Letter Re: Onset of “The Crunch”

This is a question that should be of general interest. In your novel Patriots, “The Crunch” was beginning at 16% inflation. With the latest inflation figures annualized at 14.4%, how do we stand on The Crunch index? Will people really believe it is possible, even after it happens? The people I know are incredibly naive and trusting in all-powerful government.- Ron Y.

JWR Replies: I think that inflation would have to jump into triple digits in order to precipitate any sort of full scale economic collapse. IMO, it is far more likely that a dollar crisis initiated by nervous foreign investors (worried about our mountain of debt) will be the proximal trigger for what you envision.