​When you can lie about money, you can lie about anything. ~David Morgan

We can argue about the definition(s) of inflation until the cows come home - some economists spend a career trying to nail it down.

But for clarity's sake, we'll use the definition of the Austrian School (Mises.org) as an increase in the money supply. This is really the correct one, regardless of any bias of dogma, "schooling" or the mainstream media. Although most everyone defines inflation as an increase in the price of goods and services, this is actually a result.

Most of us have been taught that inflation is all right as long as it doesn't get out of control. In the short term, it can benefit those able to manage cash flow in business or with real estate for which they can service loan interest and taxes.

But over time, it's a safe bet that a period of rising prices will be detrimental to most of the population. Distortions in the economy increase to the point where it becomes almost impossible to determine the real price of anything.

How much demand is attributable to a desire for consumption, rather than a hedge against higher prices?

The truth of the matter is that inflation – at any level – is basically stealing! Things like an expanding money supply, increased "velocity," or rising prices due to demand-supply imbalance, add additional confusion.

Last year, well before the current destructive inflationary moon-shot in Venezuela caused literally hundreds of thousands of impoverished residents to flee into neighboring Brazil and Colombia, it was rumored that an ounce of silver could buy a several month's supply of food; an ounce of gold, a house. Imagine their purchasing power now!

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