The INFLATION Thread

[ekbeats]

13 hours ago, GoBirds said:

4.2% inflation in April.....buckle up boys. 

Biggest monthly rise in the core CPI in 40 years.  Hey I got an idea - let’s print more money!

[jobarules]

3 hours ago, ekbeats said:

Starting to feel like the 70’s isn’t it?  Long gas lines, shortages, high gas prices, highest increase in inflation in 12 years, rising crime rates, an ineffective President who appears feeble and out of touch...

Yep and we're only 4 months in. Jeez what a disaster this is gonna be 

[GoBirds]

12 minutes ago, ekbeats said:

Biggest monthly rise in the core CPI in 40 years.  Hey I got an idea - let’s print more money!

That’s Joe’s main schtick , handouts. What will he do if he stops them?

[The Commish]

27 minutes ago, ekbeats said:

Biggest monthly rise in the core CPI in 40 years.  Hey I got an idea - let’s print more money!

We already tried that in 2020 during the "most on fire economy the country's ever seen" and you're seeing the effects real time, today:

https://www.oxfordgoldgroup.com/news/strategist-almost-20-percent-of-all-u-s-dollars-were-created-in-2020-alone/

Not sure that's the way to go  

[FairWarning]

That is some perspective, Commish.

[GordonGekko]

23 hours ago, jobarules said:

Yep and we're only 4 months in. Jeez what a disaster this is gonna be 

 

The current issue for everyone is the price of food. You can do workarounds for other things, but you need to eat. Your kids need to eat.

Years and years ago, there was a thread on investments in the FFA, and I said everyone should have a 6 month stockpile of food stored, with several weeks of water ( but more to point, some consistent way to purify water instead depending on space)

I also talked about building a garden, even for those in small spaces, like micro greens, or doing what I did years ago, which is get into beekeeping ( not all that easy, but rewarding)

Not everyone has the space to put together a small emergency cache, but they should to their means. Of course back  then, in the FFA, I was personally attacked, mocked, laughed at and called a nutty survivalist type. None of those mouthbreathers are laughing now.

There is going to be another entirely new tier of homeless soon. Many, tragically, with young kids as well.

You can't print this much money and spend money like this, at this speed, while shutting down the economy. The strategy seems to be to buy votes with own our money, but also are grandchildren's money, and looks like their grandchildren's money too.

Before this is all over, lots of people are going to starve to death. Even with America as the world's "breadbasket"

I completely understand why some don't like Trump. Trump the person and the troll and grifter sucked. However Trump in terms of his policies don't look even a tenth as bad as all this currently.

Some of you voted for this. That was your right. Now it's your privilege to watch people starve.

I'll say it again, and maybe this time people will listen. What you can do today, and this week, is build, to your means and space, an emergency stockpile for you and your kids and the people you love. Look at your living situation and ask yourself if you can build any kind of garden. Even potatoes in a box. See if you have any marketable skill you could barter if you need to do it.

Statistically speaking, Americans waste about 40 percent of all food that's produced and ends up on a plate somewhere. There are people around the world starving (see Brazil lately?) and many Americans do this. No wonder so many around the world hate Americans.

[Alex P Keaton]

1 hour ago, GordonGekko said:

 

The current issue for everyone is the price of food. You can do workarounds for other things, but you need to eat. Your kids need to eat.

Years and years ago, there was a thread on investments in the FFA, and I said everyone should have a 6 month stockpile of food stored, with several weeks of water ( but more to point, some consistent way to purify water instead depending on space)

I also talked about building a garden, even for those in small spaces, like micro greens, or doing what I did years ago, which is get into beekeeping ( not all that easy, but rewarding)

Not everyone has the space to put together a small emergency cache, but they should to their means. Of course back  then, in the FFA, I was personally attacked, mocked, laughed at and called a nutty survivalist type. None of those mouthbreathers are laughing now.

Is this for real?

[Terminalxylem]

On 5/13/2021 at 4:42 PM, Alex P Keaton said:

Is this for real?

In his mind, yes.

[Caveman33]

I walked to the bank today to deposit a $400 check I received for owing federal loans that I plan to never pay back.  Setup on the sidewalk at a shaded table, a friendly lady offered me a free phone and free unlimited plan, if only I had a qualifying benefits card.  Luckily, I signed up for Medicaid last month.  I filled out an online form and said I don't expect to earn money this year.  A few days later, I received a packet with benefits card and voter registration in the mail.  Now I have free health insurance, dental, and vision.   It's gonna take some extreme circumstances for us poors to go homeless.  Besides, if a situation like that developed, the poors might band together and move into your house.

Edited May 16 by Caveman33

[DocHolliday]

On 5/12/2021 at 10:00 PM, jobarules said:

Yep and we're only 4 months in. Jeez what a disaster this is gonna be 

Seems like everything costs so much these days.  The high prices are going to slow the economy.   For example,  I was going to finish my basement this summer but that is not happening with the price of lumber.  I’m going to hold onto that money to spend on food, fuel, and necessities. Have to figure other folks are going tho make similar decisions.   

[Opie]

4 hours ago, Terminalxylem said:

In his mind, yes.

So, how do things work in your mind?

Historically, when countries have simply printed money it leads to periods of rising prices — there's too many resources chasing too few goods. Often, this means every day goods become unaffordable for ordinary citizens as the wages they earn quickly become worthless

[Terminalxylem]

Just now, Opie said:

So, how do things work in your mind?

Historically, when countries have simply printed money it leads to periods of rising prices — there's too many resources chasing too few goods. Often, this means every day goods become unaffordable for ordinary citizens as the wages they earn quickly become worthless

Americans are some of the fattest, wealthiest people in the world. We aren’t going to be starving anytime soon.

 

[Opie]

29 minutes ago, Caveman33 said:

I walked to the bank today to deposit a $400 check I received for owing federal loans that I plan to never pay back.  Setup on the sidewalk at a shaded table, a friendly lady offered me a free phone and free unlimited plan, if only I had a qualifying benefits card.  Luckily, I signed up for Medicaid last month.  I filled out an online form and said I don't expect to earn money this year.  A few days later, I received a packet with benefits card and voter registration in the mail.  Now I have free health insurance, dental, and vision.   It's gonna take some extreme circumstances for us poors to go homeless.  Besides, if a situation like that developed, the poors might band together and move into your house.

Anyone ever tell you that nothing is free?
Believe me...that phone company will get paid along with the hospitals and doctors that you use on your "free" health plan.
Someone is paying for this.

So tell me, what happens when the money becomes useless?.

[djmich]

Just now, Terminalxylem said:

Americans are some of the fattest, wealthiest people in the world. We aren’t going to be starving anytime soon.

 

Yet many there are many folks here saying we need a UBI and we need to raise minimum wage?

Also, I know this is the inflation thread but there are very real potentials for emergency/disaster related shortages.  It will happen, not sure when, where and for how long.

[Opie]

1 minute ago, Terminalxylem said:

Americans are some of the fattest, wealthiest people in the world. We aren’t going to be starving anytime soon.

 

How wealthy do we remain when our money is worthless?

[Terminalxylem]

Just now, djmich said:

Yet many there are many folks here saying we need a UBI and we need to raise minimum wage?

Also, I know this is the inflation thread but there are very real potentials for emergency/disaster related shortages.  It will happen, not sure when, where and for how long.

There’s a big difference between starving and living comfortably.

And if we got through covid with only transient runs on tp and masks, I’m pretty sure we can survive a little inflation.

[Caveman33]

Just now, Opie said:

Anyone ever tell you that nothing is free?
Believe me...that phone company will get paid along with the hospitals and doctors that you use on your "free" health plan.
Someone is paying for this.

So tell me, what happens when the money becomes useless?.

I needn't worry about money becoming useless because I'm surviving on benefits cards.  Should the plastic stop working, I might resort to stealing from GG's garden.

[Opie]

Just now, Caveman33 said:

I needn't worry about money becoming useless because I'm surviving on benefits cards.  Should the plastic stop working, I might resort to stealing from GG's garden.

Do you have ANY idea exactly what backs those benefit cards?

[Terminalxylem]

7 minutes ago, Opie said:

How wealthy do we remain when our money is worthless?

We may no be longer be the greatest economy in the world, but we’ll still be among the wealthiest places on the planet for the foreseeable future.

Do you agree with Gecko’s sense of impending doom? Have you food/water/supplies to survive the upcoming crisis?

Edited May 16 by Terminalxylem

[Opie]

15 minutes ago, Terminalxylem said:

We may no be longer be the greatest economy in the world, but we’ll still be among the wealthiest places on the planet for the foreseeable future.

Do you agree with Gecko’s sense of impending doom? Have you food/water/supplies to survive the impending crisis?

Seeing as how being the greatest economy in world and being the wealthiest place on the planet is all based on the purchasing power of the US dollar....if things keep going the way of the past four months, I can just about guarantee that we will lose both.
And not having both...you will see a drastic change in the way things were.

In 1999, Argentina went #### up. The most basic systems and institutions that people had come to depend on simply disappeared. Power companies stopped operating, the police stopped working, gas stations closed, grocery stores ran out of food, postal workers stopped delivering mail, retirement checks stopped coming, and banks closed their doors with bankers fleeing the country, taking people’s life savings with them.

When Greece defaulted in 2012, bondholders were forced to take hits as high as 50%.

In less severe cases, countries may choose to restructure their debt by requesting more time to pay. In our case, it would mean requesting favors from China who would basically, have their foot on our throat.

Ahhh...but that could NEVER happen here!
I am sure that many Romans thought the same thing.

Those who do not learn from history....

Edited May 16 by Opie

[Terminalxylem]

12 minutes ago, Opie said:

Seeing as how being the greatest economy in world and being the wealthiest place on the planet is all based on the purchasing power of the US dollar....if things keep going the way of the past four months, I can just about guarantee that we will lose both.
And not having both...you will see a drastic change in the way things were.

In 1999, Argentina went #### up. The most basic systems and institutions that people had come to depend on simply disappeared. Power companies stopped operating, the police stopped working, gas stations closed, grocery stores ran out of food, postal workers stopped delivering mail, retirement checks stopped coming, and banks closed their doors with bankers fleeing the country, taking people’s life savings with them.

When Greece defaulted in 2012, bondholders were forced to take hits as high as 50%.

In less severe cases, countries may choose to restructure their debt by requesting more time to pay. In our case, it would mean requesting favors from China who would basically, have their foot on our throat.

Ahhh...but that could NEVER happen here!
I am sure that many Romans thought the same thing.

Those who do not learn from history....

Sure it’s possible. But highly unlikely IMO. Care to venture a guess when the US approximates the economies of Greece and Venezuela?

I’ll go with...not in our lifetimes.

[Opie]

3 hours ago, Terminalxylem said:

Sure it’s possible. But highly unlikely IMO. Care to venture a guess when the US approximates the economies of Greece and Venezuela?

I’ll go with...not in our lifetimes.

Just my kids' or grandkids' lifetimes?

I'll let them know
I am sure they'll appreciate what we did for them.

I'm sure that there were Romans who compared their situation to that of lesser city-states of the time.

Edited May 16 by Opie

[Terminalxylem]

5 hours ago, Opie said:

Just my kids' or grandkids' lifetimes?

I'll let them know
I am sure they'll appreciate what we did for them.

I'm sure that there were Romans who compared their situation to that of lesser city-states of the time.

A lot can change between now and then...but that doesn’t really promote stockpiling stuff now, does it?

[Shula-holic]

8 hours ago, Opie said:

So, how do things work in your mind?

Historically, when countries have simply printed money it leads to periods of rising prices — there's too many resources chasing too few goods. Often, this means every day goods become unaffordable for ordinary citizens as the wages they earn quickly become worthless

The problem with inflation is it's kind of like opening Pandora's Box.  It's awfully hard to slow it down if it accelerates.

[Shula-holic]

Just now, Terminalxylem said:

A lot can change between now and then...but that doesn’t really promote stockpiling stuff now, does it?

It's kind of like global warming, change occurs over time from your actions today.

[Terminalxylem]

Just now, Shula-holic said:

It's kind of like global warming, change occurs over time from your actions today.

Great comparison. I think climate change poses much more of an existential threat to future generations than catastrophic inflation/economic collapse. And both can be mitigated by shifting away from consumerism and promoting sustainability.

Still, I see no need to stockpile food and supplies, nor am I worried about Americans starving en masse for the foreseeable future. 

[Shula-holic]

6 minutes ago, Terminalxylem said:

Great comparison. I think climate change poses much more of an existential threat to future generations than catastrophic inflation/economic collapse. And both can be mitigated by shifting away from consumerism and promoting sustainability.

Still, I see no need to stockpile food and supplies, nor am I worried about Americans starving en masse for the foreseeable future. 

I've moved a lot of money into inflation hedges, we will see.  I'd be happy to be wrong and not make a penny on them so that other assets and our greater economy is doing better.  My analogy is kind of along the lines of inflation being a train that's hard to stop once it starts rolling down the track.  I don't think it's so easy to slow down as making a few changes.

[shadrap]

41 minutes ago, Shula-holic said:

I've moved a lot of money into inflation hedges, we will see.  I'd be happy to be wrong and not make a penny on them so that other assets and our greater economy is doing better.  My analogy is kind of along the lines of inflation being a train that's hard to stop once it starts rolling down the track.  I don't think it's so easy to slow down as making a few changes.

I did the same along with gold & silver.  I just don't see how printing zillions of dollars doesn't have a major impact on the value of the dollar.  Hope I'm wrong because we all benefit then.

[GordonGekko]

On 5/13/2021 at 7:42 PM, Alex P Keaton said:

Is this for real?

 

Emergency provisions for your family in the case of some kind of breakdown/disruption in the supply/inventory chain for your food is a simple as buying an extra 2-3 cans a week during a regular shopping trip. It's that simple.

I also mentioned years ago that those with families should have a designated meeting place in a natural disaster if the entire family is separated ( i.e. go to this location if it all falls apart and we all meet there)  These are basic considerations suggested by the American Red Cross. And yet even back  then some people mocked me for it. Over time, in the FFA, we all watched New York FBGs suffer in the cold and wet as the power grid went down with flooding. The subways were literally drowned out. I remember Otis talking about being cold and freezing in the dark and worrying about his kids. We just saw a massive disruption in Texas and Texas based FBGs talked about it extensively.

Buying an extra 2-3 cans of food a week to store, for the sake of people's kids and their safety and thinking about a meeting place if a major disaster happens and the family is separated, these are horrible and mock worthy topics to discuss?  Does anyone remember what the grocery store shelves looked like in most of America about a year ago during the early widespread stages of the pandemic?

Two billion people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water. Every year children around the world are dying for what Americans take for granted as they pass by every garden hose and every water fountain around them. Does anyone here want  to add their kids to the list of people in the world who can't get a clean glass of water because they don't want to buy a couple of cases of bottled water for an emergency?

Here's a simple test for all FBGs in the PSF to understand the impact of no water. With no other prep work or set up, you have 30 minutes to run your tap from one faucet to fill up as many water containers as you can find. Now live for a week just on that water. Don't flush the toilet more than once ( that's all you had in the tank)  Don't take a shower. Don't water your garden. Don't wash your car. That's it. One week for your entire family based on what you can get out of a faucet in a half hour. Wash yourself with a small towel and a few cups of water. Sanitize your dishes and utensils with almost zero water wipe downs. Think about what you can do to save water when you use water to cook. It's easy to throw out the water you cooked pasta in under normal  circumstances. But when you have limited water? Think about what you have to do when you can't flush the toilet anymore. Squat over a bucket lined with a plastic bag with newspaper inside of it.

The cost of food rising impacts everyone. And the cost of food is rising and will continue to rise. It has a more damaging impact to those living check to check and hand to mouth and those without a savings reserve.

Opie is right. People are going to starve and die and most of you won't even see it coming.

[GordonGekko]

11 hours ago, Caveman33 said:

I needn't worry about money becoming useless because I'm surviving on benefits cards.  Should the plastic stop working, I might resort to stealing from GG's garden.

 

VIDEO: The US Is Facing Its Worst Hunger Crisis in Generations •Dec 15, 2020 VICE News

The coronavirus pandemic is causing an estimated 54 million Americans to be food insecure. We visit a family in Denver struggling with food insecurity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2MoB27rAbY

 

VIDEO: Millions go hungry in Brazil as pandemic exacerbates poverty •Apr 4, 2021 Al Jazeera English

The pandemic has left many of Brazil's poorest citizens relying on food handouts to survive. A survey found more than 80 percent of people living in slums depend on donations to feed their families.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjjQ67w8JiQ

 

VIDEO: Yemen facing world’s “worst famine in decades” - BBC News •Feb 23, 2021 BBC News

Yemen is at risk of the worst famine the world has seen in decades according to the United Nations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LGLlY2ZjWU

 

VIDEO: Zimbabwe's food crisis: About 60% of population faces starvation •Oct 9, 2020 Al Jazeera English

Millions of people in Zimbabwe could be left without any food if there is no help by December, the United Nations says. It says the problem has been caused by recurring droughts and an economic crisis, and the coronavirus pandemic has made things worse. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Mashonaland West province, where impoverished communities are most affected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RR915WVLMc

 

******

Did you enjoy your laugh?

Core inflation does not account for the volatility of the food market. We could go into extensive debate over the way CPI and PCE have their numbers cooked, but let's see the obvious

You can't print this much money in this short amount of time while shutting down the economy.

Lots of people are starving. Lots of Americans are starving. Lots of American children are starving. Inflation impacts food prices which impacts all of this. Food banks actually use money from donations to buy food when physical food donations start to trickle down. As more people are food insecure, fewer physical donations come in and more purchases need to be made. With a tanked economy and shut downs, fewer people donate money. Less physical food donations, less monetary donations and the cost increase of food in general while facing more and more people who rely on places like food banks to feed their kids. Do you not see how this bubble is going to pop over the long term?  And this is just America. This is not counting the rest of the world.

Why in the entire world would you laugh about people starving? It's your free speech but what kind of person does that?

[Alex P Keaton]

40 minutes ago, GordonGekko said:

Opie is right. People are going to starve and die and most of you won't even see it coming.

"People" are already starving now.   How many additional people do you think will starve in the next year?  Will I be one of them?   You have an abundance of confidence, I'm really eager to learn more.

[Opie]

15 hours ago, Terminalxylem said:

Great comparison. I think climate change poses much more of an existential threat to future generations than catastrophic inflation/economic collapse. And both can be mitigated by shifting away from consumerism and promoting sustainability.

Still, I see no need to stockpile food and supplies, nor am I worried about Americans starving en masse for the foreseeable future. 

You shouldn't be too concerned about climate change....because you can't do anything about it.
It goes on all the time. It's been going on since the earth cooled (the beginning of "climate change") and will continue (good or bad) despite what mankind does.

The one question that nobody seems to be able to answer is..."What temperature SHOULD it be right now?"

And although a single man can change the economy....the entirety of mankind cannot change economics.

You appear to be more worried about something we have no control over and will happen no matter what we do (the climate), as opposed to something over which we completely control and are obviously, screwing up (the economy)

Man...you are REALLY fooling yourself 

 

Edited May 17 by Opie

[GordonGekko]

48 minutes ago, Alex P Keaton said:

"People" are already starving now.   How many additional people do you think will starve in the next year?  Will I be one of them?   You have an abundance of confidence, I'm really eager to learn more.

 

Test it out.

Spend 30 days without food through normal access. Meaning you can't buy groceries, you can't eat food you have stored at home, you can't spend money to go out to eat. You can't borrow food from a neighbor or eat from work or steal food from the store.

You are allowed water and the ability to use your stove top and microwave.

Just eat what you can forage and find and what people have left behind. And do this keeping in mind that this is America. Over 40 percent of all food produced in a chain restaurant is thrown away. Grocery stores literally throw out tons of food from their deli the day before in the morning. As well as baked goods and produce. Places like Brazil, these access points are already picked clean.

How are you going to get Vitamin C? Maybe you can find part of a leftover drink on a mall outdoor table. Maybe you can boil some pinecones or other things you can forage from leaves and trees ( i.e. Nettle Tea)

If you haven't eaten for four days straight, a half eaten Taco bell burrito looks pretty damn good that's been abandoned on a park bench.

Try it. Cut off nearly all your access points for food and see how it goes. And do it remembering it's just 30 days. Some people have to endure it as the new normal.

Spend some hungry nights stringed together in a row and then I suspect your view on food and the impact of food insecurity and people starving around the world and the US will all start to ring differently.

In North Korea, in some places, people have resorted to cannibalism.

During WW2, during the Siege Of Stalingrad, people ate the wallpaper. It was attached to the wall with a thick wheat paste. They tore shoes up and ate the boot leather. They killed all the dogs and cats and rats and ate all the weeds and grass they could fine. They ate tree bark.

If you eat out of a garbage can for 30 days, you'll still be doing better than most of the world and most of everyone in all of human history.

If you are truly "eager to learn more" then that's how. Become food insecure yourself for a while. You wanted to speak up, now step up.

[Alex P Keaton]

12 minutes ago, GordonGekko said:

 

Test it out.

Spend 30 days without food through normal access. Meaning you can't buy groceries, you can't eat food you have stored at home, you can't spend money to go out to eat. You can't borrow food from a neighbor or eat from work or steal food from the store.

You are allowed water and the ability to use your stove top and microwave.

Just eat what you can forage and find and what people have left behind. And do this keeping in mind that this is America. Over 40 percent of all food produced in a chain restaurant is thrown away. Grocery stores literally throw out tons of food from their deli the day before in the morning. As well as baked goods and produce. Places like Brazil, these access points are already picked clean.

How are you going to get Vitamin C? Maybe you can find part of a leftover drink on a mall outdoor table. Maybe you can boil some pinecones or other things you can forage from leaves and trees ( i.e. Nettle Tea)

If you haven't eaten for four days straight, a half eaten Taco bell burrito looks pretty damn good that's been abandoned on a park bench.

Try it. Cut off nearly all your access points for food and see how it goes. And do it remembering it's just 30 days. Some people have to endure it as the new normal.

Spend some hungry nights stringed together in a row and then I suspect your view on food and the impact of food insecurity and people starving around the world and the US will all start to ring differently.

In North Korea, in some places, people have resorted to cannibalism.

During WW2, during the Siege Of Stalingrad, people ate the wallpaper. It was attached to the wall with a thick wheat paste. They tore shoes up and ate the boot leather. They killed all the dogs and cats and rats and ate all the weeds and grass they could fine. They ate tree bark.

If you eat out of a garbage can for 30 days, you'll still be doing better than most of the world and most of everyone in all of human history.

If you are truly "eager to learn more" then that's how. Become food insecure yourself for a while. You wanted to speak up, now step up.

I have literally no clue what you are talking about.  And you didn’t answer my question.

[GordonGekko]

2 hours ago, Alex P Keaton said:

"People" are already starving now.   How many additional people do you think will starve in the next year?  Will I be one of them?   You have an abundance of confidence, I'm really eager to learn more.

 

Direct Headline: Cash Market Moves: Container Crisis Continues to Plague US Ag Exporters

By Mary Kennedy 5/10/2021 | 11:16 AM CDT

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/columns/cash-market-moves/article/2021/05/10/container-crisis-continues-plague-us

 

Direct Headline: Surging U.S. crop prices reverse fortunes in rural Iowa

Tom Polansek April 29, 20214:21 AM PDT

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/surging-us-crop-prices-reverse-fortunes-rural-iowa-2021-04-29/

 

Direct Headline: High trucking costs are expected to last through 2021, adding to retailers' challenges

Natasha Dailey May 3, 2021, 8:20 AM

https://www.businessinsider.com/trucking-shortage-transportation-inflation-high-transportation-costs-through-year-2021-5

 

********

Remember what I've said in the past - If you want practical solutions to large scale problems, you need to look deeply at the logistics. It's easy to look at a spreadsheet and talk about numbers on a piece of paper, it's tougher and more complex to look at the entire chain, and risks involved, every step of how food starts from a farm and gets packed, cleaned, sorted, processed and packaged then shipped to a store and then makes it to a shelf.

At the baseline level for everyday people, the way grocery stores and major chain stores do inventory is an issue. The days of having pallets and pallets of stock in the back in a warehouse behind a store are over. Now things are run through metrics to keep pace to what actually sells and reduce waste/spoilage/etc/etc. That means in a true emergency where it's clear something bad is happening and makes the news and widespread media, your local grocery store could see itself cleaned out in 6 hours. Maybe 10 hours at most.

Currently there are issues with transportation of food, the pandemic causing the safety and handling of food to change, the reality that some people make more sitting at home on unemployment causing some staffing issues, loss of jobs and major industries from lockdowns, loses of jobs and businesses from all the rioting/looting/burning,  shifts in the farming industry based on what's profitable and then the madness of just printing money like it was toilet paper and notebook paper at a rate never seen before.

*****

 

Edited May 17 by GordonGekko

[GordonGekko]

You also have Mom and Pop landlords getting squeezed right now. They still have to pay taxes and insurance and on and on and on but there are many places where they can't collect rent and there's no good answer on how to get back rent. That can't last forever. So you'll see an entirely new tier of homeless soon.

I see some people in this thread, not all but some, talking about their investments and buying gold and their stocks and 401K's. The average American has none of this. The average American is one or two paychecks away from being homeless. For the average American, they don't have the investments to keep up with inflation. The price of staples rising for the masses in this situation is devastating. Many people formerly in multiple income households have seen attrition. It could have been three people working and now it's just one. Lots of people are seeing the impact of their kids not getting back into schools and the ripple effect on their careers and jobs and the economy overall.

Americans are starving but we are feeding China. There are American homeless but illegal immigrants are getting hotel rooms. Businesses have been looted and burned but people are screaming about the right term to call someone without getting doxxed and cancelled and who should be playing high school sports on what team.

David Brin's novel, The Postman is vastly misunderstood. Most people see it as the source novel for a bizarrely good/bad Kevin Costner vanity piece. The Postman showed a world falling apart via economic decline but the key issue was to rebuild society, you need the infrastructure in place to connect individual communities. For alliances and trade and for procreation and mutual defense. Rebuilding the mail system was essentially rebuilding a logistical pathway for forming an ad hoc provisional government.

Will you starve? It's not just inflation on it's own, it's the long term impact on entire logistical chain around it. If no one is driving those trucks or maintenance them or if there is no fuel for them, no food is getting on your local shelf.

And it's not just if you starve, if everyone around you starving and desperate, that will have an impact on every piece of your life in every way possible. People are buying firearms at a historic rate for a reason in the past couple of years. You think it's because they feel safer in the current American society in place?

Before this is over, lots of people are going to die. Lots of people are going to be homeless. Lots of people are going to starve. Anyone who wants to laugh at me and mock me for saying all it takes is small steps, buying 2-3 extra cans of beans a week, for your kids sake and for their safety, go ahead. Such a huge inconvenience when the world falls into chaos around you. 

There are actually a couple of people in this thread openly laughing about people starving. That's incomprehensible. Disgusting. Repugnant. Low value. Dishonorable. Who does that?

Edited May 17 by GordonGekko

[Alex P Keaton]

1 minute ago, GordonGekko said:

There are actually a couple of people in this thread openly laughing about people starving. That's incomprehensible. Disgusting. Repugnant. Low value. Dishonorable. Who does that?

 

Who is laughing about people starving?  Serious question.   I guess I'm just oblivious -- haven't noticed anyone laughing about that.

[Terminalxylem]

4 hours ago, Alex P Keaton said:

Who is laughing about people starving?  Serious question.   I guess I'm just oblivious -- haven't noticed anyone laughing about that.

Nobody is laughing. Some of us are dismissing the prospects of apocalyptic starvation in the US, and the utility of stockpiling food and sundries.

I also see little reason to simulate the hellscape future GG predicts. But we’d all benefit from minimizing consumption and waste.

[The Commish]

I'm glad people are NOW concerned with the printing of money!  Where were you a year ago!?!?!?!  Glad to have you on board, even if for just a little while.   

[Caveman33]

12 hours ago, GordonGekko said:

 

VIDEO: The US Is Facing Its Worst Hunger Crisis in Generations •Dec 15, 2020 VICE News

The coronavirus pandemic is causing an estimated 54 million Americans to be food insecure. We visit a family in Denver struggling with food insecurity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2MoB27rAbY

 

VIDEO: Millions go hungry in Brazil as pandemic exacerbates poverty •Apr 4, 2021 Al Jazeera English

The pandemic has left many of Brazil's poorest citizens relying on food handouts to survive. A survey found more than 80 percent of people living in slums depend on donations to feed their families.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjjQ67w8JiQ

 

VIDEO: Yemen facing world’s “worst famine in decades” - BBC News •Feb 23, 2021 BBC News

Yemen is at risk of the worst famine the world has seen in decades according to the United Nations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LGLlY2ZjWU

 

VIDEO: Zimbabwe's food crisis: About 60% of population faces starvation •Oct 9, 2020 Al Jazeera English

Millions of people in Zimbabwe could be left without any food if there is no help by December, the United Nations says. It says the problem has been caused by recurring droughts and an economic crisis, and the coronavirus pandemic has made things worse. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Mashonaland West province, where impoverished communities are most affected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RR915WVLMc

 

******

Did you enjoy your laugh?

Core inflation does not account for the volatility of the food market. We could go into extensive debate over the way CPI and PCE have their numbers cooked, but let's see the obvious

You can't print this much money in this short amount of time while shutting down the economy.

Lots of people are starving. Lots of Americans are starving. Lots of American children are starving. Inflation impacts food prices which impacts all of this. Food banks actually use money from donations to buy food when physical food donations start to trickle down. As more people are food insecure, fewer physical donations come in and more purchases need to be made. With a tanked economy and shut downs, fewer people donate money. Less physical food donations, less monetary donations and the cost increase of food in general while facing more and more people who rely on places like food banks to feed their kids. Do you not see how this bubble is going to pop over the long term?  And this is just America. This is not counting the rest of the world.

Why in the entire world would you laugh about people starving? It's your free speech but what kind of person does that?

I didn't laugh at starvation, I laughed at Terminal's wit.  You could be correct about there being increasing issues with food and basic living in the next couple decades but I feel you are using too much hyperbole.  I can't comment on the unfortunate situations some poorer countries are in, but an estimated 54 million Americans are food insecure?  I'd like to see how they arrived at this number.  I don't doubt that people are making terrible food choices and depriving their bodies of proper nutrition, but are people actually starving in America?  My anecdote about all the free benefits I recently received is true, and among the welcome packet I received was information about SNAP and other food benefits.  I have some money in the bank, but I was honest about my expectations for this year's income and apparently that was enough to open up all these benefits for me.  How are people involuntarily starving in a society with all these safety nets? 

In the video you shared, I saw that the daughter had a SUPREME sticker on her laptop.  I suspect if we dig deeper into their case, we will find that many personal choices are being made that directly impact their ability to purchase quality food.  A lot of the 54 million food insecure Americans actually have weeks worth of food stored in their bodies.  But as Opie pointed out, some one has to pay for these benefits that us poors are receiving.  Our current system of buying things today with promises of paying in the future may seem unsustainable, but I believe that even if our population growth slows we can bring in young immigrants to take up the slack. 

[Godsbrother]

The right only worries about spending, inflation, etc. when there is a Democrat in the White House.   Same is true of the left when a Republican is president. 

It almost seems like they are rooting for bad economic news to happen so they can blame the other side.   The funny thing is that in many cases the president has little or no effect on this stuff.

Republican FBGers:  no need to reply that liberal FBGers were blaming everything on Trump.  I know that is true, just like when Obama was in office and Bush before him.    I've been here for almost 20 years and have seen the cycle repeat over and over again. 

Edited May 17 by Godsbrother

[The Commish]

8 minutes ago, Godsbrother said:

The right only worries about spending, inflation, etc. when there is a Democrat in the White House.   Same is true of the left when a Republican is president. 

It almost seems like they are rooting for bad economic news to happen so they can blame the other side.   The funny thing is that in many cases the president has little or no effect on this stuff.

Republican FBGers:  no need to reply that liberal FBGers were blaming everything on Trump.  I know that is true, just like when Obama was in office and Bush before him.    I've been here for almost 20 years and have seen the cycle repeat over and over again. 

The arguments don't even change a little bit any more...just the "side" making them.  All failing to realize "two sides....same coin".

[Sand]

3 hours ago, The Commish said:

I'm glad people are NOW concerned with the printing of money!  Where were you a year ago!?!?!?!  Glad to have you on board, even if for just a little while.   

Been on that train for a decade, at least.  It's been a long ride.

[The Commish]

1 hour ago, Sand said:

Been on that train for a decade, at least.  It's been a long ride.

Good...that's two of us  

Looks like we have some short term passengers as well.

[Sand]

40 minutes ago, The Commish said:

Good...that's two of us  

Looks like we have some short term passengers as well.

Jumping on 50 miles before the train hits Vladivostok.  

[Caveman33]

Yesterday I walked by a church where some nice ladies were handing out free lunches.  They asked me how many I wanted and I gladly accepted one.  It's a free world, you just have to reach out and grab it.

[E Street Brat]

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, 

By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; 

But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, 

And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.” 

 

 

[Opie]

1 hour ago, Caveman33 said:

Yesterday I walked by a church where some nice ladies were handing out free lunches.  They asked me how many I wanted and I gladly accepted one.  It's a free world, you just have to reach out and grab it.

Many people would have told them to save it for someone who needs it.

[Caveman33]

7 hours ago, Opie said:

Many people would have told them to save it for someone who needs it.

Exactly what my roommate said.  But I walk/bike everywhere and eat everything that is put before me.  Many people are rolling up in cars to collect these lunches.  I see lunch boxes littered on the side of the road after they've been picked through.  So who really needs it more?

[shadrap]

On 5/17/2021 at 7:09 AM, The Commish said:

The arguments don't even change a little bit any more...just the "side" making them.  All failing to realize "two sides....same coin".

didn't like it when Trump did it don't like it when Biden does.  I've said as much, but Biden, not surprising is taking it to a new level.  

also more migrants=more dependent=more votes.  I've seen net gain on this by some, I don't believe it.  not what I see in Arizona.

What is actually the best path for America has been lost decades ago by our elected politicians.