From Gold to Deficits: Why America’s Inflation Crisis Demands Radical Change

From Gold to Deficits: Why America’s Inflation Crisis Demands Radical Change

by Kerry Lutz

The United States is grappling with persistent inflation, driven by structural issues such as the ballooning federal deficit, supply chain disruptions, trade imbalances, and the declining global dominance of the U.S. dollar. The rise in gold prices further underscores the diminishing trust in the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. While these challenges seem daunting, the incoming Trump administration has signaled a strong focus on fiscal responsibility, offering an opportunity to stabilize the economy through innovative approaches such as reviving impoundment authority and exploring Martin Armstrong’s proposed debt-to-equity swap. Together, these strategies could help combat inflation and restore economic stability.

This article examines the causes behind inflation, the role of gold as a barometer of the dollar’s decline, and the bold measures required to address these issues.

1. The Federal Deficit: A Catalyst for Inflation

The U.S. federal budget deficit has exceeded $1.7 trillion annually, with no signs of slowing down. A staggering 70% of the national debt comprises accumulated interest payments, reflecting decades of compounding liabilities that have created a vicious cycle.

• Debt Servicing Costs: Rising interest rates, intended to curb inflation, are increasing the cost of servicing the debt. In fiscal year 2023, interest payments exceeded $800 billion, and they are projected to grow sharply in the coming years.
• Inflationary Impact: Financing this debt through borrowing or money creation injects liquidity into the economy, fueling inflation as more dollars chase limited goods and services.

Government Debt Over the Past Century

A visual representation of the exponential growth in government debt over the last 100 years, highlighting key inflection points such as World War II, the 2008 financial crisis, and pandemic-era spending.

Unless the government addresses this growing debt burden directly, it will remain a major driver of inflation.

Here’s a chart of US Spending since 1971 along with a chart showing US Tax Receipts during this period. To state the obvious, we have a spending problem, not a revenue issue.

2. Persistent Inflationary Pressures

Inflation Over the Past Century

A chart showing inflation rates over the past 100 years, highlighting peaks during the Great Depression, World War II, the 1970s oil crisis, and the current era.

Inflation in the U.S. is no longer a short-term phenomenon. Structural challenges such as global supply chain inefficiencies, rising production costs due to reshoring, and geopolitical instability are keeping upward pressure on prices.

• Reshoring Costs: Efforts to reduce reliance on China by bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. have increased production costs, which are passed on to consumers.
• Energy Market Volatility: Geopolitical instability and the transition to renewable energy sources are causing fluctuations in energy prices, further driving up costs across supply chains.

These systemic issues ensure that inflationary pressures will persist for the foreseeable future.

3. The Trade Deficit and Imported Inflation

The U.S. trade deficit, driven by a reliance on imported goods, exacerbates inflationary risks.

• Rising Costs of Imports: As the U.S. dollar weakens, the cost of imports increases, fueling inflation at home.
• Export Challenges: Despite strengths in technology and agriculture, the U.S. struggles to compete globally in manufacturing, deepening its reliance on foreign goods.

Without addressing structural issues in trade policy and industrial strategy, this imbalance will continue to amplify inflation.

4. The Decline of the U.S. Dollar’s Global Dominance

The dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency has long provided a buffer against inflation. However, this dominance is eroding as countries seek alternatives.

• De-dollarization: Nations like China, Russia, and members of the BRICS bloc are increasingly conducting trade in alternative currencies or commodities like gold, reducing global demand for the dollar.
• Loss of Confidence: Persistent inflation and political instability have undermined trust in the dollar’s stability, accelerating its decline.

A weaker dollar raises the cost of imports, erodes purchasing power, and undermines the U.S.’s ability to influence global financial systems, further fueling inflation.

5. Gold Prices: A Barometer of the Dollar’s Decline

Gold has long been considered a hedge against inflation and a reliable store of value. Since the U.S. abandoned the gold standard in the 1970s, the price of gold has risen dramatically, mirroring the dollar’s loss of purchasing power.

Gold Prices Since 1971

I A chart tracking the rise of gold prices since 1971, highlighting key moments such as the inflationary 1970s, the 2008 financial crisis, and its 2024 peak of approximately $2,700 per ounce.

• The Price of Gold: When gold was allowed to float freely in 1971, it traded at $35 per ounce. By the early 1980s, it had surged to over $800 during a period of high inflation. After stabilizing for several years, gold entered another bull market in the early 2000s, reaching $1,900 per ounce in 2011 and surpassing $2,700 per ounce in 2024.
• Gold and Inflation: The steady rise in gold prices reflects growing skepticism about the dollar’s stability and purchasing power. As inflation erodes confidence in fiat currencies, investors increasingly turn to gold as a safe haven.
• Proof of De-dollarization: Central banks worldwide, particularly in China and Russia, are stockpiling gold to hedge against currency instability, further highlighting the diminishing status of the dollar.

The increasing value of gold serves as a stark reminder of the dollar’s vulnerability and the broader economic challenges facing the U.S.

6. The History and Potential Revival of Presidential Impoundment Authority

Impoundment authority allows the president to withhold or delay the use of congressionally appropriated funds. Historically, this power was used as a fiscal tool to control spending, but it has been largely curtailed since the 1970s. President Trump could exploit legal and political avenues to revive and expand this authority, making it a cornerstone of his strategy to combat inflation and control federal expenditures.

The Historical Use of Impoundment Authority

• Early Use: Presidents dating back to Thomas Jefferson exercised impoundment authority as a practical tool for managing federal budgets. Jefferson famously withheld funds for naval gunboats that he deemed unnecessary, setting an early precedent.
• Nixon Era and the Impoundment Control Act: President Richard Nixon aggressively used impoundment to block funding for programs he opposed, often citing fiscal discipline. This led to a confrontation with Congress, culminating in the passage of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA). The ICA restricted the president’s ability to withhold funds, requiring congressional approval for any impoundment.
• Supreme Court Intervention: In Train v. City of New York (1975), the Supreme Court upheld Congress’s limitations, ruling that the president must execute spending as appropriated, solidifying the ICA’s restrictions.

Reviving Impoundment Authority Under Trump

President Trump could leverage the current conservative majority on the Supreme Court to challenge the ICA and reinterpret its provisions. Key steps in reviving and exploiting impoundment authority include:

1. Legal Challenge to the ICA: The administration could argue that the ICA infringes on the president’s constitutional powers to execute the budget effectively. The Supreme Court may reconsider Train v. City of New York in light of fiscal crises and the need for executive flexibility.
2. Targeted Impoundment: Even within the ICA’s framework, the president can propose “deferrals” or “rescissions” of funds to Congress. Trump could strategically target wasteful or inefficient programs, forcing fiscal debates and reducing discretionary spending.
3. Political Leverage: Impoundment authority would give the president a powerful tool to negotiate with Congress, tying fiscal discipline to broader legislative priorities.

Potential Impact

• Immediate Spending Reductions: Withholding funds for redundant or ineffective programs would directly reduce federal expenditures.
• Inflation Control: By curbing unnecessary spending, impoundment authority could limit the money supply, mitigating inflationary pressures.
• Restoring Fiscal Discipline: Reviving this authority would signal a return to responsible budgeting, potentially restoring confidence in U.S. fiscal policy.

The revival of impoundment authority would require bold leadership and legal ingenuity, but it represents a viable path to reining in out-of-control spending.

A Path Forward

Both Armstrong’s debt-to-equity swap and the revival of impoundment authority reflect a willingness to tackle America’s fiscal challenges head-on. While these measures may be controversial, their potential to address key drivers of inflation and debt is undeniable.

Combining Strategies

• Debt Reduction: A debt-to-equity swap could reduce the overall debt burden while stimulating economic activity.
• Expenditure Control: Impoundment authority would impose immediate fiscal discipline, targeting inefficiencies and curbing wasteful spending.

Together, these approaches could create a more sustainable fiscal environment, reducing inflationary pressures and restoring economic stability.

7. Martin Armstrong’s Debt-to-Equity Swap: Transforming Debt into Growth

Economist Martin Armstrong’s debt-to-equity swap represents a radical approach to tackling the national debt, which currently exceeds $33 trillion. Of this, approximately 70% is the result of accumulated interest payments over decades, underscoring the unsustainable nature of current fiscal policies. Armstrong’s idea seeks to mitigate this burden by converting government debt into a financial instrument linked to equity markets.

How It Works

1. Issuing Equity-Linked Instruments: The government would offer bondholders an instrument—let’s call it a “Debt-Equity Security”—that can only be used to purchase equities in public markets.
2. Debt Reduction: By exchanging these instruments for existing debt, the government reduces its liabilities, effectively converting obligations into equity investments.
3. Market Integration: These securities would flood into public markets, creating liquidity and stimulating economic activity while simultaneously reducing the government’s reliance on debt financing.

Potential Benefits

• Debt Alleviation: By transforming a portion of the national debt into equity investments, the government could immediately reduce its liabilities, easing the strain on federal budgets.
• Stimulating the Economy: Redirecting funds into the stock market could enhance market liquidity, support businesses, and stimulate economic growth.
• Inflation Control: With less reliance on borrowing, the need for money creation diminishes, reducing inflationary pressures.

Challenges

• Market Volatility: A sudden influx of equity-linked securities could disrupt markets, creating short-term instability.
• Implementation Complexity: Legal and logistical hurdles, including coordination with bondholders and regulatory bodies, could delay the program.
• Equity Pricing Risks: For this strategy to succeed, public markets must remain stable and attractive to investors.

Armstrong’s approach represents a creative solution to the debt crisis, but its success hinges on careful planning and execution.

Conclusion: From Deficits to Gold, the Path Forward

The persistent rise in inflation, coupled with the rise in gold prices and the weakening of the dollar, underscores the urgent need for bold fiscal reforms. The incoming Trump administration has the opportunity to chart a new course by leveraging tools like impoundment authority and innovative strategies like the debt-to-equity swap. These measures, combined with broader structural reforms, could stabilize inflation, restore confidence in the U.S. economy, and secure a more sustainable financial future.