February 5, 2024
Walmart shrank the size of the salsa I buy from 24 ounces to 16 ounces. The price is the same. I was wondering if shrinkage which is inflationary to the consumer is reflected in the CPI? Consider that the salsa is not the only product I buy that has shrunk. I wish that they would keep the size the same and just increase the price. By keeping the same price but reducing the contents consumers’ real incomes fall. Again if the CPI doesn’t take this isto account then inflation is higher than what is reported.
What are we going to do about the Houthis? They are endangering shipping in the Red Sea with drone and missile attacks. They have also used speed boats to hijack ships. As a result, shipping in the Red Sea has fallen increasing the costs of goods and services. If ships from Asia to Europe are forced to go around the southern tip of Africa rather than through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, it is estimated that inflation will increase by 2 percent. The US and British response has been to use airstrikes to discourage the Houthis. But Saudi Arabia employed airstrikes for seven years in their war against the Houthis and finally gave it up as being largely ineffective. Some want to instead strike Iran, the Houthis mentor, directly to get the Iranians to stop supplying weapons and logistics. Lots of luck with that.
Iran is obviously supplying the Houthis with weapons. They just fired a cruise missile at an American ship. Guess who had to supply them with a cruise missile.
It is obviously to me as an outsider that Biden is afraid of Iran. From Day 1, he has tried to appease them. He wanted to remove the sanctions, restart the negotiations on the nuclear threat and gave them $6 billion for American hostages. What we got in return was a blowing up of the Middle East.
Is it just a coincidence that when Biden came in, the Russians invaded Ukraine, the southern border got overrun with illegals and the Middle East exploded?
Say what you will but the world seemed a bit safer when Trump was president. Was it because our adversaries were afraid of him and what his reaction would be if they attacked our interests?
But Trump is a demagogue – although he likely would spell it demigod. In his first campaign, his rhetoric against Mexicans reminded me of the racist campaigns in the southern democrat politics of my youth. I even remarked that I thought George Wallace was dead. When he became president, he was clearly anti-Muslim with his sweeping travel bans.
The Biden Administration just sanctioned four Israeli citizens for attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Its probably a coincidence that this occurred after all the pro-Hamas protests in Washington and elsewhere, the threats from the Muslim American community to sit out the election and the pressure from the pro-Hamas members of his administration. Biden is trying to have it both ways. The majority of Americans support Israel in its efforts to eradicate Hamas from Gaza despite all the negative publicity from the main stream media against Israel. Biden is not going to alienate these voters by not supporting Israel. But he can keep pushing for a cease fire and criticizing Netanyahu. That he has done.
I am almost feeling that this presidential election with be a Hobson’s choice. Again I am reminded of what a close friend of mine said “OMG don’t tell me that I will have to vote for Donald Trump again!”
Biden’s actions against liquid natural gas are a puzzlement. Yes I know it is contended that he did this to shore up his green base. That makes little sense because the greenies are not going to vote for Trump.
I still find it hard to believe that the Democrat establishment will allow Biden to run. Not with these poll numbers. I keep reading that some think that Michelle Obama should run. Why? At least Hillary Clinton was a US senator and Secretary of State. What are Obama’s credentials other than she is married to Barack?
But perish the thought: Gavin Newsom could beat Trump.
haroldblackphd.com 