Actually the difference between inflation and treasury yields is remarkably constant over the last 50 years, the chart below is just one example but you'll see the same no matter what tenor you look at. There's a lot of "back in my day" grumpy old man selective memory going on when it comes to this subject.?
No they're not. There used to be a real return. Now there is very little. You have to go out five yrs for there even to be any real return.
Now cue the tin hats to say the inflation numbers are all a lie.