Inflation and devaluation - are two different things.The first term refers to the growth of domestic prices, not necessarily occurring on all consumer segments in the same proportions.For example, rents may rise in price, and the price of potatoes will remain the same or even decrease.
Devaluation means the growth rate of foreign currency in relation to the official state currency unit.The reverse process is called a revaluation.
Why at a certain historical stage as a reference was selected some standard unit, for whatever reasons, it was designated the price?USD(and more simply, the dollar), for many years in our country served as an indexer and the devaluation and inflation.What is the reason?
universal measure
There was a time when the Soviet and then Russian ruble lost purchasing power almost simultaneously with the rise in the dollar, and very quickly.Today's citizens in forty years of age and older remember well what had.e., the concept of youth is less well known.After the actual collapse of the Soviet monetary system measure of valuation of property sale (and in general almost all) was the US dollar, for special colors nicknamed "green" or "cabbage".
citizens of a great country to use for the calculation of foreign money was unusual, and sometimes embarrassing.Nothing can be done, from the pages of history can not be deleted.What happened, happened.
Torgsin shops and check
currency shops existed in the USSR and in the relatively prosperous pre-perestroika times.Torgsin and completely opened to the distant twenties.The purpose of these trade organizations was twofold.First, to induce Soviet citizens in an organized manner to part with gold and valuables, in return for that abroad it was available to all, and in the Soviet Union was a deficit.Secondly, foreigners could buy here do not queue, comfortable, and thereby avoid contact with Soviet trade (of which it was not necessary to know, and then later at poraskazhut there ...).It happened that our simple people wandered in the "Receipt" or Torgsin chance (of this very funny stories told Vladimir Vysotsky in one of his songs).Products on the shelves struck brightness and variety numbers in small plates seemed quite affordable, especially since no "dollar bugs" and other foreign characters on the price list are not listed.Trying to buy something nipped in the bud the question: "What's your currency?" Naive buyer timidly inquired whether it is possible to pay in rubles, what an arrogant response received executed importance seller: the price indicated in arbitrary units.Dull to explain what had.e., after which they are ashamed of leaving the Soviet store where citizens of the USSR it was better not to go ...
In the sea of floating rates
After the introduction of the Jamaican currency system in 1978 had disappeared as an important component of world economic relations, how toughleading currency peg to the gold content.Financially Ocean among floating rates confidently feel those countries in which the stability of the purchasing power of the national currency provided safely macroeconomic indicators (balance of payments, the size of the external and internal debt, the size of the gross domestic product, and so on. D.) The citizens of such states, and have no ideathat is USD, it is enough of its own currency.Dollar exchange rate there is only interested in the subjects of foreign trade and speculators.But it is as long as the inflation rate is within acceptable and reasonable limits.When prices start to go up too fast, the natural question arises of how to maintain savings, or rather, the ability to do something for them in the future to buy.People tend to persist to some binding, they need confidence in the future.
dollar or the euro?
understand what the USD, and to assess the significance of this term in the nineties, life is impossible without an analysis of the economic situation of the era.The collapse of the Union, accompanied by the most deplorable phenomena, including present and rapid depreciation of the Soviet ruble.When employment was more important than material stimulus dollar salary, the amount of which today seems ridiculous.However, this is the reality.The worker knew that regardless of the currency fluctuations amount of goods that he can consume to remain relatively unchanged.While the calculations in the country produced only in the national currency, the prices of most consumer goods (especially imports) stated "equivalent."After the adoption of the common European currency, there is a need to clarify, what is the standard unit - the dollar or the euro.
bans, regulations and way out
lack of confidence in the national currency and massive citizens' desire to keep savings in foreign currency indicate unfavorable economic situation prevailing in the country.Moreover, the country is suffering from the defect, it can not be fully sovereign.An extreme manifestation of this political situation can serve as a "free to join the territory" of Puerto Rico, whose citizens voluntarily abandoned its own currency (there goes the US dollar) and other major signs of independence.Russia had a good chance to become a "banana republic", despite published in March 1993, a government decree, intended to regulate the foreign exchange market and prohibiting the circulation of foreign currency.Immediately there was a simple yet perfect way to avoid the legal penalties for violation of this legislation.As a rule, the transaction is as follows: The buyer in mind (or a calculator) translations conventional units in rubles, the amount recorded in the contract of sale (mostly down), and then pale green, tied with a rubber band money passed from hand to hand.Scurry for exchange offices usually do not bother anyone.
strength and weakness of the dollar.Hypothetical common unit for the near future
Many citizens, especially the elderly, resented the dominance of the US currency."Why is everyone so chasing the dollar, which is the force in them?" - They wondered."These papers provided economic and industrial power of the United States," - he explained gravely "enlightenment economists."Is it true today?
In recent decades, the credibility of the dollar has declined, despite the fact that he now serves as the international means of payment.The financial system of the United States suffers from serious economic problems, including - an astronomical foreign debt, large budget deficits and other consequences of the "fiscal inflation."Perspectives adds gloom and almost uncontrolled machine operation Fed printing money unsecured real content.
is not excluded that the "free-floating" exchange rates comes to an end.The global economy once again need some kind of binding.It may soon need a new benchmark.Will it again, gold, other precious metals or states agreed that a common unit - is a certain amount of energy consumption (for example, 1 Giga-calorie or 100 kW / h)?For such embodiments, some economists are inclined, and assumptions about what is a universal measure of value of the future, converge on its energy nature.
