It is a continuous temptation, because perhaps we do not realize that inflation is a tax in all respects: in fact, by printing paper, the government loses value of the money we have in our hands
It seems appropriate to explain why the inflation tax can be quite profitable for some
As the term itself suggests, inflation can be considered as a form of tax, and tax means someone pays it and someone else receives it. In this case, the inflation tax (otherwise known as seigniorage) is paid by the common people while it is received by those who print the money (read, the government). You may rightfully ask here how it is possible as the government doesn't seem to receive anything
But that's not so. Inflation (as in price Inflation) implies the loss of the purchasing power of a currency, and this loss is what the government receives as a gain in its own purchasing power since it can buy anything what can be bought with that new money at old prices not yet adjusted for the inevitable inflation. The point is, inflation doesn't instantly propagate through the economy, so those who have early access to money can take advantage of this
