One good example of how crazy the anti-deflation hysteria often is, can be found in this story , where the U.S. government may pay milk farmers to slaughter their cows in order to reduce milk production in the hope of raising the price of milk.Usually, people argue against price deflation on the ground that it could cause output to fall. Which is to say, avoiding deflation is seen as a means to achieve the end of avoiding reduced output (Which it usually, but not always, isn't in reality). But here the focus on preventing the alleged scourge of deflation becomes so strong that they deliberately implement the scenario that the prevention of deflation was supposed to prevent in the first place!