Thursday, April 4, 2019

US Inflation History


We are seeing Argentina with 50% inflation and Venezuela with 10 million% inflation. The US is vulnerable to the same fate unless it can cut federal spending and keep Treasury Bills paying 3%. If Treasuries go to 4%, we’re in trouble.

US Debt stood at $21.21 trillion in June 2018. $6.89 trillion is owned by US investors. $5.75 trillion is owned by the US government. $2.38 trillion is owned by the Federal Reserve and $6.21 trillion is owned by foreign investors.

China owned $1.18 trillion. Japan owned $1.03 trillion .Other countries owned $1.724. If these buyers decide they can get a better return elsewhere, they will reduce their purchase of US Treasury Securities.

Treasury Bills are purchased by governments and wealthy investors as a “safe haven” for their emergency funds. They are also owned by dumb pension plan administrators.
The US federal government spends $4.1 trillion and States and Local governments spend $3.4 trillion.  That’s $7.5 trillion which is 37.5% of our $20 trillion GDP.

Inflation results when costs rise, but productivity doesn’t rise.  Inflation is caused by the government spending too much money on wars, welfare, health, education, itself and other unconstitutional purposes. The excess money printed dilutes the value of all money.

Our current inflation threat is from our $22 trillion National Debt and our $124 trillion unfunded government liabilities. The US could find itself needing to increase interest payments on the National Debt. The federal government is paying for things that should be paid by the States or the People.

In 1913 the US Congress delegated its responsibility to “coin money” to the Federal Reserve Banking System. In 1913, the US abandoned the Free Market Economy System to go to a “Managed Economy”.  Inflation has been measured and recorded since 1914.

US Inflation was high from 1916 to 1920 due to World War I and from 1940 to 1948 due to World War II. It also ran high from 1966 to 1985 due to the Vietnam War and LBJ Socialist programs. Currently, in 2019, 40% of US GDP is spent by federal, state and local government.  The 1913 US dollar is now worth 3 cents.

US Average inflation rate by year.
1914 1.0%
1915 1.0%
1916 7.0%
1917 17.4%
1918 18.0%
1919 14.6%
1920 15.6%
1921 -10.5%
1922 -6.1%
1923 1.8%
1924   0%
1925 2.3%
1926 1.1%
1927 -1.7%
1928 -1.7%
1929    0%
1930 -2.3%
1931 -9.0%
1932 -9.9%
1933 -5.1%
1934 3.1%
1935 2.2%
1936 1.5%
1937 3.6%
1938 -2.1%
1939 -1.4%
1940 0.7%
1941 5.0%
1942 10.9%
1943 6.1%
1944 1.7%
1945 2.3%
1946 8.3%
1947 14.4%
1948 8.1%
1949 -1.2%
1950 1.3%
1951 7.9%
1952 1.9%
1953 0.8%
1954 0.7%
1955 -0.4%
1956 1.5%
1957 3.3%
1958 2.8%
1959 0.7%
1960 1.7%
1961 1.0%
1962 1.0%
1963 1.3%
1964 1.3%
1965 1.6%
1966 2.9%
1967 3.1%
1968 4.2%
1969 5.5%
1970 5.7%
1971 4.4%
1972 3.2%
1973 6.2%
1974 11.0%
1975 9.1%
1976 5.8%
1977 6.5%
1978 7.8%
1979 11.3%
1980 13.5%
1981 10.3%
1982 6.2%
1983 3.2%
1984 4.3%
1985 3.6%
1986 1.9%
1987 3.6%
1988 4.1%
1989 4.8%
1990 5.4%
1991 4.2%
1992 3.0%
1993 3.0%
1994 2.6%
1995 2.8%
1996 3.0%
1997 2.3%
1998 1.9%
1999 2.2%
2000 3.4%
2001 2.8%
2002 1.6%
2003 2.3%
2004 2.7%
2005 3.4%
2006 3.2%
2007 2.8%
2008 3.8%
2009 -0.4%
2010 1.6%
2011 3.2%
2012 2.1%
2013 1.5%
2014 1.6%
2015 0.1%
2016 1.3%
2017 2.1%
2018 2.4%
2019 1.5%

Comments

The minus years resulted in an increase in the value of money. The plus years indicate the loss in the value of the US dollar.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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