Unlike a number of countries in Europe the U.S. is currently not dealing with general price declines but, that being said, the risks of such an occurrence have increased materially. This article outlines a number of such deflationary risks and how they might impact the U.S. economy.

Should we be concerned when tepid economic growth and low inflation are accompanied by increasing public and private debt? Are we borrowing just to stay alive? [As I see it,] national governments will increase national debt loads in order to stay in power until one or more of them default. Then their will be financial panic which will most certainly be deflationary. Here's why.

Might our Inflation-Deflation Watch be suggesting a breakout in asset price inflation is about to take place? Could it, in fact, be presaging the start of John William’s hyper inflationary depression in which prices rise exponentially even in light of massive unemployment and bankruptcies? This article analyzes the situation.

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.

At the end of last year virtually every every single economist expected interest rates to rise this year as the Fed tapered their purchases and the economy improved but, in fact, interest rates on the 10 year U.S. Treasury have been going down year to date (from 3% to 2.5% after rising from about 1.6% to 3% last year). The masses, going along with this crowd, got fooled but we have been calling for a decline in interest rates for some time now due to world-wide deflation and it couldn’t be clearer to us that this is the most likely scenario for the United States. Let us explain.

Despite the Fed’s recent communications that they are planning to “taper” the current monetary program by the end of this year – the index is suggesting that their interventions, in one form or another, are unlikely to end anytime soon. The threat of “deflation” remains the Fed’s primary concern.

Are we headed for rampant inflation or crippling deflation? I believe that we will see both. The next major financial panic will cause a substantial deflationary wave first, and after that we will see unprecedented inflation as the central bankers and our politicians respond to the financial crisis. [Let me explain why I think that will unfold.] Words: 1025 Charts: 3

All in all, deflation should be one of the most serious words in a commodity investor's vocabulary and is something to always keep an eye on. While its presence may seem removed from our economy, the possibility always remains and preparation will be key to survive a deflationary environment.

The arguments for gold to rise dramatically are well known and highly publicized. The arguments for gold to remain flat or to decline are minimally discussed and generally attacked vigorously when raised. [I do just that in this article and the conclusions will not be liked by the goldbugs.] Words: 285