by anarky321 » Tue 01 Jul 2008, 07:46:57
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Micki', '
')The deflationary scenario you are suggesting is where cash is king. That will absolutely NOT apply to US$. If US$ is going down now, how on earths name is it going to strengthen once the financial debacle truly sets in.
There may be a contraction in US$ as a total, but foreigners will shun it and it won't be used for international trading.
Of course some other currencies may and will benefit, but a lot of money that would have been in US$ will have to go elsewhere.
first of all id like to ONCE AGAIN point out the difference between an increase in price of an item due to the increases in price of energy and intermediate goods used to make that item (also highly tied to energy) and the increase in the price of a good due to the increase in money supply which is the definition of inflation
if a jar of peanut butter increases in price $1 this is not inflation; you must look at supply/demand and the increased manufacturing costs; what is happening now in the US is NOT INFLATION, it is higher costs being passed onto the consumers and supply/demand; the effective money supply is SHRINKING FAST due to the utter meltdown of credit which CANNOT result in price inflation; the situation that is developing today is very very familiar to anyone that studied the great depression only it is even more serious and large-scale
cash WILL be king; with the destruction of 90% of credit the inflation in prices was stopped cold; now as house prices tumble down every dollar is by default worth more; this is asset deflation; as the housing meltdown works itself fully into the economy other items will go down in price because with no credit around the amount of 'money' (real money + credit) has effectively severely contracted; although the dollar is falling in terms relative to other currencies it is strengthening in relation to itself; consumer demand in the US is falling hard, and the printing presses are NOT being run, which means cash is king because there's nothing else left
asset prices are going to decrease for everything; margins on all non-food and non-essential food items are going to get slaughtered like they already are; this will lead to very low corporate profits and numerous bancrupcies due to the inability to compete in such a low-margin environment profitably; this will lead to more layoffs, even lower house prices, as people can afford to buy less and less stuff
its a vicious cycle which will end in highly deflated commodity prices; and if you think Asia and the ME are going to chug along as briskly as they have with US in the pooper, they wont
this is a global event and noone is getting out of this in the end with anything less than negative GDP growth; some will fair better than others (Russia, KSA and Brazil come to mind) but it is only a question of (short) time now
the dollar is plummeting due to the belief that this will be largely contained to the US; obviously this is not the case; when that will become the mainstream opinion the dollar will rise against other currencies
imo