r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 9h ago

Meme needing explanation Petah?

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u/nebileyim_ben 9h ago

its deflation, prices keep falling over time.

japan experienced long periods of deflation which is hurt spending and as a result affected economic growth.

its super hard to fix that bcs of liquidity trap.

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u/Terpcheeserosin 8h ago

Why does things costing less make people buy less?

If wages stay the same, shouldnt people just buy the dip?

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u/Poland-lithuania1 8h ago

It isn't things cost less, it's money can buy more. Isn't it better to save that money for the future, when it's probably gonna be able to buy more?

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u/Lazerbeams2 8h ago

Wouldn't that mean that the long term effects after deflation are better for quality of life though? Cost of living goes down, which results in people being able to live more comfortably on the same wages. Sure, the economy isn't growing but it doesn't sound that bad to me

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u/GhostPantzz 7h ago

Millions lose their jobs. 401ks are nuked, economic development is halted and even set back years. Lower prices are nice though

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u/Lazerbeams2 7h ago

Ah. That explains it. Sounds pretty horrible. Inflation slowly crushes you, but deflation hits you in the face with a brick

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u/engilosopher 7h ago

If deflation is drastic enough, the economy starts shrinking, which leads to wage loss too.

This also reduces consumption, which yields further deflation, which yields lower consumption, which yields further deflation..

The average Japanese salary man can get a really cheap meal after work, but no one would say their QoL has improved in the last 30 years.

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u/LocalMan97 7h ago

Yes and no. On the one hand, putting off buying things as a consumer is good for personal wealth, but it also means the economy stagnates. Why would a company invest in making their products better if no one is buying the current models and they aren’t making money? Heck, why are they paying 100 workers when they only need 50 to make their demands? Then people get laid off because no one is spending. This can then lead to a rush of people buying the things they put off because they no longer have income, reversing things and causing inflation again, but now there are 50 people from that company without jobs who are getting pummeled by the increased prices. It dan, in theory, cause a cycle of this that leads to a lot of people being left holding the bag

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u/XkrNYFRUYj 6h ago

being able to live more comfortably on the same wages

Who's paying you the same wage when the company keep lowering their prices to sell their product?

Hell why is company spending any money on anything when they can simply hold on to their money and they'll keep getting richer?