This is a foreign concept, but Americans have caught on just fine: When the currency is inflating, people buy hard physical goods or whatever they can get their hands on now before the price goes up. Cars, white goods, remodels, houses, jewelry. It's funny to watch the whole universe of punditry wring its hands over the supply chain crisis when in fact what we're seeing is Americans attempting to cash out of the dollar (wittingly or by brute instinct), and China narrowing the umbilical by which those dollars can be redeemed for goods.

> in fact what we're seeing is Americans attempting to cash out of the dollar

Interesting! Did not look at it like that. I've had that subconscious instinct as well to purchase important things I need now because tomorrow feels so unstable.

Keep in mind that nominal inflation-driven gains are taxed, so even perfectly inflation hedged investors (not many are) end up behind in real terms.

Investments have to meet an estimated inflation barrier of 6% right now just to break even with inflation THEN they get taxed as well on that 6% gain!

And 6% isn't an easy target to reach for safe conservative investments like a retirement account.

So the gov't borrows money, has the power to make the money they borrowed worth less to pay back, then taxes everyone on earnings on this newly inflated money.

What a racket!