Inflation is an insidious threat to our financial and economic security. It has been foisted upon us to the point that we are in danger of losing much more than the value of our money. The capital markets are facing risks of immensely greater proportion than those of 2008-09. Economic activity is primarily financed by credit and we are hooked on the drug of money and higher prices - for everything. We are told often that inflation is spontaneous and that we must learn to mange its effects. That is not true. Inflation is intentional and practiced by governments and central banks the world over. And its effects are unpredictable and destructive. In addition, the effects of inflation are cumulative; hence, they tend to be more volatile, ongoing. And buried underneath all of the surface weaknesses is the specter of fractional-reserve banking. It is the legalized version of Ponzi scheme. A special section on the topic is included.