VIEW VIEWPOINT

Inflation and Chuck E. Cheese

Written by Kerby Anderson October 13 - 2014
In his book, Godonomics, Chad Hovind finds engaging ways to illustrate economic facts. In his book and on my radio program he answered question like: What would God say to Adam Smith? What would God say to John Maynard Keynes? In a chapter on the money supply he compared inflation to the experience parents and kids have at Chuck E. Cheese. You and your kids arrive at the arcade restaurant and purchase twenty dollar's worth of tokens. The kids spend their tokens and win certain games. At the end of the adventure, the kids count their tickets and take them to the toy counter to purchase a prize. Along the way they are thrilled that they have 1,700 points in children's currency. Their eyes gleam with hopes of trading for some real treasures. The toy counter is stocked with iPods, stuffed animals, and all sorts of prizes they are ready to take home. But their excitement fades quickly when they realize that it takes 500 points just to purchase a Blow Pop. It takes 1,000 points to earn a Chinese handcuff. The prizes they want require hundreds of thousands of points. Chad Hovind believes that the way the government prints money is similar to this experience at Chuck E. Cheese. The issuers have tinkered with the value of the tickets (at the arcade) or the value of the dollar (at the government). The dollar has lost as much as 98 percent of its value over the past hundred years. In most cases the goods and services aren't really more expensive. It is the dollars in our pockets that have lost so much value. You can go to a federal government website to see how much your money has been devalued. Use a search engine to find "government inflation calculator." A car that cost $10,000 in 1980 today would cost nearly $27,000. This is what happens when we let government tinker with the value of our money. It's like standing at the toy counter of Chuck E. Cheese.

Listen to this Viewpoint

Viewpoints

View All
1789703145 6aacb3e93cd3f
September 25, 2026
Penna Dexter

Steinem-Style Feminism

Gloria Steinem died recently, at age 92. The Washington Post, called her the “lodestar of the modern women’s movement.” As a freelance journalist, she wrote for prominent publications including Esquir...

Listen
1789687720 6aac77a84b2b3
September 25, 2026
Kerby Anderson

Our Medieval World

Victor Davis Hanson argues that our modern world has become in some ways like the Medieval world of the past. To understand his comparison, we need to clear up some misunderstandings most people have...

Listen
1789682245 6aac6245bbd33
September 24, 2026
Kerby Anderson

Net Zero

In a recent video, John Stossel reminds us that not so long ago, “politicians said climate change was going to kill us, so we must move to net zero emissions.” Many promised that we might reach net ze...

Listen

Take Action

View All
Protect Privacy Against Flock Cameras
August 9, 2026

Protect Privacy Against Flock Cameras

Flock cameras are everywhere. While one camera is a tool, the more than 100,000 AI-powered cameras now posted around our nation are a new layer of dig...

Support the SAVE Act
July 20, 2026

Support the SAVE Act

SAVE Election Integrity with Voter ID.

Support the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act
April 15, 2026

Support the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act

The abortion pill harms women and kills unborn children. Congress must act.

FACE Act Repeal Act of 2025
January 12, 2026

FACE Act Repeal Act of 2025

Pro-lifers have been abused under the FACE Act for long enough.