Is lower inflation "transitory" too?

@whowasthatmaskedman I blame Aryan supremacy 😘

@whowasthatmaskedman But real rates were negative long before any of this happened. We got addicted to negative rates following the Great Recession >10 years ago.

@irishmolly72 Well observed.. The globe has been teetering on the edge of a second America led global recession for a decade now. (I cant even blame Trump) America started printing money with "quantitative easing" and should have stopped as soon as the need went away. But it didnt. (The reasons why are complex, so lets save that for when I have a few spare days) And so as not to have America print its way out of debt, a lot of others countries copied the move (all before Covid) And the only move America and other economies had left to keep activity moving was to lower interest rates and stimulate spending and investment. So interest rates became artificially cheap, just to stop the ship sinking.. Not all nations were equally hurt by this. America being in the largest debt, and having one of the poorest fundamental economies, is going to suffer the most...Now short of a novel solution, like a global war, it is going to take a recession, to return to normal. But no one has the stomach for that. So we all pretend it can be worked around..😷

@eli1601 I blame Republicans..

@whowasthatmaskedman Those fat guys in the middle of your picture better hope food prices stabilize. 🤪

@irishmolly72 There is a whole different rats nest to explore with processed and junk food being easier to find and often cheaper than fresh, healthy food in many places..😷

@whowasthatmaskedman Yes, agreed. People have been seduced by the food industry and the government's "food pyramid" etc. People need to think for themselves and act in their own best interests.

@irishmolly72 Yes and No.. America has a lot of interlinked issues, mostly based everything having to have a profit motive or it doesnt need doing. I know that sounds like America bashing, But its actually a great place with great people and its a tribute to its resilience that it has taken the abuse it has.😷

@whowasthatmaskedman What's the alternative to the profit motive? Do you think that socialist bureaucrats had more magnanimous motives throughout the 20th century experiment? Utopia has always been a fantasy. The main motive of socialists is the acquisition of more power.

There is no limiting principle.

@irishmolly72 I cant speak for politics, although it certainly seems that you are right about American Politics. But the alternative to the "free market" is Keynsian economics. Which has Capitalism as a base, but holds that some things can be better performed for the good of all by the government.. Such as basic infrastructure, education and health. That is how successful Universal health cover is usually achieved. Before you scream "Socialism" at me, remember that the Fire Department, Police and armed Forces already work that way. I dont expect we will agree on this. But you did ask for the alternative. And thats how other countries do it..😷

@whowasthatmaskedman I just want a limiting principle. That would be a good place to start. Should the government be 15% of GDP? 20% .... 80%? Where does government's role end?

@irishmolly72 In my view that depends on what you want the government to pay for, and what the nation needs. America is a massive nation with over 300 Million people, with disconnected borders and land borders to other nations. Those things alone raise enough issues to be completely different from Briatin, or Sweden or Japan. Population density, ethnic mix. The needs of defence..And the nature of the nations industry all play a part. So you start with the nationd GDP. Then look at the needs of the nation, and the tax revenue and go from there..😷

@whowasthatmaskedman How about a balanced budget amendment? At least then we would have to actually pay for what we spend.

@irishmolly72 An excellent idea. As long as the right choices were made.. Now there isnt enough money for the new Supercarrier, the F-35. The Universal health plan, and the farm subsidies. You can have one.. or two if you raise taxes on the rich. You choose...
But for decades now America has been avoiding choices by deficit funding. (The international equivalent of taking out another mortgage on the nation every year..)