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Food prices soar as incomes stand still

Government stats on anything are no longer credible. The price of food is increasing at an extreme rate and the government constantly adjusting what food products they do and don' t count to manipulate numbers does not change what everyone knows.

The value of the dollar is devaluating in almost every regards. Inflation is the result of runaway debt and the only way to divide up a shrinking per-capita pie plus to reduce the debt. Double inflation would reduce the effective debt by 50%.

This also is how the government is dealing with runaway "entitlements" and social programs. They cut payments and benefits merely by not raising it via inflation. The USA is in economic decline and the rate of decline is most found in the growing national debt - which is a major factor in defining the inflation rate.
 
GottaGo said:
Ecology and economy are a balancing act, but with food prices rising the way they are, and the quality getting worse and worse, exactly how are the low or fixed income groups supposed to continue eating?
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Well we could simply approve that higher minimum wage that has been proven to only cost consumers about $16 a year in extra costs, iirc. But of course that idea always escapes folks like you.
 
The only political discussions in this country are about how to divide up the pie. There are no plans that have anything to do with baking pies, just dividing the dwindling pie supply - which increasingly comes from other countries in return for IOUs and selling off more of the country in a literal sense.

Selling ever more of our tollways, buildings, real estate and companies. For every container ship that comes in, another country's flag should be placed over another piece of real estate in the USA. Increasing numbers of tollroads should have foreign names. American auto factories in the USA are increasingly foreign owned factories. The power plant here is now owned by China. Germany acquired the primary American company that supplied the company my wife had. Every tangible value of the United States is now being pawned or outright sold off just to pay some of the debt interests.

Prices are going to continue to increase. Wages nor benefits will match it. The question is how well can the economic decline of the USA be managed. Democrats are ahead of the psychological reconditioning in their efforts to convince people that they don't need so much had having less employment is a good thing because it gives you time for simple pleasures in life. The question is becoming how to warehouse increasing tens of millions of people unemployable for age, physical condition or just not needed for employment.
 
When we visited NYC we drove thru Harlem. In every direction, as far as the eye can see, were 10 to 12 story apartment buildings one after another after another - all direction. Nearly all of those are warehoused people. The rent on their 600 square foot apartment is paid by the government, as is the utilities. They receive so much each in food stamps, welfare and marginal free medical care for each of them and each of their children. They are unneeded for any employment. However, they are a 99% Democratic voting block.

I believe that is the future of the USA. Increasing numbers of warehouses for people. Warehousing old folks. Warehousing the unemployed. Warehousing all the people there are no jobs for, with free subsistence living, as the last of the United States is pawned and sold. Like all impoverished countries, there still be the rich. But the glory days of the USA are over. The power again shifts to elsewhere along the world history time line. Wars and military power can't stop the inevitable much longer. A decade or two at the most. Like Rome, the USA can not afford affluence by military presence indefinitely when there becomes little money for that military.
 
joko104 said:
When we visited NYC we drove thru Harlem. In every direction, as far as the eye can see, were 10 to 12 story apartment buildings one after another after another - all direction. Nearly all of those are warehoused people.
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Then you didn't look very far. Harlem is an area where real estate prices are rising more rapidly than almost anywhere else in the city. There are thousands of apts and brownstones selling for prices in the 7 figure range.
http://www.trulia.com/NY/New_York,5131,Harlem/
 
People are quick to blame new policies (green economics, regulation, etc) for driving the economy down, yet the people in charge of the companies that drive the economy are making more money than ever before, while the average person struggles to get by.

I assume most of you are average people, and not CEO's of Fortune 500 companies
 
Summerwind said:
Well we could simply approve that higher minimum wage that has been proven to only cost consumers about $16 a year in extra costs, iirc. But of course that idea always escapes folks like you.
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Folks like me? And who would that be, pray tell.

Kindly back up your '$16 a year' figure... I'd really love to see that.
 
joko104 said:
When we visited NYC we drove thru Harlem. In every direction, as far as the eye can see, were 10 to 12 story apartment buildings one after another after another - all direction. Nearly all of those are warehoused people. The rent on their 600 square foot apartment is paid by the government, as is the utilities. They receive so much each in food stamps, welfare and marginal free medical care for each of them and each of their children. They are unneeded for any employment. However, they are a 99% Democratic voting block.

I believe that is the future of the USA. Increasing numbers of warehouses for people. Warehousing old folks. Warehousing the unemployed. Warehousing all the people there are no jobs for, with free subsistence living, as the last of the United States is pawned and sold. Like all impoverished countries, there still be the rich. But the glory days of the USA are over. The power again shifts to elsewhere along the world history time line. Wars and military power can't stop the inevitable much longer. A decade or two at the most. Like Rome, the USA can not afford affluence by military presence indefinitely when there becomes little money for that military.
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And if you drive through run down communities throughout Appalachia, or large swaths of the Rust belt and Bible Belt where people are living in trailer parks and decimated communities with high unemployment, that is your Republican voting block.
 
clownboy said:
Yeah that was the old tale going around for decades. Thing is, certain brands of cat food are quite nutritious and the smell is no worse than a can of refried beans. We feed our pets very well in this country.
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It was a popular story in the 70's when many retirees had fixed incomes and inflation was running 20%. It was very credible then.
 
theaterofdreams said:
People are quick to blame new policies (green economics, regulation, etc) for driving the economy down, yet the people in charge of the companies that drive the economy are making more money than ever before, while the average person struggles to get by.

I assume most of you are average people, and not CEO's of Fortune 500 companies
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Many talented people make millions each year, including sports figures, actors, musicians , etc. yet the focus appears to be on CEOs. There is no real reason why.
 
Grant said:
It was a popular story in the 70's when many retirees had fixed incomes and inflation was running 20%. It was very credible then.
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Yeah, didn't mean to imply it wasn't a credible story. Meant to say that one, not that widespread because the cost of a can of Alpo was the same as two cans of beans. And two, even if those Alpo eaters are a demographic they're getting their nutrition and at a good price.
 
Grant said:
Many talented people make millions each year, including sports figures, actors, musicians , etc. yet the focus appears to be on CEOs. There is no real reason why.
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Those poor, poor wealthy CEO's. My heart bleeds for them

LeBron-James-Smallest-Violin-Gif.gif
 
Grant said:
Many talented people make millions each year, including sports figures, actors, musicians , etc. yet the focus appears to be on CEOs. There is no real reason why.
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The point being that while some are getting poorer, the people at the top are getting richer, and even have people like you and others defending them
 
j-mac said:
I have spoken on this several times in the past, and as a truck driver that delivers the bread, and milk that you buy, I can attest to the many factors driving the costs of these items. Much of this inflation is artificially imposed due to factors of outside influences from government, and alike.

1. The price of diesel fuel...."Diesel fuel, the kind of fuel commonly used in commercial trucks, has not always been more expensive than the standard gasoline used in passenger vehicles. On paper at least, diesel fuel is a less refined petroleum distillate than gasoline, so it should always be cheaper to produce than gasoline...

In recent years, the federal government has mandated changes to the acceptable sulfur level of diesel fuel, and refiners must comply with these mandates to create an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel product. This means significant investments in new technology and several distillations before the finished fuel is deemed acceptable by government inspectors. All of these additional regulations and high-tech equipment can cost billions of dollars, and these expenses are often passed onto consumers through higher prices.

There are also higher federal excise taxes placed on diesel fuel compared to standard gasoline. Some critics suggest the federal government is less eager to impose higher taxes on millions of private drivers than thousands of commercial drivers who use a less popular fuel. Part of the reason diesel fuel is more expensive than gas is the total amount of federal and state taxes added to each gallon."

Why is Diesel Fuel More Expensive Than Gasoline?

2. the cost of uncertainty due to Obamacare...."Last week the president, for the second time in about seven months, delayed the employer mandate, which requires medium- and large-sized businesses to offer insurance to employers.The original Jan. 1, 2014, start for the mandate, which requires businesses with 50 to 99 full-time employees to offer the insurance or face a tax penalty, was delayed in July for one year. On Monday, Obama delayed it until 2016."

Republicans: Obama violating Constitution, but little can be done about it | Fox News

In fact, Obama has changed the law something like 27 times without going to congress to do it...If anyone thinks that these trends are business friendly to spurring growth, or lower prices then I have a bridge to sell them....

The bottom line is that the progressive attack on capitalism is going to cost everyone, even those who can't afford it....So in the end, progressivism hurts the people it claims to help the most.
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If capitalism isn't properly restrained, it will freely and happily destroy everything.

Humans have never been known to show restraint or foresight where money and wealth are concerned. Ask the Native Americans and the blacks what happened to them.
 
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ecofarm said:
I know my nutrition. I studied it for years as a matter of personal survival. B12 is available in Nori and Cholera seaweeds. I'll check out the brewers yeast, haven't tried that before, thanks.
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You don't want brewers yeast you want nutritional yeast. Many vegans use nutritional yeast to create cheese like sauces. Personally I cannot get used to nutritional yeast.
 
sangha said:
Those poor, poor wealthy CEO's. My heart bleeds for them

LeBron-James-Smallest-Violin-Gif.gif
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Yeah, didn't you know, Grant? In Sangha screwed up world having money is a license to say whatever ignorant crap you want about them... unless you are a Democrat, then he needs to check his scorecard.
 
jmotivator said:
Yeah, didn't you know, Grant? In Sangha screwed up world having money is a license to say whatever ignorant crap you want about them... unless you are a Democrat, then he needs to check his scorecard.
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If you want to feel bad for those poor, poor, wealthy CEO's then be my guest

But I don't see you explaining why I should do the same. Why should I worry about them?
 
MMC said:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is "the government," calculates and publishes inflation statistics in all kinds of ways, one of which is the core CPI, which does not include food and energy costs. Although.....its not called lying.
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The index that includes food and energy increased at a slower pace than the aforementioned metric.
 
sangha said:
If you want to feel bad for those poor, poor, wealthy CEO's then be my guest

But I don't see you explaining why I should do the same. Why should I worry about them?
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I am simply pointing out that you seem to have the gene of the typical revolutionary socialist that doesn't allow you to judge statements on their actual merits until first the subject's bank account has been inspected.

I was always taught to judge people by the content of their character, you seem to have short circuited that and judge people's character by their bank account.
 
KeeKee said:
You don't want brewers yeast you want nutritional yeast. Many vegans use nutritional yeast to create cheese like sauces. Personally I cannot get used to nutritional yeast.
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Actually no, though I had to look that one up. Neither has onboard B12, but the brewer's yeast that is offerred in grocery stores and health food chains all has the added B12. Nutrional yeast lacks some of the minerals the brewer's yeast has.

BREWERS YEAST VERSUS NUTRITIONAL YEAST
 
j-mac said:
Low sulfur diesel and these ridiculous carbon sequester systems now mandatory on OTR tractors are for the most part junk! I read somewhere that at least 50% of them report problems within the first 100K miles....Just to let you know that is about 6 months, to 10 months of driving....Would you buy a car that broke down within the first month? Plus this raises the cost of doing business....Down time, increased cost to comply with fleet regulations, and price of diesel fuel, all are factors....



.
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That's pretty bad since an OTR tractor isn't even considered to have been broken in yet until 100 K miles.
 
jmotivator said:
I am simply pointing out that you seem to have the gene of the typical revolutionary socialist that doesn't allow you to judge statements on their actual merits until first the subject's bank account has been inspected.

I was always taught to judge people by the content of their character, you seem to have short circuited that and judge people's character by their bank account.
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You sound confused. the post I responded complained because people weren't complaining about some rich people such as actors or athletes.

furthermore, I haven't judged anyone. Please go through the thread and if you can find a quote of me saying anything negative about any wealthy person, then please post it.

All I did was ask why I should feel sympathy for the wealthy. I think it's revealing that you can't find one reason why I should

SO I'll ask you again - Why should I feel bad for the wealthy?
 
j-mac said:
I have spoken on this several times in the past, and as a truck driver that delivers the bread, and milk that you buy, I can attest to the many factors driving the costs of these items. Much of this inflation is artificially imposed due to factors of outside influences from government, and alike.

1. The price of diesel fuel...."Diesel fuel, the kind of fuel commonly used in commercial trucks, has not always been more expensive than the standard gasoline used in passenger vehicles. On paper at least, diesel fuel is a less refined petroleum distillate than gasoline, so it should always be cheaper to produce than gasoline...

In recent years, the federal government has mandated changes to the acceptable sulfur level of diesel fuel, and refiners must comply with these mandates to create an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel product. This means significant investments in new technology and several distillations before the finished fuel is deemed acceptable by government inspectors. All of these additional regulations and high-tech equipment can cost billions of dollars, and these expenses are often passed onto consumers through higher prices.

There are also higher federal excise taxes placed on diesel fuel compared to standard gasoline. Some critics suggest the federal government is less eager to impose higher taxes on millions of private drivers than thousands of commercial drivers who use a less popular fuel. Part of the reason diesel fuel is more expensive than gas is the total amount of federal and state taxes added to each gallon."

Why is Diesel Fuel More Expensive Than Gasoline?

2. the cost of uncertainty due to Obamacare...."Last week the president, for the second time in about seven months, delayed the employer mandate, which requires medium- and large-sized businesses to offer insurance to employers.The original Jan. 1, 2014, start for the mandate, which requires businesses with 50 to 99 full-time employees to offer the insurance or face a tax penalty, was delayed in July for one year. On Monday, Obama delayed it until 2016."

Republicans: Obama violating Constitution, but little can be done about it | Fox News

In fact, Obama has changed the law something like 27 times without going to congress to do it...If anyone thinks that these trends are business friendly to spurring growth, or lower prices then I have a bridge to sell them....

The bottom line is that the progressive attack on capitalism is going to cost everyone, even those who can't afford it....So in the end, progressivism hurts the people it claims to help the most.
Click to expand...

Yes, well economic stagnation is the goal here. There are 2 parts to this, as said here, one rising costs which could be attributed to government intervention, the second is stagnate incomes, which is also because of government intervention. In general, prices are going to increase over time, at the very least they're going to track inflation. So at the very least, wages must track inflation. Ideally, they keep a bit ahead and allow a lot of turnover in population. Economic mobility is good for market competition (which is the main reason it is deplored by the super rich and mega corporation).

We should definitely move in ways to elemintate or control the artificial increase in pricing due to government, but we also must move in ways to eliminate the artificial income stagnation due to government as well. A true push back towards free market capitalism as opposed to this corporate capitalist system the last few presidents have worked hard to establish and nurture.
 
Carjosse said:
It is their job to calculate inflation and make the information publicly available, it is the real statistics. Please tell me how the government is lying about inflation?
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There are many ways to do this and the gov't intends to use them all. The gov't has a vested interest (pun intended) to keep the official inflation number low: it is a huge borrower and has all sorts of programs (e.g. Social Security and gov't pensions) that have built in COLAs. Try a search on the topic (Gov't lies about inflation) and you will see many interesting links.

Steak, Hamburger and Dog Food: How the Government Lies About the Real Inflation Rate

Why Lie About Inflation? Because It Covers Up Bigger Lies | Gains Pains & Capital
 
Carjosse said:
We to be reasonable we don't want diesel spewing large amounts of sulphur into the air because it is toxic. It think that is perfectly reasonable. Could be much much worse, your food could rely on the cost of avgas. You just have single payer system and that greatly reduces the burden upon employers.
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Yet major cities are progressive strongholds.... Meanwhile the rural US is predominately right leaning or libertarian/classical liberal.

It's almost like progressives enjoy inhaling those industrial fumes, and exhaust from semi's.
 
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