U.S. inflation has surged in recent months for a number of reasons. The most concerning one is the extent to which this elevated level of inflation is due to the overuse and abuse of monetary and fiscal stimulus? Suppose this bout of inflation is primarily the result of rising monetary velocity, or it reflects heightened inflation expectations causing consumers to spend stimulus checks and run-down savings quickly. In that case, it will prove to be a serious and sustained inflationary challenge. Some of it is simply the base effect. A year ago, many prices dropped abnormally, and even a return to more standard pricing will produce a temporary, outsized inflation rate.