Whip Inflation Now?

[ronpaultag]

Hey guys,

I was thinking of ways to promote the campaign and thought it might be a good idea to start a modern day "Whip Inflation Now" campaign.

Ron's position on inflation/TheFed is not only one of his most popular positions, but it really differentiates him from other candidates who either ignore the Fed or have served as a Fed governor.

Unlike the original WIN campaign, this campaign would expose the Fed. There are numerous books written by Austrian Economists that have great bits on inflation:

• Crash Proof by Peter Schiff - how deceptive gov. inflation figures are and what inflation actually is
• The Mystery of Banking by Murray Rothbard - talks about fractional reserve banking and how it is basically embezzlement
• Meltdown by Tom Woods - great intro to Austrian biz cycle theory

Just to name a few. I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to go too in depth on all of these. Maybe just focus on the basics: what inflation is, who creates it, etc.?

If possible I think it'd be really neat to have all of this information in a video, but I'm not too good at video editing aside from hacking together a few clips. Something visual like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0zEXdDO5JU would be nice, but I'm nowhere near capable of making that .

To promote the site we could hand out WIN buttons with whipinflation.com (I have it registered) on them. Possibly flyers?

I also have a youtube channel @ http://www.youtube.com/austrianomics with 167 subscribers so I would imagine we'd be able to start some buzz that way as well.

Anyone else think this is worth pursuing?

 

[eduardo89]

I got scared for a second, i thought you were going to talk about how the price of whips had gone up!

 

[Travlyr]

I definitely think it is worth pursuing. It is the most misunderstood economic concept today.

If not for the nearly invisible inflation tax, we would likely be flying our cars, peace would abound, quality of life would be very high for the masses ... not just a few millionaires, billionaires, and trillionaries.

Whip Inflation Now!

 

[Teaser Rate]

Well, core inflation has only been 1.3% over the last 12 months. I don't see how bringing it up now will help the campaign.

 

[acptulsa]

Trotting out the old W.I.N. meme is a good way to get the older folks laughing at you. But, hey, that could actually be good. Should get attention, anyway.

 

[Travlyr]

Well, core inflation has only been 1.3% over the last 12 months. I don't see how bringing it up now will help the campaign.

Inflation is the increase in the money supply.

 

[Teaser Rate]

Inflation is the increase in the money supply.

What is commonly understood by inflation is an increase in prices.

Even if you want to define it as an increase in the money supply, that's not currently a problem either, as illustrated by the following chart:

 

[JCLibertarian]

Well, core inflation has only been 1.3% over the last 12 months. I don't see how bringing it up now will help the campaign.

That's a worthless number, it doesn't include food and energy prices.

 

[awake]

Whip inflationists - NOW!---> WIN

or.... stop inflationists now ----> SIN

 

[Teaser Rate]

That's a worthless number, it doesn't include food and energy prices.

It's a better number to predict long-term trends in inflation than the full CPI because food and energy prices are very volatile.

For the record, the inflation rate including food and energy price is 3.2%, most of that driven by a 32.7% rise in energy commodities which has little to do with domestic policy.

 

[Travlyr]

What is commonly understood by inflation is an increase in prices.

Obfuscating the meaning of the word inflation worked out pretty well for the bankers, hasn't it?

There have been banks on every corner in the U.S. for quite some time now, and now there is a homeless person on that same corner with a cardboard sign that says, "lost job and home" that believed the bullshit.

Whatever happened to the housing boom? Oh yeah. That's right... inflated it away. Bonds are next... and then... Honest Sound Money FTW!

Even if you want to define it as an increase in the money supply, that's not currently a problem either, as illustrated by the following chart:

Probably should throw that chart in the ocean too ... we're done with that meme as well.

 

[acptulsa]

Well, the only way I can think of to really get the message across would be to print WIN across a button that looks very much like my avatar.

 

[Travlyr]

Trotting out the old W.I.N. meme is a good way to get the older folks laughing at you. But, hey, that could actually be good. Should get attention, anyway.

Well, the only way I can think of to really get the message across would be to print WIN across a button that looks very much like my avatar.

Great Idea! The old folks will be voting for whoever promises them the most anyway, or prices will be rising so fast by that time they'll get it.

Sounds like a 'WIN' all the way around.

 

[acptulsa]

Could actually be a fun conversation starter down at the county party meeting. The old folks will get it quickly enough. Ford said he'd whip inflation; silver prevented it.

Maybe we should move this to the new 'appealing to the old folks' forum.

 

[WVLiberty]

Do you guys really think inflation is important to even 10% of voters? It is a complicated subject to convey.

Gas prices have gone up in part to inflation. A better approach is to address supply like the drilling restrictions in the US.
All the voters know is that everything costs more now.

What we learned from 2008 is that voters are easily tricked by slick vague marketing statements that sound good. (Of course we also learned that from Reagan in the 80's)

 

[JCLibertarian]

It's a better number to predict long-term trends in inflation than the full CPI because food and energy prices are very volatile.

For the record, the inflation rate including food and energy price is 3.2%, most of that driven by a 32.7% rise in energy commodities which has little to do with domestic policy.

Food and energy constitute some of the highest and most significant expenses in someone's budget. Outside of my rent, they constitute my largest living expenses so it clearly isn't a better number if you consider the living expenses of the average person. All it really does is mask reckless monetary policy and allow the presiding Administration, Congress and Federal Reserve Board to cover of inflation through deceptive means. And you are confused, inflation is up 3.2% this year, the inflation rate is not 3.2%, a 3.2% increase in a year is very significant, it's the highest figure since October 2008. And commodity price inflation is directly correlated to quantitative easing. Banks and Large Investment Firms/Hedge Funds are using all this newly printed money to bid up the prices of commodities. Now, if they don't do another round of quantitative easing, there will be massive price deflation. But right now the Fed is propping up asset prices through a low interest rate policy to benefit the Financial Establishment at the expense of the average consumer. Do you happen to know anyone that works at any major hedge funds like I do? Because your absurd claim that domestic policy has nothing to do with the inflation of commodity prices would run contrary to their claim. What is your basis for saying such a thing? Maybe you now something these energy traders don't.

 

[Teaser Rate]

Do you guys really think inflation is important to even 10% of voters? It is a complicated subject to convey.

Gas prices have gone up in part to inflation. A better approach is to address supply like the drilling restrictions in the US.
All the voters know is that everything costs more now.

What we learned from 2008 is that voters are easily tricked by slick vague marketing statements that sound good. (Of course we also learned that from Reagan in the 80's)

If gas prices have gone up as a result of an increase in the quantity of money in the economy, then why have they gone up by 33% in the last year while prices in all other sectors of the economy have gone up by less than 3% ?

I agree with your main premise though.

 

[Travlyr]

Do you guys really think inflation is important to even 10% of voters? It is a complicated subject to convey.

I agree that it is too difficult for the voters to grasp. But it should be very important to anyone who wants prosperity. Dr. Ron Paul calls it the most egregious tax ... and when you finally learn exactly how much better off you would be without paying such high costs, it becomes a focal point for advocacy.

For example, in 1970 I was earning the minimum wage of $1.60/hr. Gasoline in my area was selling for $.029/gallon. My minimum wage job would buy me almost 6 gallons of gasoline. Today, in order to keep up with inflation, minimum wage should be $22/hr. This is only one example, but silver certificates were allowed until 1968, so we had only been off the silver standard for a couple of years. Everything was much more affordable then. Debt was not used for small purchases, at all. Cash for everything except a home, for the most part.

 

[Teaser Rate]

Food and energy constitute some of the highest and most significant expenses in someone's budget. Outside of my rent, they constitute my largest living expenses so it clearly isn't a better number if you consider the living expenses of the average person. All it really does is mask reckless monetary policy and allow the presiding Administration, Congress and Federal Reserve Board to cover of inflation through deceptive means. And you are confused, inflation is up 3.2% this year, the inflation rate is not 3.2%, a 3.2% increase in a year is very significant, it's the highest figure since October 2008. And commodity price inflation is directly correlated to quantitative easing. Banks and Large Investment Firms/Hedge Funds are using all this newly printed money to bid up the prices of commodities. Now, if they don't do another round of quantitative easing, there will be massive price deflation. But right now the Fed is propping up asset prices through a low interest rate policy to benefit the Financial Establishment at the expense of the average consumer. Do you happen to know anyone that works at any major hedge funds like I do? Because your absurd claim that domestic policy has nothing to do with the inflation of commodity prices would run contrary to their claim. What is your basis for saying such a thing? Maybe you now something these energy traders don't.

How much of the rise in the price of oil do you believe is due to speculation and how much of that do you believe is due to monetary policy?

 

[Anti Federalist]

Win upside down?

Need Immediate Money.