mellowtigger (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mellowtigger) wrote2022-11-07 03:27 pm
mellowtigger) wrote2022-11-07 03:27 pm
Moody Monday: inflation noticed during errands
It's 3pm, and I'm finally writing in my blog. I finished several errands today, like completing a new job application for Aspiritech, a site specifically intended as part-time work for people with an official autism diagnosis. The application form included marking my availability for morning and/or afternoon, each day for Monday-Saturday. That's great flexibility! Of course, that required going to the library today to scan my diagnosis paperwork from 2003, so I have a PDF file ready to submit to them. Of course, that required contacting AuSM (pronounced "awesome") a week ago to ask for a copy of my diagnosis paperwork, since I couldn't find mine from nearly 2 decades ago.
Another errand completed was the grocery store this morning, during an early time while viral aerosols in the building's air are lower than during evenings or weekends. I've noticed price increases for months, but it was really unreasonable today. Everything was more expensive for smaller portions. I noticed more containers that were either boxes with thinner depth to them or shapes with indentations so they provide less volume. One "splurge" purchase I made this time was a box of frozen tamales. There used to be 8 in there, years ago, I'm certain. I got it home and opened it but there were only 5 tamales. They were in a plastic bag filled with air, so those 5 didn't flop around inside the box that would easily fit 8.
Let's take a look at a few prices. Not in US Dollars, though, but in terms of the hours needed to work at the current USA minimum wage.
That's already more than a day's labor (10.6 hours total), and nothing there is an outlandish purchase. All of the smaller things I purchased are also more expensive than they should be. How long until it reaches the point that people can't afford the calories they need to work for that day? And that's to say nothing of other purchases that are "non-essential".
There are supposed to be only 8 hours of work per day and 173 hours of work per month. This inflation is insanity. I've been warning about wealth inequality for years, at least since the Occupy movement. People literally cannot support themselves at work right now, but corporations are raking in so much money that they are buying back stocks from the people who need to sell.
Inequality was already horrible in the USA, and we're watching another upward wealth migration happen right now in front of us. Greed is destroying us. At least, some new people are trying to figure out which specifics of capitalism have brought us here, so we could change them, although some old voices have plenty to say too.
Another errand completed was the grocery store this morning, during an early time while viral aerosols in the building's air are lower than during evenings or weekends. I've noticed price increases for months, but it was really unreasonable today. Everything was more expensive for smaller portions. I noticed more containers that were either boxes with thinner depth to them or shapes with indentations so they provide less volume. One "splurge" purchase I made this time was a box of frozen tamales. There used to be 8 in there, years ago, I'm certain. I got it home and opened it but there were only 5 tamales. They were in a plastic bag filled with air, so those 5 didn't flop around inside the box that would easily fit 8.
Let's take a look at a few prices. Not in US Dollars, though, but in terms of the hours needed to work at the current USA minimum wage.
Look at the tables of data from local Minneapolis prices...
| Item | Hours of work |
| 2 uncooked chicken breasts | 1.1 |
| 4 non-meat frozen bratwurst sausage (a luxury, sure) | 1.1 |
| 12 free range chicken eggs | 0.8 |
| 5 frozen tamales | 1.2 |
| 12 rolls toilet paper | 2.7 |
| 1 bag dry cat food | 1.6 |
| 1 box dried potato powder | 0.6 |
| 1 box coconut milk (cow dairy is bad for my sinuses) | 0.4 |
| 1 head of lettuce | 0.4 |
| 10 ounce package of cherry tomatoes | 0.7 |
That's already more than a day's labor (10.6 hours total), and nothing there is an outlandish purchase. All of the smaller things I purchased are also more expensive than they should be. How long until it reaches the point that people can't afford the calories they need to work for that day? And that's to say nothing of other purchases that are "non-essential".
| 1 gallon of gasoline for the car (a typical small car requires 12) | 0.5 |
| 1 rush hour fare on express bus (job commute would require 2 daily) | 0.4 |
| 1 "Impossible Burger" (non-cow) meal at Burger King, small | 1.6 |
| 2 (just 2 individual) COVID rapid home nasal swab tests at Walgreens | 3.3 |
| 1 month of cheap health insurance in Minnesota | 53.7 |
| 1 average apartment in Minneapolis, per month | 217.9 |
There are supposed to be only 8 hours of work per day and 173 hours of work per month. This inflation is insanity. I've been warning about wealth inequality for years, at least since the Occupy movement. People literally cannot support themselves at work right now, but corporations are raking in so much money that they are buying back stocks from the people who need to sell.
The bottom 50% of Americans account for just 1.2% of the country’s total wealth. The top 1% controls about 35% — a share that has mostly trended upward over the past four decades.
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/bottom-50-of-americans-are-building-wealth-even-as-inflation-bites/ar-AA11eJMX
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/bottom-50-of-americans-are-building-wealth-even-as-inflation-bites/ar-AA11eJMX
Inequality was already horrible in the USA, and we're watching another upward wealth migration happen right now in front of us. Greed is destroying us. At least, some new people are trying to figure out which specifics of capitalism have brought us here, so we could change them, although some old voices have plenty to say too.