Hi GF. Frankly glad I am not inside your head - it must be hurting in there with all that thinking
Agree any and all the causes you mention could come to pass and if you go back to the early 90's and Japan suggest you will see many did but it caused stagflation not inflation. Suggest this could be similar. With all the money printing question becomes how do governments eventually clear the debt and the usual answer is inflation however this time round that will take quite some time. Frankly don't think (and in fact pretty certain) I will not be here to worry about it. Other ways history has shown us to kick start an economy is to have a good old fashioned stoush so we can make things that have instant inbuilt obsolescence (read bombs and bullets) - hopefully no-one is of the mind to invoke that as a solution. Of course another way of soaking money out of a market is to get people to buy stock and bonds (paper) at an inflated price and then have the market correct. Pretty sure we will have some mix of these going forward and of course accompanied by fluctuations in currency values. Logically any such activity should play upon Mr Markets sense of insecurity and desire to load up on supposedly defensive stocks such as gold.
Personally think that at this point in time there is simply no clear direction, half the economists predict inflation, the other half deflation and yet a third half are pretty much just throwing darts at the wall. Guess I'm just sticking to the saying that no point worrying about things until you know what it is you really need to worry about but in the meantime be prepared to avoid having to regret.
DCN Price at posting:
48.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held