Is Debt A Major Cause Of Inflation?

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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No debt means post secondary education would be cheaper and more condensed without the mandatory courses you don't need which would mean a degree in two to three years instead the four
You can already get a three year degree. Two if you don't take summer off.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
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Could you mom lend you money or would that be illegal? If she did would it be illegal for her to charge interest, and if so wouldn't that make her money worth nothing?
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
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Debt is a relatively new concept. I'm not all that old or even a spring chicken but I remember the days when if you didn't have the money you saved to buy it or got it on layaway.

No, its not. Debt has been around as long as there has been a banking system, because that is the primary vehicle banks/lenders have always utilized to make money. Lenders/bankers existed in the Roman Empire, if not farther back. In the middle ages usury was forbidden to Christians, by the Church, which is why some Jewish families became prominent in finances, because someone needed to fill the void and they were looking for a way to make themselves more invaluable and immune from the prejudices of the Christian majority in Europe.

Debt leveraging has increased in popularity with the rise of the middle class, and particularly in the 20th century. Part of the reason for the explosiveness of the 1929 stock market collapse was small investors, going farther into debt than they could handle, and losing everything (or near to it) when the market corrected, and markers on leveraged investments (speculations in most cases) were called in. In the last 50 or so years, with the explosion of consumerism, debt rates have become more exagerated.

As to some moron thinking that debt is the reason for inflation, well, thats Glen Beck logic for ya. Increases in the standards of living cause inflationary pressure but personal debt is not the reason: rising prices in commodities/products are. Now if we reduced our debt loads, our standards of living would probably increase, as we could spend more money on what we want, rather than on servicing our debts, but thats really a choice people have to make for themselves... and it still doesn't make the price of a tank of gas or a side of beef go down.
 

Liberalman

Senate Member
Mar 18, 2007
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You are assuming that a house doesn't cost anything to build, but other than that, you've got it nicely figured.

It would be interesting to see how you plan to handle the huge unemployment problem, since nobody could have a job until someone could afford to pay them. Also, governments could not do anything until they had money.

Without debt, every bill would be due immediately, and if you extend that to payrolls, every employee would have to be paid ever hour, and would have to submit payroll taxes every hour. Running a store would be interesting, because, without debt, sales taxes would have to be remitted to the government immediately upon making the sale.

With no access to debt the houses would be cheaper because the materials to build it would be cheaper and wages would be cheaper.

No access to debt would not mean a higher jobless rate, a person would have more money to spend but it would make the companies more responsible in their hiring practices.

The government should not do anything until they have the money and spend it on the more important things instead of sending it out to other countries to solve their problems. You have to remember that the government takes a percentage from the income so whatever monies they get that’s all they would spend.

Paying bills immediately is OK because you would not have to pay it later.

Payrolls would be met if you change hourly wages to salaries paid daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly so you do not have to pay it hourly as you suggest.

I would prefer to get a daily cash payment like in the old days.

TenPenny with the invention of the computer sale taxes could be paid to the tax account as it is collected from the consumer. When you buy online with a debit card it is taken from your bank account immediately.

You do understand that there would still be a cost to deliver this education, right? The money has to come from somewhere.

There would be a cost of delivering the education and the money would come from your savings account and since the post secondary schools is all about enrolments they would offer the programs at a cheaper rate
 

Liberalman

Senate Member
Mar 18, 2007
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by wulfie68
Increases in the standards of living cause inflationary pressure but personal debt is not the reason: rising prices in commodities/products are

One of the reasons for inflationary preasures is people have more access to debt
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
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If I lend you the only $20 in existance and want repayment of $25, where does it come from?
Supply and demand, just like anything else. If there is a value to it then you make more. If there isn't you don't.
 

Liberalman

Senate Member
Mar 18, 2007
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The point I am driving at is that the real cost of delivering that education would be marginally cheaper at best.

With no debt students will not be able to pay that much so the courses would be more condensed and a degree program would take a shorter time to get.

When you put debt into the equation of education inflation makes it more expensive because of all the student loans.

The institution looks at the student loans as money in the bank so they can spend more money on wages and equipment and charge even more on education.

If the government were to do an audit on all the post secondary institutions most of them would be charged with fraud while a lot of the students would end up with financial hardships
 

captain morgan

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 28, 2009
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A Mouse Once Bit My Sister
With no debt students will not be able to pay that much so the courses would be more condensed and a degree program would take a shorter time to get.

When you put debt into the equation of education inflation makes it more expensive because of all the student loans.

The institution looks at the student loans as money in the bank so they can spend more money on wages and equipment and charge even more on education.

If the government were to do an audit on all the post secondary institutions most of them would be charged with fraud while a lot of the students would end up with financial hardships

You're making some very broad generalizations here. This equation may easily backfire in that 'debt' acts to increase the money supply which in turn affects both the supply and demand components of the equation.

Limit the money supply and you'll effectively shrink the supply of 'things' while (probably) not decreasing the demand side of things.. What you may see is a functional increase in the cost of living... You'd be taking one helluva chance on hoping that the CPI decreased instead of increasing.

How? Where does the extra $5 come from?


Productivity.

Further, if you have the only $20 on the planet, it's is basically worthless... Why would I want it?
 

Tonington

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 27, 2006
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No debt means post secondary education would be cheaper and more condensed without the mandatory courses you don't need which would mean a degree in two to three years instead the four

Without the mandatory courses? Like what? A Bachelor of Science in Biology without Cell Biology? A Bachelor of Commerce without Economics? A Doctor of Medicine without Physiology? A Bachelor of Engineering without Physics? Hippy degrees. Let's all take basket weaving, pottery class, and wonder why we can't get jobs with our Liberal Art degrees...