Bmw wrote:ah inflation the bane of the world since the federal reserve started
Danik wrote:That's rubbish, Beemer : inflation existed long before that : debasement of currency predates the foundation of the USA, never mind its federal banking system. google 'Old CopperNose', as Henry VIII was nicknamed for his coinage scams and which caused rampant inflation in Tudor England.
I agree mostly with Danik; however, prior to 1933 (20 years after the Fed. Reserver was founded) the USA used the gold standard. Paper and non-precious metal currency was backed by gold/silver, so inflation was limited to an extent. Gold backed currency would fluctuate in its value based on the gold reserver and currency in circulation. Inflation and Deflation occurred regularly and helped keep prices low. Most economists will tell you that deflation is bad; however, uncontrolled inflation is exponentially worse. With the end of the gold standard, the US Dollar's value increased dramatically via uncontrolled inflation and prices started to rise.