Forum Post: Has anybody noticed inflation creeping in over last few years? How about accelerating the last few months?
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 21, 2011, 2:52 p.m. EST by NewEnglandPatriot
(916)
from Dartmouth, MA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I have known it was coming for some time. Since 05, after Katrina hit - energy prices soared. That was obvious...Next were the fuel surcharges on deliveries that are pass-through to all goods. The retail stores spread it around, and offer sales as always, marking some things up, others down to compensate. I have cats, and cat food in the large bag has doubled in past year. Sometimes it comes back down but beef is real high. I have to shop around a lot now. Staples like bread and milk still about same, but have gone up a little. Post your experiences.
Inflation only in energy and food, both of which are heavily manipulated by speculators. Price gouging in insurance and health care.
Deflation in everything else, which is why the Fed has pumped trillions into the economy ("quantitative easing"): in an attempt to prevent deflation. It seems that no matter how much money they print they can't inflate the currency.
That's because almost all of what gets printed is being hoarded at the top. If that amount of money went into circulation you couldn't draw zeros on hundred dollar bills fast enough to give them any value at all.
The root of the problem is devaluation of the dollar, this is correct. It has been accelerating since the 1970s. The inflation rhetoric is just an illusion to take focus off of an out of control Federal Reserve.. Either absorb it back into Treasury or eliminate it.
I don't disagree, but here is the deal. The whole thing has been hijacked and is being manipulated.
Not just food and energy are inflating, so are Medical Ins. and drug prices. Taxes are also inflating for most people.
QE will only lead to hyperinflation of goods (deflation of purchasing power) As is energy, anything based on speculation is why regulation must be re-instated. The currency will deflate, electronics, goods from China will remain low - as long as people get their toys they never seem to complain.
Quantity/weight of food, package size,etc is less and costs a little more. That is hidden inflation.
We need inflation from growth, not from too much money out there. Energy prices are hurting all. I see very few new cars as compared to 1985-2002.
There is a lot less spending.....
"I see very few new cars as compared to 1985-2002." Plenty of new luxury cars driving about though. The average age of a vehicle on the hi ways today is 8 yrs. old. People can't afford to buy new or used ones anymore. My local mechanic confirms this as his business is booming. He told me that 75% of his customers tell him to fix their cars and that intend to drive them into the ground. I resume then they'll take the bus , ride a bike or walk. I find myself walking and riding my bike much more these days.
Driving into ground, my "new"cars always have @ least 60K. A new car or used, still needs the oil changed, brakes, tires, fluids, etc. I Usually extract 200K out of a car (I fix my own) so it is just transportation to me. I have a "toy" sports vehicle, but do not need the 100-110 octane gas expense to enjoy it. It sits parked.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/opinion/gop-monetary-madness.html?_r=1&ref=paulkrugman
Do not forget the money printed, loaned, or digits added to banks from FED transfer are at or near 0%.....It is still debt created on debt to be paid by debt. Eventually the system will crash, it is a mathematical certainty.
Hyperinflation doesn't hit right away, QE buys time and restores market confidence. However, as things get worse, which they have - the cost to do business will rise as the monetary base expands. More money does not mean more. It is keeping commerce alive for the moment, but commerce still is slowing. The numbers are all artificial now. The real jobless rate is over 20 %. Some are not counted as not claiming benefits, self employed job losses, etc. Most people are underemployed in comparison to past years. Cost of fuel is higher, consumers dump a much larger share of income to energy expense, which leaves less for leisure, vacations, etc. This is why Europe went. Europe's recent shakeup, has simply made us look better in comparison. Collapse will come I promise you.
Cat food is outrageously expensive, I can buy fresh chicken and canned tuna cheaper. I do give my cats proper cat food mostly, it just irks me their by-product meat is so much more expensive than people food. I stopped buying bread years ago, the prices are outrageous. Grow your own vegetables, buy from a neighbor, do not support these rip-off stores if you can. OWS community gardens are needed!
Yep tuna and chx, sometimes leftovers - and they seem healthier!
My sister's cat died because of tainted cat food (remember the recall), melamine was added because it tests as protein. She said to watch if the cat doesn't like the smell, pick it up right away, her cat did not want to eat the poison. I am telling you, my cats do not like ANYTHING nowadays, and the kibble even looks different. I would give them chicken every day, but the vet says no, not balanced, lacking taurine especially. I give them Gerber baby food turkey most often, unless I boil and puree myself.
Melamine, yep; I never had that issue. My cats wont even drink the tap water since 2007 when they started fluoridating it. That's when I researched more and stopped drinking it myself. I can taste it in the water. It has a slight "minty" hint (not taste, more of undertone) like mouthwash/toothpaste (not mint, it is hard to explain) I get distilled water, and have reverse osmosis & distillation. The water is poison too. Fluoride is not conspiracy theory, they used it in Nazi Germany to calm the prisoners, our government is thinking of adding lithium next!!! - Only cat food is the fish kind avoid all others.
Well... In this country, people die from cavities. As far as I know, you can't get a free filling, only your tooth pulled if life-threatening. Fluoroide DOES prevent tooth decay, I have heard it is byproduct, bad for you, but so is an abscessed tooth and lousy access to medical care. I am willing to change my mind about it when dental care is available to all, and it is truly proven fluoride does more harm than good.
Its OK in the paste, mouthwash, etc - but deserves no place to be taken internally. One liter of water is like swallowing a dabit of toothpaste. It is no good for you neurologically. The reason it prevents tooth decay, it bio-accumulates the poison in the bone, and deposits mainly in enamel of tooth. Sodium fluoride from aluminum production waste is extremely toxic and added to water. silicofluorides, in acidic form from fertilizer industry wastes also very bad. There are many other natural ion combos. There are other mineral fluorides that are "less toxic" the ones I am concerned about them adding are the ones I mentioned. ALL are inorganic, which means incompatible with life.... It is like comparing table salt , to ice melting salt - one does not belong in the body - they promote fluoride, but do not tell you the sources derived. That is my main concern
Hmmmm, corporate profits are up.
Income is down, for the rest of us.
I wonder what happened?
You're not paying more.
You're getting less.
Of everything.
Bravo, shooz! Excellent comment.
That is how inflation works. Less for more. Just wonderful the types of observationalists that are on this forum
We get less.
The guys at the top, get more.
Creating inflation, is how they do it.
Last time i checked they use the same currency as we do. They would be affected the same as us. Unless you mean they get more out of the foreign currencies they use in which case I call them smart investors.
It's not that complicated.
They create the inflation, for their own profit.
The value comes out of lower profit, for those that labor.
Yes that is how inflation works. You have to pay more than before because the price is raised because the up town boys want to maintain their profits.
Constantly rising profits, have to draw blood from somewhere.
They rarely take the hit.
That is the nature of trying to make money is it not. If you owned a business you would try to maximize not minimize your profits
If you believe that, then stop complaining about what's happening all around you.
I'm not so happy about giving them my blood, so they can buy an extra yacht (Swedish built).
Perhaps you like serving them their drinks.
I never have complained about their yachts. And I wouldn't mind any job at the moment. I'm sure it pays well and I have gas and insurance to pay for.
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=us+consumer+price+index
And what's next? Hyperinflation, like in Germany before World War 2. That's when it costs a million dollars to get a Big Mac at McDonalds. Its the great leveler, because even if you have millions in the bank, you'll have to spend it to buy groceries. Passing Steagall is the only way to stop this from happening.
Whee lbarrels of money to buy a loaf of bread .....Most germans were burning money for heat.. I do not know if it will be allowed to get that bad, but never rule anything out..I am pro Glass Steagall, and get energy/food off of commodity - time for regulation and gov control on those essentials. Not too crazy about the healthcare reform though....
Wheat has gone from $4 to $25 on Speculation alone! Stop Goldman Sachs from ripping off the world!!
http://occupywallst.org/forum/wheat-has-gone-from-4-to-25-on-speculation-alone-s/
I used to buy toast and butter for 50 cents, now its a dollar... i cant even save the change....
Breakfast at a small shop with unlimited coffee was $2.50-$3.50 included toast homefries, 2 eggs any style, meat, etc, now its at least $5.00+
I don't really eat fast food, but look at cost of value meals 5-8 dollars? I recall 3 a long time ago. Dunkin donuts coffee is around $2.00 for med with tax, used to be $1.49, and small was $1.00 - I brew home and get Cumberland farms coffee $ 0.99 and there are deals out there - but mostly brew @ home and bring thermos and brown bag. You will soon see many of these Dunkin Donuts go under, as well as chain restaurants.
When companies can offer "sales" of 60% off on products then there is where the inflation creeps in. If you are willing to buy a product that has been marked up around 300% just because the corporate bean counters say the public will pay the price then inflation begins to be systemic.
60% off always means they jacked the prices up at least 65% + for a while - and people still buy, they make same money not matter what. people see the drop, but never seem to remember it going up - the only way to beat it is know what things cost, shop around...Never have all your eggs in one basket, hence never remain loyal to one store.
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You thunk? Just today I got a letter from myLOL so called Health Ins. company doubling the cost of many of my drug prescriptions! The other day the State allowed the State Hiway authorities to double tolls on public toll roads. Gas is 35% higher then a yr. ago food is rising. The only thing going nowhere is wages and salaries. People by the millions are being slowly steadily being reduced to peasants.
This is how they extract wealth without increasing taxes. Wait until the RFID devices go online, and you are monitored wherever you go. You will pay mileage taxes in addition to carbon taxes on fuel, additional excise taxes through city/town, etc.. Pay roll taxes may remain low, but they gotta get the money somewhere. It is like retail, they keep the bread and milk competitive but make their profit by spreading increases across the store inventory. My city charges fines if you put you trash out too early. It is getting pathetic.
Somebody posted this and I remember my father explaining to us kids in the 1970's that by the time we are in our 40's a loaf of bread will be around $5 and that maybe there would be no more social security. He was a world traveler, saw alot and was keenly interested in history. I remember one time he tried explaining inflation to us (at the time we were 4 and 7) showing us the people with wheelbarrows of money after the fall of the Weimar Republic, today's historically closest in time example is Zimbabwe but they are good illustrations. I do not see that happening exactly like that due to modern methods well planned such that we will see the occurrence fluctuatingly slow.
Ideally, we should get off the fractional reserve banking system, bring US industries back home and have gold and silver backed currency once again. Prior to 1960's dollar bills were actually silver certificates ie: "Will pay to bearer on demand $5 in Silver" for example.
Anyway, here's that prescient video that somebody else here at OWS posted-how the speaker knew amazes me: Check out this video on YouTube: Mind blowing speech by Robert Welch in 1958 predicting Insiders plans to destroy America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZU0c8DAIU4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
The generation soon about to be on Social Security , and ones on it now will be the last.
I have watched this speech.
Eisenhower & Kennedy have also given their warnings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWiIYW_fBfY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhZk8ronces
Thanks for sharing those too!
I only share the truth! We must resurface the history we were denied before they start censoring it !
Notice Kennedy cited Solon the Athenian as an example. Part of censorship is certainly apathy in education-in the USA we no longer teach 'the classics' instead, as adults only the curious seek them out, if you're interested www.foliosociety.com has a nice selection for personal libraries.
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That's something you never hear the news media talk about or if they do it is rare.
Think about this how much money would people have in their pockets if gasoline prices were at $1.50 a gallon?
How much of an impact do you think that would have on the economy?
Why aren't we drilling for more oil resources to become independent?
Why aren't we building more nuclear plants to prepare ourselves for all those "electric vehicles" that are coming?
It's called "enviornmental restrictions" and the government doesn't give a damm about anyone. Remember Obamas quote "I want to see gasoline prices raise to $5.00 a gallon" I want to shut down the coal industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EewGMBOB4Gg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w
George - I have seen them and they are on target. Many get angry @ Zeitgeist name, but forget its representation - the truth, most on here cant handle the truth and most will accept their fate - George Carlin was a prophet in disguise. Not all is as it seems, and not judge books by their cover - he spoke with knowledge, wisdom and truth. Most are still in denial.
Inflation is only caused by one thing, excess printing of paper money. It is NOT caused by speculators. Commodities, wheat, oil, copper have a certain value. If there are too many dollars chasing too little goods, you get inflation. This is basic economics. Oil speculators cannot drive up the price of oil. The people that speculate in oil futures are very smart people. Inorder for one of these smart people to buy a futures contract on a barrel of oil at $100, another really smart person needs to sell a contract at $100. They are both speculating that the cost of oil will go in a certain direction.
The speculators, commodities, etc create bubbles (.com, Y2K, oil, nat gas, etc) eventually drive up the costs through fear induced here and now. Once deregulation was instituted, the safeguards were removed. Now these artificial bubbles were allowed to overinflated. Basing things on supply and demand is yet another avenue. The end result is we always pay more. Hurricane Katrina drive costs through the roof. That was BS and we all know it. Inflation by printing excess money is a double edge sword. It helps in the short term, but once all that money is out there it weakens what is out there. There result is it takes more to buy the same. We the people have no say in any of it, and the speculators, banks, fed, oil industry, etc all did this to drive us all into the poor house. We will all end up in the poor house on the current trend, and that is a fact....
How many oil futures have you bought lately? My guess is none. It isnt Goldman Sachs or Credit Suisse selling contracts to you or me.Its Credit Suisse or DeutcheBank selling to George Soros or John Paulson. Smart guys guessing which way a contract will go.They do not create bubbles, monetary policy creates bubbles.