Inflation Is the Lesser Evil
Posted4 months agoActive4 months ago
bloomberg.comOtherstory
calmmixed
Debate
40/100
InflationUnemploymentEconomic Policy
Key topics
Inflation
Unemployment
Economic Policy
The article argues that inflation is a lesser evil compared to unemployment, sparking a discussion among commenters about the trade-offs between these two economic concerns.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
2m
Peak period
3
2-4h
Avg / period
1.8
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Sep 22, 2025 at 7:35 AM EDT
4 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Sep 22, 2025 at 7:36 AM EDT
2m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
3 comments in 2-4h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Sep 23, 2025 at 1:10 PM EDT
4 months ago
Step 04
Generating AI Summary...
Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
ID: 45331997Type: storyLast synced: 11/17/2025, 1:07:00 PM
Want the full context?
Jump to the original sources
Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.
Currency depreciation is an interesting one though. It's like inflation on steroids, but very few people really feel it day to day.
You're not kidding.
I'm glad all we had was merely spiraling out-of-control inflation in the 1970's & 1980's or millions more would have been laid off as a direct result, and the economy could have been as badly destroyed as post-WWI Germany, rather than the more moderate permanent damage we had here.
Simply due to one untrustworthy President and the cascading effect of those who trusted him and supported him anyway.
Not like there's any question.
That inflation becomes hyperinflation when the government tries to break that cycle by pumping money into the economy. Done properly, that's just the same "quantitative easing" that we had in the 2010s. "Properly" means that you end it just as it takes effect.
But if it doesn't have that effect, it becomes a self-reinforcing cycle. It's not the cause of the economic breakdown, but it is an easy way to quantify it.
Hyperinflation usually comes after a war, or sometimes after a government collapse. Something that completely stops all productivity in the country. Germany had a massive reparations bill, so what little work was getting done mostly got shipped out of the country.