> Inflation is the result of devaluing the currency by creating money (i.e. deficit spending).

Though I agree that printing new money causes inflation (not all economists agree!), inflation does not have to be the result of new money creation. Shifts in behavior can lead to short term changes in price levels. All inflation is measured relative to a basket of goods. If prefs change for diff goods, then price levels (and thus inflation) can change.

> Oil prices do not cause inflation. This is probably not true in the short term. If the input costs for everything go up, then price levels change, and the CPI basket likely changes (up).

If we more reasonably measured inflation as some notion of quality of life, then increases in energy prices (which factor into everything) would definitely reduce per capita material well-being.

> Increases in the price of X cause the demand for X to drop, as people shift their spending elsewhere. My point is that if you have a collection of people who can just barely afford something, and the price of that thing goes up just a little, those people will not be able to buy it. A person who gets priced out of participating in society (and, e.g., dies) contributes nothing to inflation. On the other hand, folks who have some capacity to adjust their consumption or who have a savings /capital buffer, may be able to reallocate funds to the purchase of oil (or other goods whose prices are increasing). This can lead to a further rise in the price of goods (hence, inflation).