Monday, June 19, 2006

Central Banks Behind the Curve??!?


Debate is raging: how bad is inflation? Is the the Fed "behind the curve"? Are inflationary expectations picking up? Perhaps, some ask, inflation is only a problem amongst Aspen ski homes, tins of Beluga caviar, and Harvard tuition??!?

Another fracture in arguments supported by inflation apologists (IMHO akin to Creationists and evidence tallied by Darwin and, for that matter, all science) was hammered by a private auctioneer in the form of Gustav Klimt's portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, that sold to a museum affiliated with the Lauder family for a staggering sum of USD$135,000,000 dollars.

The apologists may argue that this was a "special picture", and was "unique". But aren't they all? The point is that each new record is an important tell-tale that says: Money is increasing in quantity faster (and accujmulating in more concentrated fashion) than the general increase in GDP. Today it's a Klimt. Tomorrow it will be your haircut, and your bag of crisps, and the quart of milk.

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