , and God knows what others) are _buying_ US dollars so that its price won't fall relative to the local currency and hurt exporters too much. They then issue debt instruments to soak up the money they have just injected (to buy the dollars).

  But I digress. To sum it up: inflation is already eroding the once dominant position of the dollar.

  Published: April 15, 2008 10:16 AM