It’s a small step for general mankind, but a giant leap for particularly me!
I was trying to shut down my comp to boot into the Windows CD and install Windows XP SP1. Just then, Raja M pinged me on gtalk. He asked me if I could write a small opinion on how inflation affected me. Me, being the noble and generous fellow, decided to oblige.
[Actually, I was literally craving to do it. But now that I'm into public life, I need to create an image for myself 
]
He gave my number to a journalist. She called me and asked whether I could dictate the write-up, but I offered to email her. [You see I respect people a lot]. She wanted me to send a pic of myself too.
Then came the frantic rush! I didn’t have a good pic of my own self! I called Arun, he was not reachable. I called Teal, she was on a VoIP call. I called Raja Deepak, and thankfully he sent me 2 pics within 10 mins. I just cropped the image on GIMP and forwarded it to the journalist along with my ‘expert comments’.
I was hoping it would come tomorrow (sunday) because the press usually close their pages around 5 PM and this happened around 7 45 PM. I thought there was no possibility of it coming on paper today. But it has come.
The Times of India, Page 5. Roundabout the middle of the page, there is a face with a pleasant smile. Yep, that’s me! To the left of my picture, is Raja M, the noble man who referred me to the journalist.
Yours Skeptically,
uleadin
P.S. The previous post has been removed due to popular public opinion. You see I respect PUBLIC opinion a lot.
I was discussing the 11% inflation with my mom and telling the various steps that we need to cut costs (buying Rs 2 rice, Rs 15 Edible Oil, head to ration kadai than Reliance fresh) and lol..there I saw a kadipali figure! Happy that I’m a reader of our future RBI governor.
dude i dont buy the times of india, so can u pls write down here as to what ur expert comments were….
@Ashwin:
RBI Governor is a post most unsuitable for an irresponsible fellow like me
. I’m happy writing comments on blogs and newspapers 
@CSrinath:
“I would link the rise in Inflation, primarily, to the rise in price of Crude Oil. Crude Oil price governs most of our manufacturing and transportation. Hence, there is a rise in prices of all commodities ranging from rice to clothes. However, it is one thing to read about it, and quite another to be through it! I have felt the increase in recent times. Everyone from auto-driver to street veggie-vendors charge more now!”
This was my comment.
Mr Economist, i wonder how you are so brilliant in discovering the cause of our prise hike. Wish i were half as brainy.
Anyways, i do agree with you that crude oil is the major cause of inflation. What would you suggest to counteract this if you were Manmohan?
Mr. Brilliant, Answer:
1. if all the nations are in debt, where did all the money go?
2. Where does the bloody money in the world come from? Trade? Ok.. take India – say we sell our goods to country X. X gives M money. Where did X get the M money from? Where did the country that got M money from get that money? i.e What is the source of all money?
@Harish:
I would halve the number of convoy vehicles for ministers and other politicians. There would be a minimum threshold of 3 and a maximum of 7. If ministers et al are here to ’serve’ people, they should not shy away from death!
I would advice all Metro Development councils to immediately implement stringent norms on having solar strips on buildings.
There’s more. will tell later.
@Arun:
Countries like India have a fiscal deficit, wherein the value of internal reform measures goes over the total income. In that case, some kind of cess has to be established I guess, I am not very sure.
I’m not a strong economics guy. But this is what I think. Country X gets M money from tax mainly. The ultimate source of all money is the individual/company’s income. X also gets money from export of goods and/or services.
you have been ‘noted’….
@LVS:
I’m honoured!
Nice knowing a noted economist who is not a strong economics guy.
@Sundar:
welcome back!
@Uleadin
Doh.,. Tax… where did the people get the money from? From working in Infosys? ok.. they pay 10k tax. Where did Infosys get money from? From US Client X. Where did X get it from? From selling product Y to Country C. Now.. where did this all start??
In other words, what is the origin of money? Let me give you rephrase the question to give you a clue: Where does absolute money come from?
For another clue, note that when country X loots country Y in trade, Y does a money transfer. But there has to be a source which would not need money transfer. Else, the world’s money is constant, and just circulates. If the US holds more money, its richer. And, printing more notes would mean more money/wealth, unlike what it is now!
@Uleadin
Yeah! The first answer is the actual situation da. You are a gud economist..
Good point about the inflation being linked to crude oil da. I would think of another reason da. As people have more money, manufacturers tend to make better products, which were previously sucking.
Take the case of computers. 5 years back, manufacturers made simple motherboards for India with the old, crappy capacitors. Now, all motherboards have solid state capacitors because people have more money, and they can afford this extra cost for the solid state capacitor because the final product is better. This isnt a very good example, but Im sure I make some sense.
I could say the inflation in this case is a side effect of growth.
Can you see a difference in Good Day biscuits? The amount of cashew has increased, and so has the price.
Is this a possible reason?
@Arun:
First comment:
I don’t understand your clues da. I still think that as we grow more and earn more we pay more tax and hence the Govt earns more.
Second Comment:
first answer to what?
Third and Fourth Comments:
As we earn more and grow more, our PURCHASING POWER increases. Companies merely cash in on that. And that’s why our purchasing power doesn’t really increase in reality! We buy the same bloody ‘good day’! It costs more and has more cashews, not more biscuits per packet! We’re paying more for the same quantity! Purchasing power cannot increase if it’s like that!