• fender_symphonic584@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “falling inflation” means prices are still rising…the rate of increase is what has decreased. What we need is negative inflation…or said differently, price decrease.

    • frezik@midwest.social
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      1 year ago

      You don’t actually want that. It encourages people to “invest” by sticking hard cash in a mattress. It rewards people for doing absolutely nothing but taking money out of the economy.

      Ideal (if we’re keeping a monetary exchange society, anyway) is low (<3%), predictable inflation combined with wages increasing in proportion to productivity. We had a period of relatively low inflation followed by a giant spike, plus wage gains that are nowhere near matching productivity gains over the last 50 years, and that’s where things hurt. Capitalism doesn’t seem capable of this, however, as it’s always chasing the next hype cycle that leads to these spikes and lulls.

      • dangblingus@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        As opposed to what we have going on right now, which is to punish working class people so ruling class people can still have prosperity.

    • Bonskreeskreeskree@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      What you are describing is deflation and it’s only happened twice during the history of the United States. It is also generally looked at as a bad thing.

      • Jarix@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Is inflation generally looked at as a good thing or a bad thing? Ive only ever heard people complain about inflation.

        If they are both bad things im willing to give the bad thing that improves my life a try over the bad thing that makes everything more expensive.

        Granted i have nothing so im probably on the side of things that is least effected by the bad side of deflation.

        If i can spend more money on the things i want to, it will absolutely help small local businesses near me

        • pixeltree@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          A small amount of inflation is healthy. You REALLY want to avoid deflation, because that means the value of your money is increasing. If people know their money will be worth more in the future, they won’t spend it, incentivized to save and sit on it. That means on average everyone spends less, slowing the economy down and starting into a recession/depression.

          Gonna slap this with the good old “I am not an economist” disclaimer, juat what I remember from economics class in high school

          • lad@programming.dev
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            1 year ago

            Only problem that right now people also may decide against buying because they can’t afford it. Also, I’m not sure world is producing goods at a healthy rate either, more like we’ve got a bit of an overproduction

          • SCB@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            What you learned in high school puts you miles ahead of 99% of these comments

      • dangblingus@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Cool, working class people aren’t really thriving right now anyway. Maybe an economy crash could result in a restructuring of wealth and new tax policy.

        • HerrBeter@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Sure. I don’t believe in infinite growth either, I’m unsure however who’d come up on top. The new aristocracy?

        • TotallynotJessica@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          For every economic problem, the burden falls on the working class. Deflation makes people unhappy, high inflation makes people unhappy, and low inflation is the “best” because things get worse more slowly. Capitalism only helps workers when large enough innovations happens. Otherwise, the owners capture all the benefits of growth, or squeeze the workers to make the appearance of it.

        • Ultraviolet@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          The majority of people are in debt. If you owe $1000, you’ll still owe $1000 but $1000 will be more money than it is now.

          • Jarix@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            If prices drop then you have more money to pay for that 1000 dollars is how proponents are looking at it, i assume

    • Wahots@pawb.social
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      1 year ago

      Deflation is a death spiral. China is going through it rn. The currency gets stronger, but then people wait to buy stuff like houses because it will be cheaper in a few months. It creates a snowball effect as people all start holding off on buying and selling stuff, wanting the best deal possible, or then being unable to buy things if people hold off on selling.