We keep hearing about how controlled inflation is but in reality, we are seeing increases in many important segments of our society. No inflation they say. Let us look at some key items.

The Fed's buying of U.S. Treasuries by creating currency (paper money) out of thin air is inflationary (either now or long term) and those that do not accept this premise are, with all due respect, daft, and is sure to result in a momentous growth in the value of hard assets such as gold and silver. Here's why.

A temporary period of deflation will result from the end of the Fed's massive asset purchases followed by a period of inflation that will make the '70s seem like an era of hard money. Here's why.

There have been many econoblog posts of the form, "ha, ha, the people predicting inflation have been wrong so far, when will they give up?". Let me try to explain why we know high inflation is coming eventually.

When there is lots of economic activity, there is lots of money changing hands. When there is not very much economic activity, the pace at which money circulates through our system slows down. That is why what is happening in the U.S. right now is so troubling. Let me explain.

I believe that the inflation and price charts paint a clear picture, and that until inflation in the world picks up significantly, there will be no meaningful rallies in precious metals...[While] I am bullish on gold and silver long term, the short-term pressure is still evident and might take them lower in the next couple of months.

TIPS are telling us that the market is quite pessimistic about the prospects for real growth, but not concerned at all about the outlook for inflation.

Don’t listen to what the official numbers say. Inflation is a big problem already for the U.S. economy - and in an inflationary environment, gold bullion goes up and stock prices go down, because materials cost more and consumers spend less. I’d adjust my portfolio accordingly for the rapid inflation that awaits us.

The March year-over-year inflation rate was 1.51%, which is well below the 3.88% average since the end of the Second World War and 37% below its 10-year moving average.

History clearly shows there is a direct link between inflation and gold demand. When inflation jumps, or even when inflation expectations rise, investors turn to gold in greater numbers. When gold demand rises, so does its price and you can guess what happens to gold stocks. Below is a look at the extent of consumer purchases after inflation (and in some cases hyperinflation) took off in a number of countries.