Hello Maurice, <<the amount I can gusto is far less than it was>> I am making two poached eggs for a snack, before lunch is readied at the in-laws’ place across the road. Gobble up now, and chow down 90 minutes later, followed by nap. I love holidays:0)
On your <<With no inflation, thanks to the magic of Uncle Al, … First principle is that Uncle Al can print an infinite number of pixelated $s>> construct, it all breaks down if there is (a) wild inflation or (b) untamed deflation.
As matters stand today, we have both in the USD space, disguised by the faulty measuring method. The CPI is near useless as an indicator to what it costs to maintain a normal life.
Fact is, it costs more and more to live a ‘standard’ life. Computers and telecom are costing less, enabled by destruction of our savings, and simultaneously, medical treatment, housing, and education are costing more, enhanced by bad policies, skewed legal codes, and weight of paper money.
Take another example, it takes more and more capital to earn less and less passive income and support a constant life style.
With one foot in icy cold water of deflation, and another in boiling hot water of inflation, on average we are doing fine, until both feet fall off.
As to whether the game is zero sum or grab the growing pie, I do not know and cannot determine for sure. Millions of investors may feel that USD 8 trillion of equity pie disappeared recently, soon to be followed by bond and real estate pie, and leading on to jobs pie.
Amidst it all, we have to endure sniper fire while tanking up the car, bombs away while dancing away the night, and gurgling oil tankers that supply the economies, all the while fighting against an opponent who has nothing more to do than to win an asymmetrical 'people's war' of the new century until exhaustion.
Tell me, just how likely is it that the pie is growing?
The true answer is not relevant if our piece of the growing or shrinking pie is getting smaller. As an antidote, I suggest we must grab other folks’ pie via puts/calls (zero sum games) and borrowing of Yen (zero sum again), just to make sure our portion is growing.
Chugs, Jay |
