Inflation is a killer to the middle class and low-wage worker. Yet there are always apologists for terrible Federal spending and Federal Reserve monetary policies. Like Alex Bereson with his “How we stopped inflation without a recession (hint: by not stopping inflation).”
Before I look at Berenson’s plea for more inflation, let’s see where Federal spending and Fed Monetary policies have left us. As of this morning, the REAL US Treasury 10-year yield (nominal yield less inflation), is now the highest since two crises ago, meaning The Great Recesssion and the first major overreaction of The Federal Reserve in late 2008.
Here is Berenson’s chart showing changes in inflation (CPI YoY) from 1966-1982 compared with recent inflation (orange) from 9/30/2013 – 06/30/2023. A charist might get confused and assume that inflation is will start rising again. But it is far more complicated than a simple projection.
One of the complications to the narrative is the change in the US economy after the Carter recession of 1980 and the inherited recession inherited by Reagan from Carter from 1981-2.
Since 1982 and the Carter recessions, we have seen incredible growth in Federal spending and when the proved insufficient, a massive increase in Fed monetary stimulus in late 2008 and then again in 2020 due to Covid. Remember Winston Churchill’s quote regarding water, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” That has morphed into a battle cry for more government spending and regulation, not to mention Federal Reserve monetary policies.
Notice that core inflation under Carter (green line) was gut wrenching (yet Berenson just shrugs it off). Core inflation is still at a horrible 4.7% YoY. But you can see the spikes in Federal spending (blue line) and Fed Monetary stimulus (red line) associated with the financial crisis of 2008-2009 and Covid 2020-2021.
Then we have the Federal budget deficit, still over $1 trillion (despite perpetually confused President Biden claiming he got rid of the deficit). Meanwhile, The Federal Reserve still has over $8 TRILLION in monetary stimulus sloshing around the financial system.
Inflation is a horrifying by-product of Federal spending and Fed monetary policy (especially under Fed Chair Janet Yellen). Unfortunately, Yellen is now the US Treasury Secretary. For example, REAL average hourly earnings are declining thanks to inflation.
Berenson closes his piece with this sobering statement: “Ultimately, this pattern is why inflation is so problematic. It is addictive, and breaking the addiction means damaging the economy.”
Its Federal spending that addictive, and eventually Congress has to cut its insane spending levels. Even if it lowers GDP and increases unemployment. Take a look at China, a command economy, that is really suffering despite massive government spending.
Under Obama/Biden, the US economy is transitioning from a demand economy to a Soviet/Chinese-style command economy where central government directs economic traffic. We need to bite the bullet and return to a deamnd economy.
