No, really
2 years ago today, the media told us inflation was actually a good thing.
Today, they’re now blaming us for inflation.
???? pic.twitter.com/jlSmYfZkcs
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) December 2, 2023
High prices? Like food, energy, water, clothes? From the link
You would think, with prices as high as they are, that Americans would have tempered their enthusiasm for shopping of late; that they would have pulled back spending on luxury items; that they would have sought out budget and basic options, bought smaller packages, fewer things.
This is not what has happened. Consumer spending rose 0.2 percent, after accounting for higher prices, in October, the most recent month for which the government has data. Online shopping jumped 7.8 percent over the Thanksgiving long weekend, more than analysts had anticipated. The sales of new cars, dishwashers, cruise vacations, jewelry—all things people tend to give up when they are watching their budget—remain strong. Consultants keep anticipating a recession precipitated by the “death of the consumer.” Thus far, the consumer is staying alive.
People hate inflation, just not enough to spend less: This is one of the central tensions of today’s economy, in which things are going great yet everyone is miserable. And in some ways, Americans have nobody to blame but themselves.
People went without for years if they were able to. In some cases they had to, because goods were scarce. People are starting to see sales on products now, because availability is up. There actually are some good deals. But, the core products such as food and energy are way up.
Sticker shock is real. And in surveys, people say that they are trading down because of cost pressures. But in fact they are spending more than they ever have, even after accounting for higher prices. They’re spending not just on the necessities, but on fun stuff—amusement parks, UberEats.
How dare you peasants want to have a good life! Which is not a surprising hottake, since the author, Annie Lowery, was raised with a silver spoon and graduated from Harvard, worked a bunch of cushy media jobs, and is worth millions. As is her husband Ezra Klein.
This is a reflection of the ruling zeitgeist prior to the French Revolution. If you were ever confused by “let them eat cake” then read this article. These ppl live in a wholly constructed false reality in which they are responsible for nothing bad. https://t.co/v2QmL8xyir
— Go Outside (@EricLostCoast) December 2, 2023
There is actually some debate on that phrase. Some say it meant “if the good bread (French citizens really, really, really like their good bread) isn’t available, make cake with the lower quality wheat”, because there was a massive wheat issue, partly due to the cooler temperatures from the Little Ice Age. Or maybe it was said as an Elitist phrase. The French nobles were trying to get the peasants to eat potatoes, which were considered to be food that not even the lowest of the low would eat, but, they were available so people didn’t starve. Regardless, this type of attitude from Elites at The Atlantic really doesn’t help. But, they should keep it up, because the GOP will do what they can to lose in 2024.
That’s right! Inflation is so bad that people are doing without! Food is so expensive they can’t afford to eat! “Energy” is so expensive we’re trapped in our homes, unable to travel, wrapped in blankets in winter, burning furniture to stay alive!
Yet, we buy cars, concert tickets, computers, cell phones, big screen TVs, etc.
Doesn’t compute does it?
Anyway, food and “energy” (especially petrol) prices are always volatile. Why? Because routine and not so routine global events impact them. Wars, floods, droughts, Saudis pissed off.
Mr Teach’s point is grievance. But it’s admirable that he pays lip service to the American poor whose demand for food and gasoline is inflexible.
Geee, I never knew that I could negotiate with the cashier at Kroger over how much I’m going to pay for that gallon of milk.
The distinguished Mr Dowd wrote:
Petrol? Is our good friend Mr Dowd writing to us from Bristol or Manchester?
Fuel prices are volatile enough that they sometimes do drop, but has anyone here, ever, seen prices drop for groceries? You know, the things we have to use every day?
The broad-minded Mr Dana wrote:
Eggs. Pork. Oranges…
The inflation rate is falling, now just over 3%.
the actual inflation rate right now is about 7%. You always quote the governments phony figures you’re hilarious. Now you may think that we don’t realize that you are 3% is over and above last year’s 6% and the year before is 5% etcetera but we do. I just paid $7.49 for a dozen eggs. Granted they were Eggland’s Best brown eggs extra large nonetheless that’s a lot of money for eggs. Our prices may be delayed a little bit this year after being raped price wise all year long but they’re not down from last year guaranteed. In fact there’s nothing that I can think of that is down lower right now that it was when genocide Joe took office. Even the body count for unborn children and white men in Europe and Jews in Gaza are all up over last year. Even a number of filthy disgusting illegal aliens coming into our country uninvited is up over last year. And none of these things were picnic last year.
I think it’s time for an investigation of you and your company. You seem to be making lot of money while your investors are going down the crapper. Could it be you are a thief? I’m not accusing you, I’m doing what Democrats do to Republicans all the time I’m just suggesting that it’s possible and perhaps there should be an investigation there is absolutely no evidence or proof that you are a thief. At least none that we know of yet. By your pictures you seem to be getting fatter and fatter all the time whereas your company gets broker and broker all the time. Plus being a Democrat the propensity to cheat and steal off of everybody around you must be overwhelming. Just like the propensity to point fingers at people and even have them removed from Congress without giving them an opportunity to defend themselves in court. Maybe that’s what you deserve? The good news after trump wins all the crap you’re pulling on us is coming back on you. No wonder your whole party is in a freaking panic.
Fat Florida Fascist,
You buy eggs as poorly as your daddy buys Mercedes! Large eggs here $1.22 a dozen around here. We’re pleased you are rich enough to afford $7.49/doz eggs, but poor people don’t have your luxuries.
By all means, investigate away! You have my name, address, hacked my kids addresses, hacked our bank information, hacked our credit card numbers, contact info for what you claim is MY company, LOL. Call the SEC and the FBI! You have claimed more than once you can use your government connections to do me in and your rich daddy is buddies with the indicted Fat Donnie.
MyLilStalker and you, MyFatStalker, keep making threats. Classic MAGAt fascists.
I’ll be in your area this winter. Let me buy you lunch?
What “threats”, fatso?
Keep living in your paranoid fantasy world, Rimjob.
It’s quite entertaining.
Food costs are typically 10% of a family’s budget.
Energy costs are up? How can that be ? Last week we set another all time national record for oil pumped. Drill, baby, drill! Ohhh the cost is high because the friends of our last president are choking off supplies to drive up the global price which is what Americans must pay regardless of how much oil is produced domestically. Ohh, and prices are high because corporations are setting records on profits. And wages are going up faster than inflation because of low unemployment. Dow is at an all time high but workers are getting squeezed. Imagine having to get by on a $7.25 minimum wage in red states?
15 of the top 20 billionaires in the USA (Teach’s despised “elites”) contribute to the GOP who rewarded them with fat tax decreases.
“National record for oil pumped..” Which shows you how incompetent Brandon really is-but in this case, good news!
“Fat tax decreases….” Actually, the 39.6% bracket went to 37%, 33% bracket to 32%, 28% bracket to 24%, 25% bracket to 22%, and the 15% bracket to 12%, and the 10% bracket unchanged. Carbon boy-how is a 2.6% decrease a “fat tax decease” when compared to the other brackets? And in case you keep conveniently forgetting, these all expire in 2025.
For some reason the globe’s bad guys, Kim, Putin, Xi, Netanyahu, Erdogan etc want to see their dicktater buddy, Fat Donnie, back in our White House.
H
He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts — for support rather than illumination. —Andrew Lang
He had delusions of adequacy. —Walter Kerr