From gold standard to no standard: 'Lightspeed inflation'

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In one of my previous blogs: Is the stock market spring loaded? I coined the phrase Lightspeed Inflation in reference to the rate at which the government was able to dilute our currency. It is time we stopped referring to the government's over spending as "running the printing presses".

We have reached a point, given our maximum note size of $100, that we would actually be better off if the government did have to print the money. Now they can just add whatever amount they want to the balance sheet electronically.

In 1974, the year I started college, we went off the gold standard. Prior to that time we required ourselves to maintain the precious metal in sufficient supply to back up the currency. Now we just have the government's word. This reminds me of a comic I read with the caption "Our standards are very high. We even have double standards" The sad irony here is that there is nobody less trustworthy than a politician. There might be one somewhere, but they are few and far between.

The Bush administration, which I have described as economically comatose; (see: Serious Money: Don't overlook these regional banks!) followed a Clinton administration that was self-indulgent, and left the new Obama White House with such a mess that the old joke about a "billion here, a billion there" is viewed as petty cash.

Now we are all convinced that if we do not create trillions of dollars more to sprinkle around on Wall Street like pixie dust we face present and certain doom. They actually have convinced me of that.

The problem that I have is that hidden in all the real scary economic news, the current President and Congress has now decided to link a long list of other spending items. These should be separate pieces of legislation, to be debated on their specific merits!

The fact that everything is being lumped together, is just one more example of absolute power corrupting absolutely. I was not a Bush supporter for many reasons, and I do think Obama can make a positive difference for our country. However, if I am to understand that every new idea, and program, is to be "railroaded" down our throats then I will be screaming loudly against him too.

Just because we long ago decided to free ourselves from the gold standard does not mean that we should have no standards. The idea, becoming policy, of expanding the currency to any level without feeling the burden of our actions will create Lightspeed inflation.

Is it possible to expand money supply without having inflation?



When will inflation become a serious issue?



Which of these companies will navigate these difficult times the best?



Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture and planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. Disclosure: I own shares of GE and WFC.

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Last updated: February 10, 2010: 12:50 AM

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