James Altucher

Because if there's a fixed supply of money, let's say you're not printing any money. Let's say all you have is $1,000. And let's say you buy food, oil, gas, a place to live, and books to read. I'm just making this up. And let's say... you know, gas, the price of gas goes up. Well, now you're gonna have to make a decision.

Maybe you move out of your apartment and get a cheaper apartment because you're gonna need gas to go to work. So you just have a thousand dollars. You have a fixed amount of money. So some prices go up, like gas goes up. Let's say there's a gas shortage for whatever reason. So some things go up, but then you have to take away money from other things. So the price of other things go down.

Maybe you move out of your apartment and get a cheaper apartment because you're gonna need gas to go to work. So you just have a thousand dollars. You have a fixed amount of money. So some prices go up, like gas goes up. Let's say there's a gas shortage for whatever reason. So some things go up, but then you have to take away money from other things. So the price of other things go down.

Maybe you move out of your apartment and get a cheaper apartment because you're gonna need gas to go to work. So you just have a thousand dollars. You have a fixed amount of money. So some prices go up, like gas goes up. Let's say there's a gas shortage for whatever reason. So some things go up, but then you have to take away money from other things. So the price of other things go down.

That's what happens with tariffs if there's fixed money. You could borrow money, but there's only so much you could borrow. Then you have to pay the money back. but printing money creates new money. And what they did was they printed money and they just gave it to people, which I'm not saying that was good or bad. Like people were struggling in the pandemic, but they just gave that to people.

That's what happens with tariffs if there's fixed money. You could borrow money, but there's only so much you could borrow. Then you have to pay the money back. but printing money creates new money. And what they did was they printed money and they just gave it to people, which I'm not saying that was good or bad. Like people were struggling in the pandemic, but they just gave that to people.

That's what happens with tariffs if there's fixed money. You could borrow money, but there's only so much you could borrow. Then you have to pay the money back. but printing money creates new money. And what they did was they printed money and they just gave it to people, which I'm not saying that was good or bad. Like people were struggling in the pandemic, but they just gave that to people.

And some people really needed it, but for some people it was just extra money. So these people just bought more things. And so then the prices of everything go up. It was just like, if suddenly everybody has like double the amount of money, then prices will double. So that's exactly what happened.

And some people really needed it, but for some people it was just extra money. So these people just bought more things. And so then the prices of everything go up. It was just like, if suddenly everybody has like double the amount of money, then prices will double. So that's exactly what happened.

And some people really needed it, but for some people it was just extra money. So these people just bought more things. And so then the prices of everything go up. It was just like, if suddenly everybody has like double the amount of money, then prices will double. So that's exactly what happened.

Like suddenly there was just all this extra free money for many people and they started buying more things. They were willing to pay more money for things. People recognize this. So suppliers charged more. That's almost, if you look at almost every time there's like periods of inflation, not just in the US, but in any country, it's when money, just free money happens to be around.

Like suddenly there was just all this extra free money for many people and they started buying more things. They were willing to pay more money for things. People recognize this. So suppliers charged more. That's almost, if you look at almost every time there's like periods of inflation, not just in the US, but in any country, it's when money, just free money happens to be around.

Like suddenly there was just all this extra free money for many people and they started buying more things. They were willing to pay more money for things. People recognize this. So suppliers charged more. That's almost, if you look at almost every time there's like periods of inflation, not just in the US, but in any country, it's when money, just free money happens to be around.

Yeah, so that's why I just wanted to take inflation off the table, because historically, tariffs don't cause inflation. We have the example of 2018, 2019, early 2020. We have the example of the entire 1800s. We have the example of Smoot-Hawley, where there was deflation instead of inflation. The worse the tariffs are, the more deflation there is, because industries go bad.

Yeah, so that's why I just wanted to take inflation off the table, because historically, tariffs don't cause inflation. We have the example of 2018, 2019, early 2020. We have the example of the entire 1800s. We have the example of Smoot-Hawley, where there was deflation instead of inflation. The worse the tariffs are, the more deflation there is, because industries go bad.

Yeah, so that's why I just wanted to take inflation off the table, because historically, tariffs don't cause inflation. We have the example of 2018, 2019, early 2020. We have the example of the entire 1800s. We have the example of Smoot-Hawley, where there was deflation instead of inflation. The worse the tariffs are, the more deflation there is, because industries go bad.

And that's why we're worried about a recession. I don't think anybody really is worried about hyperinflation right now. It's not like we have so much money, we got to take a wheelbarrow of dollars to buy a loaf of bread. We're really worried about a recession, which is kind of corresponds with deflation rather than inflation.

And that's why we're worried about a recession. I don't think anybody really is worried about hyperinflation right now. It's not like we have so much money, we got to take a wheelbarrow of dollars to buy a loaf of bread. We're really worried about a recession, which is kind of corresponds with deflation rather than inflation.

And that's why we're worried about a recession. I don't think anybody really is worried about hyperinflation right now. It's not like we have so much money, we got to take a wheelbarrow of dollars to buy a loaf of bread. We're really worried about a recession, which is kind of corresponds with deflation rather than inflation.

So inflation is just off the table, which is why I bring up that example. It never occurs because of tariffs. It didn't occur in 2018, didn't occur in 1929, didn't occur in the 1800s. Some prices do go up, but that means other prices go down. So that's that. But the problem is, could industry go bad if prices on steel go up because of 25% steel tariff on China?