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Post by CtraK on Jan 17, 2011 20:12:46 GMT -5
OK, so I'm researching another novel I'll never get round to writing and in doing so, I come across something that bothers me. I'm setting the novel in the late era of this century. When is not critical to the story, but as the thread suggests, 2080 is a good enough time, assuming that capitalism hasn't folded by then. So we're about seventy years into the future, and there's money involved for a zany corporate scheme. Naturally, this means inflation. I do my research, because I want to avoid ridiculous future inflation, and I find that, in the US, inflation tends to swing between 30% over a decade in certain times (like the 1990s) and 60% a decade over other times (like the 1980s). Some decades vary either side, like the 1950s and 1970s, so I assume it all averages out and calculate on this basis the price increases for 2080. It turns out that said price increase will be of the order of 11.7 times current. Now this next bit bothers me. By this standard, a burger will cost close to, or actually, $50. And if it doesn't, ordering a Coke will push it over the top. The US government, in response to this, could either let it happen, phase out the now-worthless cents, or revalue the dollar. As far as I'm aware, there is no historical precedent for the latter two; so what would happen?
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Post by Oriet on Jan 17, 2011 20:40:35 GMT -5
Actually, there is historical precedent for removing a denomination of currency from use (or at least circulation), with the mill, which was 1/10th of a cent.
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Post by Mira on Jan 17, 2011 20:44:33 GMT -5
Yeah, and countries like Australia (whose currency is close in value to the dollar) have removed the penny from circulation.
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Post by chad sexington on Jan 17, 2011 20:54:26 GMT -5
We replaced the penny with the cent, and later removed one- and two-cent coins from circulation.
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Post by Mlle Antéchrist on Jan 17, 2011 21:09:29 GMT -5
Wouldn't someone living in the 19th century look at the cost of stuff in modern times and pretty much have the same reaction, though?
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Post by MaybeNever on Jan 17, 2011 21:41:22 GMT -5
Wouldn't someone living in the 19th century look at the cost of stuff in modern times and pretty much have the same reaction, though? Somebody in the 19th century would probably just look at the stuff in modern times and be like "WTF is this shit?" And also "where are the aeromobiles?" Plus he would be wearing a tophat and a monocle and talk seriously about things like the "white man's burden" and "Rhodesia".
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Post by Mlle Antéchrist on Jan 17, 2011 22:21:11 GMT -5
Why do you assume that this time traveler is white, MaybeNever? Or should I say... Hitler?
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Post by MaybeNever on Jan 17, 2011 22:24:55 GMT -5
Why do you assume that this time traveler is white, MaybeNever? Or should I say... Hitler? Look, I know all about history. Non-white humans didn't exist until 1904, when the Japanese were reluctantly admitted to the club. *Hides mustache*
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Post by Amaranth on Jan 17, 2011 22:25:27 GMT -5
It's pretty much only good for future shock.
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Post by CtraK on Jan 18, 2011 6:14:40 GMT -5
Why do you assume that this time traveler is white, MaybeNever? A nonwhite person could be a time traveller from the 19th century, but given their inevitable lack of education or money, this would involve them inventing the time machine purely by accident - by which I mean, even more purely by accident, using nothing more than unused pie dishes, a mangle and a wild coincidence, or something. As for this topic, I think Replies #1-3 answer it: phase out cents. Possibly phase out nickels and dimes, too. Thanks for that. Now to actually write that novel before 2080...
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Post by Mlle Antéchrist on Jan 18, 2011 6:28:20 GMT -5
Maybe the white guy shoved the non-white guy into the time machine for a test run.
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Post by shadowpanther on Jan 18, 2011 14:28:27 GMT -5
Wouldn't someone living in the 19th century look at the cost of stuff in modern times and pretty much have the same reaction, though? Somebody in the 19th century would probably just look at the stuff in modern times and be like "WTF is this shit?" And also "where are the aeromobiles?" Plus he would be wearing a tophat and a monocle and talk seriously about things like the "white man's burden" and "Rhodesia". I say old bean! Jolly good show what! Pip pip.
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Post by calee022 on Jan 18, 2011 17:13:42 GMT -5
You COULD go with the "credits" method. Rename the currency, and there is no frame of reference for people reading the book.
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Post by CtraK on Jan 18, 2011 17:22:27 GMT -5
It's pretty much only good for future shock. ? You COULD go with the "credits" method. Rename the currency, and there is no frame of reference for people reading the book. No, I want to make it clear that a lot of money is being thrown about and that, even if you were to deflate it back to 2011 standards, it'd still be a shitload of money.
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