@mam98031 wrote:
@retro_entertainment_collectibles wrote:
@simba6 wrote:
Sales have been down. Inflation is still a big problem and people have cut back on spending. Today I noticed the cake mix has 2 oz less. We can't even trust Betty Crocker.
Well everything goes up... I mean this summer at camp rather than buying expensive shorts I bought plastic cups and used bungie cords to hole em' in place.
That really doesn't represent what happened in 2022. Prices, especially on food, went crazy as was the inflation rate last year. Inflation this year is more typical of what we are use too, however the excesses of 2021/2022 on food has not receded.
Our economy is strong and the unemployment rate is very low.
It is however good to remember that many people were significantly financially harmed in 2020/2021 and are still recovering from that. Some of those rent deferments have come due for payment and the food prices are simply ridiculous in many cases. People are just trying to find their way through the maze so they can survive.
And likely those that have financially recovered from the Pandemic years are putting away money better than they did before in the hopes of never finding themselves in that position again.
Singing to the choir, I'm aware of the above but do appreciate you're statements so as others can also understand. Economics are always multifactorial in good times and bad. Many foods remain pricey but the factors tend not be that of inflation such as Sugar, a commodity being through the roof and into so many many products. Products requiring various processed dairy milk as for example in Wisconsin many many farms are running one shift versus three due to lack of labor. Lack of people wanting to work is a looming issue and is also connected to say the Grocery Store.
For example, mechanics and trades shortages have caused cost of auto/truck, plumbing, electrical maintenance on and on to skyrocket especially post pandemic. Friend of my ladies son works for Conrail, you might imagine the impact Covid shutdown had on Conrail and the subsequent return to a level of normalcy. However they are now lacking folks to work on rail car maintenance and there are literal worker wage war going on with freighters to hire the skilled folks do that work. He'd told his mom likely the derailment in East Palestine the result of labor shortage, told her that derailments are more frequent and thats why the Fed ain't talkin'. Just as there are shortages in Semi drivers and for example School Bus drivers not to mention the region based supply/logistic economics that Gasoline companies pioneered and many a retailer such as Walmart has joined in on may many moons back.
Housing costs, rentals, student loans, the mainstreaming of online by every major retailer now, people using credit to maintain lifestyle on and on... Write a book on some these individual topics alone and they are but a handful that are at play. So while the numbers appear to very good in the US economy the reality is we have not recovered but should they continue rise perhaps we do.
Now when we came out of the Pandemic (not that there really is a coming out per se as now its Endemic) financial reporting operations, credible ones said it's going to take 10-20 years for a true recovery. Bidenomics basically are mechanisms of fast tracking recovery and in ways deferring the expense thereof and these were basically emergency type measures. Had they not happened things likely be a whole lot worst for a whole lot of folks but that said, the future whilst "Planned" does not mean that goes that way, "Best laid plans of mice and men."
Division among the American population 95% of Americans do not understand the instant repercussions of as it affords those who are not jazzed with the USA to further weaken it. Americans are too short sighted and wound up in their compartmentalized lives to take personal concern that is ACTIONABLE in their daily lives towards both curbing lifestyle and unifying as Americans. Everyone wants back to normality yet by their own mindsets are disallowing normality to even be an option.
Folks have short memory and they compare life say pre-covid to post yet unlikely are clear in that vision except for that of feeling the pinch and that of the raised hostile social dynamics. An echo of politics or visa versa, politics the echo of population hostile social dynamic, perhaps both, aka: Feeding from all sides of the National flesh. Yet they forget that moment Mr. Trump entered into the political fray that normality began to change. He became entertainment and quite brilliantly used social media and mainstream media to not change populations or DC towards betterment but instead to build his own personal political army. He wasn't secretive about it, it was all out in the open yet most Americans do not favor history whereby an individual with strong leadership voice sequestering populations as "The Man" ALWAYS and I do mean ALWAYS in history results in tyranny. The entirety of man's known history that is ALWAYS the pattern and logically understandable. In fact, it is why it is said that there is and never has been a nation such as The United States as their hasn't and still isn't as the nations very foundations were constructed in that of citizen control, national state, county, townships all provisioning elected self-governance. The nations very foundations were to not have for tyranny yet here we are seemingly headed back in time to just that. Another thing history shows is that when those that follow/support tyranny knowingly or not the onslaught of words forced unto the population create the very foundation for tyranny to thrive. This is why for three years you've not heard our current President take "Shots" at the prior administration disclosing what really happened as in doing so the escalation of division towards tyranny has food to feast upon. But you do notice that tyranny attempting to make for that escalation via child like name callings and more but NEVER providing actual plans nor ideas to tackle problems faced. This due to the fact that answer is tyranny.
As history also shows those in support of tyranny are first to be victims of it once power and control are solidly achieved. Had our STATES not taken charge of the pandemic to which a President attacked ever so many we'd by no means be where we are, some semblance of normality. Supporters of tyranny as history shows tend be the first go die in some war, are the first to be marginalized as they present the biggest threat to loss of power as they have expectations. Now that all said, its questionable as to whether blame the tyrannical entities or that of the support. If I am tyrant and people elect me to power in my head, "This is what they want." In reality throughout history its a "Be careful what asked for you just might get it."
American faced hordes of very big problems before the pandemic that still exist and many even amplified and as long as division continues among the population there simply is no hope. That's reality. The history of the world and very very very much so America is that.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." -Abraham Lincoln
These are not words he just invented, they are the history of the world over and over and over.
mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
