Quote from xenix:
I think the current estimates are all wrong. The inflation game is a psychological war, not a boots-on-the-ground kind of war.
Remember what happened a few months ago when rates were headed up in spite of "quantitative easing?" That was the bond market flipping Ben the bird. They were saying 'you don't have the cajones to tighten up before the flood of liquidity becomes an inflation tsunami.'
Then what does the fed do? They start shutting down liquidity programs. The market starts to believe that maybe Ben has at least one cajone and rates go back down.
It's like training a puppy. A firm hand early on means fewer problems down the road. But that means a 'firm hand', not a beat down. As long as the market believes that the fed is on the job, the excess liquidity by itself won't be an issue. Not immediately.
The fed has a small window in which they can maneuver enough to show they are serious without affecting rates and stifling the recovery. The key to this strategy working though is to start that maneuvering long before inflation is even a glimmer in the market's eye.