Comment on China consumer prices plunge at fastest rate for 15 years as deflation fears deepen
eatthecake@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Food prices are down! This is terrible! I’m so fucking confused!
Comment on China consumer prices plunge at fastest rate for 15 years as deflation fears deepen
eatthecake@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Food prices are down! This is terrible! I’m so fucking confused!
PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 9 months ago
When prices drop everyone holds their money waiting for it to drop more, which basically kicks off a vicious cycle deal
You want a currency that is staying relatively stable, becoming much more valuable is an in-obvious problem but much like becoming much less valuable, it precipitates a fall off in consumer activity that can have pretty ugly tack on effects.
venoft@lemmy.world 9 months ago
And if food becomes too cheap producers will stop making it, which has its own obvious problems.
PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Fun fact, this is why price setting and price ceilings don’t work,
The Nordic states have discovered a better solution is to have a maximum annual adjustment range, I think a refined approach would be to tie that adjustment to the federal interest rate, not only does it avoid gouge markets, it also balances the equation of vlas interests so that the wealthy and working class both have interests in raising and lowering interest rates.
Longpork2@lemmy.nz 9 months ago
That’s an issue in a complete free-market state, but China is still nominally communist, i imagine that state control will occur before food shortages occur.
Cruxifux@lemmy.world 9 months ago
What? I’ve never in my life heard of anyone holding off on their eating habits because they thought food was too cheap. Where are you getting this information?
PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 9 months ago
It’s not the “too cheap” it’s the sudden very noticeable drop in price, and if they don’t notice at first, the continued drop in price to match the deflated currency value
Cruxifux@lemmy.world 9 months ago
So am I understanding then that you’re not talking about average consumers but bulk buyers?