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Inflation is a description of how fast prices increase. Prices on goods used to stay relatively static for months or years at a time, and sometimes even trended

Inflation is a description of how fast prices increase. Prices on goods used to stay relatively static for months or years at a time, and sometimes even trended downwards. Prices have basically only gone up on almost everything for the past 5 years. Going up slower does little good.

dragonwriter 2y ago
> Prices on goods used to stay relatively static for months or years at a time, and sometimes even trended downwards. Prices have basically only gone up on almost everything for the past 5 years No, consumer prices trending downward is called deflation and the economy has been actively managed to try to prevent that for a very long time. Mild inflation has been the target and rule for a very long time, with the deviations being high inflation outside of a few major economic collapses. This is not a new trend of the last 5 years.
- BizarroLand 1y ago
  I think you misunderstand. Prices on some things trend downward without inflation as the products become cheaper to manufacture and distribute due to process improvements and economy of scale. Take, for instance, flat screen tvs. The first 42" flat screen TV, released in 1997, cost $18,750, or the equivalent of $37,201 in today's money. https://www.wgal.com/article/evolution-of-tv-technology-price-inflation/63011747 https://www.wgal.com/article/evolution-of-tv-technology-pric... The least expensive 42" (technically 43") tv available at Bestbuy today is on sale for $113.99, or the equivalent of $57.21 in 1997 money. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hisense-43-class-a6-series-led-4k-uhd-smart-google-tv-2024/6579762.p?skuId=6579762 https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hisense-43-class-a6-series-led-... Obviously this is not an apples to apple comparison, its a clarification that on some goods prices decrease regardless of inflation due to forces outside of the relative value of a dollar.

dragonwriter 2y ago

> Prices on goods used to stay relatively static for months or years at a time, and sometimes even trended downwards. Prices have basically only gone up on almost everything for the past 5 years No, consumer prices trending downward is called deflation and the economy has been actively managed to try to prevent that for a very long time. Mild inflation has been the target and rule for a very long time, with the deviations being high inflation outside of a few major economic collapses. This is not a new trend of the last 5 years.

BizarroLand 1y ago
I think you misunderstand. Prices on some things trend downward without inflation as the products become cheaper to manufacture and distribute due to process improvements and economy of scale. Take, for instance, flat screen tvs. The first 42" flat screen TV, released in 1997, cost $18,750, or the equivalent of $37,201 in today's money. https://www.wgal.com/article/evolution-of-tv-technology-price-inflation/63011747 https://www.wgal.com/article/evolution-of-tv-technology-pric... The least expensive 42" (technically 43") tv available at Bestbuy today is on sale for $113.99, or the equivalent of $57.21 in 1997 money. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hisense-43-class-a6-series-led-4k-uhd-smart-google-tv-2024/6579762.p?skuId=6579762 https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hisense-43-class-a6-series-led-... Obviously this is not an apples to apple comparison, its a clarification that on some goods prices decrease regardless of inflation due to forces outside of the relative value of a dollar.