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PaperclipPerfector  5d ago (text post)   22739 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of November 2, 2026

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Actual deflation (as opposed to slower inflation) would be a disaster. I have no doubt people think they want it, but they would be pissed if they saw what happened as a result. Even if they couldn't make the connection, they would still want to punish those in power for the shitty economy that ensued.

Actual deflation would be good for working-class pensioners because most (SS, public-sector or union) pension indexation is upward-only, and the main losers from the resulting recession would be people who lose jobs, and rich pensioners whose main source of income is investment returns. Add in workers who are close to retirement and have recession proof jobs, and it is possible that although deflation would be a disaster, a majority of people who actually vote would vote for it eyes open. See this blog post claiming this already happened in the Great Recession after the 2008 crisis.

Maybe. It depends on how it hits. Secular deflation in the technology sector was universally loved, food prices and fuel prices being low are also considered a good thing (especially since fuel prices are an input to everything in the economy). Stock market deflation people by in large don't care about because only half of people in America hold stocks at all (including through retirement accounts).

There's a good portion of (generally younger) people who are pining for a housing market crash as affordability there has gotten really bad and most Americans would like to see healthcare costs drop sharply.

Maybe there are some areas where deflation would be really bad, but for at least essentials, the cost of these things is suffocating to most Americans.

the shitty economy that ensued

This sentiment and punishment is a reaction to a shitty economy (edit: for those not on the top side of the K).

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