When it comes to the federal debt and deficit, the American voting public are children who want: candy, sugar soda, to stay up all night, and to skip school, and their politicians tell them: Yes. The politicians who have said they would prioritize debt and deficit who then got into office, didn’t fulfill those promises. And when we do reduce parts of spending, we do it on those who most need the government spending.
15 to 30 percent of grocery costs are diesel fuel. Groceries are moved with vehicles using diesel fuel.
By the end of the Biden administration, the US was approaching a full soft landing, but Trump ruined it with government spending, tariffs, war, and strict immigration policies.
An Iphone isn’t a tech product, it’s a luxury product. Owning an Apple means you should reproduce, owning an Android means your DNA should not move on.
When talking about inflation, if a politician pulls out one or two items that make him look good, he is probably bullshitting you. There are almost always some items up a lot or down a lot in price. What usually matters, is how much prices are growing in general.
The post-covid inflation was caused roughly 2/3s by supply issues and 1/3 by demand.
The Fed recognizing that the drivers were temporary, meaning they did not need to raise interest rates to crushing levels, and making clear that they were sticking to a specific interest rate target, helped create the soft landing, although the plane didn’t 100% land and instead stayed hovering above the ground. The landing was likely prevented by Trump-driven shocks.
Politicians used to talk more about saving or fixing social security. It is closer to running out now, and politicians irresponsibly ignore it!
Someone’s willingness to pay isn’t just a function of how much they want the product or service, but also their ability to pay. So, when you have limited seats available for a sports game or concert, the people who go are not simply those who love the sport or the artist the most, but those who can better afford expensive tickets. This can result in rich people who don’t even care that much, having the best seats.
Unfortunately, the good jobs number isn’t as good as it seems. Inflation rose more than wages; many of the jobs are low-paying temporary jobs from the World Cup; and many jobs were young people taking care of old people, which while important ethically, don’t increase the productivity of the economy.
McDonald’s is a real estate and big data tech company. It is selling convenience, not cheap food or good food. Its goal is to manipulate the customer to come in and buy profitable items.
“Prices rose 3.8% in April compared to a year earlier, marking an increase from a year-over-year inflation rate of 3.3% in the prior month. Annual inflation jumped to its highest level in three years, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data showed.
As recently as February, inflation stood at 2.4%, clocking in just a tick above the Federal Reserve’s target level of 2%.
The jump in prices last month owed in large part to a sharp rise in costs for products impacted by a global oil shock. Gasoline prices were 5% higher in April than March, the BLS report said. Airline fares climbed 2.8% from the previous month.”