justin_o_guy2 wrote on 09/21/12 at 21:55:19:$1.2 trillion is the increase in excess reserves banks hold at the Federal Reserve. This is why massive money printing hasn't led to massive inflation -- yet.
Nooo,, thats One of the reasons. Another reason is all the dollars held by other countries because they need them to buy & sell on the world stage. OIl is traded in Dollars.
Iraq & Libya had each announced plans to stop doing that & suddenly, they were Bad & needed invaded.
Wait till China & others come waltzing in with our "Mortgage Papers" & demand payment. They will "Buy", with our Fed Bonds, whatever they want & Then, That $$$ will be loosed into the economy, diluting the pool of dollars, which IS inflating the $$$ supply, & that, dear friends, IS inflation.
Yes it is inflation - and we need it, bad. We have deflation in durable goods and inflation in consumables. We could use inflation all the way around.
Listen inflation doesn't hurt anyone except those that have liquid assets ... like as in cash. Wages adjust ... so does most other forms of assets ... in fact look for a nice old bike ... made in the 80's, like our savage. you dont see one in complete running shape for under 1500 do you ... as it so happens @ that price the yearly depreciation with normal use seems to be right about equal to the gain from inflation ...
Houses, land, and many many hard assets tend to keep right along with inflation. Vehicles will drop till they reach that plateau ...
Ask anyone about the 80's ... they buy a house and seem to be getting crushed under the payments ... 2-3 years go by and they downright feel their house was cheap and the payments ae very affordable. The miracle called inflation baby.
Of course Mitt romney wants deflation, cos he's hidden his $$$ in swiss banks where they dont pay you interest, they charge you for keeping their mouth shut ... so inflation is awful for him.
Cool.
Srinath.