> although it DID increase massively, just not as much
It's shrinking very rapidly as we have this silly argument, even as you'd admit that no action was taken to reduce spending: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M1SL
About 60% of the increase over the pandemic has disappeared, as people spend down the accumulated wealth. That's not "massive", and just not consistent with the idea of "money printing"; the analysis is complicated, and has as much to do with supply effects (not as much stuff to buy due to impeded production/shipping) as it does with pandemic relief aid.
I'm happy to have this discussion and to educate you about these issues. But not if you insist on painting things with ridiculous smears like "printing money" (and especially when you start with outrageous claims that are clearly lies you picked up from partisan media).
> It's shrinking very rapidly as we have this silly argument, even as you'd admit that no action was taken to reduce spending: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M1SL
That's not answering the question.
> educate you about these issues.
Oh, DO be quiet. You could "educate" me by actually answering the question, but (once again) you haven't.
What's your question, exactly? "Can inflation[1] be caused by other means than literally printing money?" Of course it can. That's not a license to call things like supply shocks or trade wars "printing money" though. Your hyperfocus on this one gotcha point is betraying your ignorance about the actual economics, which is my point you seem to be trying to ignore.
[1] Actually you started with money supply expansion, which isn't really the same thing. But I think you're really talking about inflation.
It's shrinking very rapidly as we have this silly argument, even as you'd admit that no action was taken to reduce spending: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M1SL
About 60% of the increase over the pandemic has disappeared, as people spend down the accumulated wealth. That's not "massive", and just not consistent with the idea of "money printing"; the analysis is complicated, and has as much to do with supply effects (not as much stuff to buy due to impeded production/shipping) as it does with pandemic relief aid.
I'm happy to have this discussion and to educate you about these issues. But not if you insist on painting things with ridiculous smears like "printing money" (and especially when you start with outrageous claims that are clearly lies you picked up from partisan media).