I'm surprised there's not an inflation thread yet

POSTED BY: 6IXSTRINGJACK
UPDATED: Thursday, June 11, 2026 17:04
VIEWED: 37356
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SECOND

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 8:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Uh huh.

Democrats have the House, the Senate and the Presidency*.

What are they doing about it?

I'll give you an example where prices for electricity increased 100% this year. Nothing can be done about it, mostly because business wants to raise its prices and Democrats can't stop that unless at least 10 GOP Senators cooperate. Zero cooperate.

There is a company called MP2 Energy, a Shell Energy North America Subsidiary. www.mp2energy.com

Last year, for 100% green energy, MP2 charged 10.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. This year, for the same 12 month contract, MP2 charges 20.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, if you buy only 500 kWh per month.

For a 60 month contract the cost is 14.1 cents per kilowatt-hour, if you buy only 500kWh per month. That is a relative bargain of only a 40% increase this year in price compared to last year's 12 month contract.

Remember, this is green energy. Shell Oil can't justify the 100% price increase because of the Ukraine War increasing oil and natural gas prices since this power is NOT made with fossil fuels.

The wind and sun power are free, Free, FREE, but Shell realized that they could double their electric prices and Congress can't stop them. I am thankful that Shell didn't triple their prices for energy. Shell is selling the CHEAPEST electricity in Texas, cheaper than fossil fuel electricity. In Texas legislature, the Democrats wanted limits on electric prices, but the Republicans called that Communism, therefore no limits in Texas other than take all the money. Business can't raise prices higher once it has taken all the money.

You can check out the prices for all Texas electric sellers here:
http://www.powertochoose.org/en-us/Plan/Results#

Use zip-code 77520 for Baytown. Use MP2 to see the prices for only Shell.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

6IXSTRINGJACK

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 11:03 PM

If companies are squarely to blame for the price we're paying right now, why don't they always raise the prices 10 or 20% every year?

Unless you can answer that question, you have no argument.

--------------------------------------------------

Me: "Remember Covid?"

Useless Idiots: "What's Covid, durr? Russia, Ukraine, Putin, NATO *drool*. DURRRR!!!!"

SECOND

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 11:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
If companies are squarely to blame for the price we're paying right now, why don't they always raise the prices 10 or 20% every year?

Unless you can answer that question, you have no argument.

Are you aware that about 50% of Americans have exactly 0 net worth? It is zero for them because all their money has been taken away from them by price increases. It has always been 50% of the population has zero net worth. Here is an article from 2014: https://www.marketplace.org/2014/04/21/about-half-america-has-zero-net
-wealth/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States

The richest Americans, and the bottom 50%, are all buying the same old gasoline and electricity and natural gas for the exact same prices. Everybody in America knows that businesses cannot have two different prices for these commodities, a high price for the rich and a low price for the poor. If the companies tried to have different prices, the politicians would catch hell from the voters. That is what limits how high prices can go. There can not be 10%-20% price increases each year because the people who are poorest can not pay it. They are already paying as much as they can afford. Businesses can't raise prices higher than what the poorest 50% of population can pay. Right now businesses are taking every last penny from the poorest 50%, who have no net worth.

Temporarily, the poorest 50% of Americans received extra money from the Federal government. Business instantly pounced on the money, taking it away from the poorest 50% of Americans by raising price for everybody, rich and poor. If business got too greedy, raising prices 20% every damn year, life would collapse for the poorest 50%. That collapse is the only thing limiting the greed of businesses.

Here is a real example of ridiculous price increases that business can get away with, but not attract attention from politicians. It happened today:

Wholesale power prices hit $5K per megawatt hour in Harris Co. Blame congested transmission lines. May 10, 2022, Updated: May 10, 2022 11:30 a.m.

Wholesale power in Harris County jumped as high as $5,500 per megawatt-hour, compared with prices that typically average about $30. This was a wonderful opportunity for the electric generating businesses to steal a bunch of money without getting noticed by politicians. It was a quick in-and-out robbery.

https://web.archive.org/web/20220510170510/https://www.houstonchronicl
e.com/business/energy/article/Wholesale-power-prices-hit-5K-per-megawatt-hour-17160821.php

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 6:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
If companies are squarely to blame for the price we're paying right now, why don't they always raise the prices 10 or 20% every year?

Unless you can answer that question, you have no argument.
Are you aware that about 50% of Americans have exactly 0 net worth? It is zero for them because all their money has been taken away from them by price increases. It has always been 50% of the population has zero net worth. Here is an article from 2014: https://www.marketplace.org/2014/04/21/about-half-america-has-zero-net
-wealth/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons

The richest Americans, and the bottom 50%, are all buying the same old gasoline and electricity and natural gas for the exact same prices. Everybody in America knows that businesses cannot have two different prices for these commodities, a high price for the rich and a low price for the poor. If the companies tried to have different prices, the politicians would catch hell from the voters. That is what limits how high prices can go. There can not be 10%-20% price increases each year because the people who are poorest can not pay it. They are already paying as much as they can afford. Businesses can't raise prices higher than what the poorest 50% of population can pay. Right now businesses are taking every last penny from the poorest 50%, who have no net worth.

Temporarily, the poorest 50% of Americans received extra money from the Federal government. Business instantly pounced on the money, taking it away from the poorest 50% of Americans by raising price for everybody, rich and poor. If business got too greedy, raising prices 20% every damn year, life would collapse for the poorest 50%. That collapse is the only thing limiting the greed of businesses.

Here is a real example of ridiculous price increases that business can get away with, but not attract attention from politicians. It happened today:

Wholesale power prices hit $5K per megawatt hour in Harris Co. Blame congested transmission lines. May 10, 2022, Updated: May 10, 2022 11:30 a.m.

Wholesale power in Harris County jumped as high as $5,500 per megawatt-hour, compared with prices that typically average about $30. This was a wonderful opportunity for the electric generating businesses to steal a bunch of money without getting noticed by politicians. It was a quick in-and-out robbery.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Yup.

All you're doing here is making my argument I made years ago that raising the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour would just lead to higher prices for everything and negate any "gains" people were making at their jobs.

Incidentally, at most places the starting pay HAS increased to $15.00 or close to it right now, which is just one more reason that everything is going to shit when everything bad that could possibly happen is all happening at once.

What people aren't talking about yet though is the REALLY SINISTER part of this whole equation...

1. The Standard Deduction isn't going to increase with inflation. So now that people in the bottom 50% are making "more" money to buy the same amount or less goods then they could 2 years ago, they're going to be taxed at a higher percentage of their income from their state, local and Federal government every April going forward.

2. Thresholds for programs like SNAP, TANF and Medicaid and EIC aren't going to increase with inflation either. So now that people in the bottom 20% are making "more" money to buy the same amount or less goods than they did 2 years ago, many of them are going to be phased out of food stamps, health care and the earned income credit that kept countless kids from gangbanging because their single mom's almost non-existent income will no longer be do

SECOND

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 6:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

You think rioting is bad now? Think car jackings, muggings and murder increases are bad now?

We ain't seen nothing yet.

Our country is about to fall apart.

Storm's coming.

All over the Capitalist world, with the exception of a few countries with governments that force most large companies to have employee unions, the company owns the job, not the employee. That is why at least half of all employees are poorly treated and paid. If companies were forced by employee unions to negotiate with employees, instead of instantly firing them, wages would rise. That wouldn't keep the new combination of employees plus capitalists from gouging the company's customers, but it would be a start toward giving customers some control over how high prices can go. Employee unions might be slightly sympathetic toward customers when Capitalists aren't in the least.

The example of electric prices in Texas shows how crazy the price setting has gotten thanks to Capitalists being given by State government total control over electric prices. There was once a system, which I remember well because it wasn't that long ago, where the State stopped electric companies from gouging their customers. What happened is that the old form of control remained in place, but the new commissioners in charge of prices raised the upper limit that prices can change on a daily basis from about 200% above average prices to 10,000% of average electric prices. That is the same as having no limits. But frequently, the electric prices for a day are hitting that upper limit of 10,000% because of "shortages" deliberately created by electric companies. It is completely crazy and the electric companies deny doing what they are doing, but they still do it anyway.

Rules and Laws of Public Utility Commission of Texas
https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/rulesnlaws/Default.aspx
The Law has not changed in Texas, but the commissioners have been changed. These new people have no respect for the old laws and have found sneaky ways to give the regulated industries control over everything substantial, while the commissioners give the outward appearance of keeping the old laws functioning.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 7:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

You think rioting is bad now? Think car jackings, muggings and murder increases are bad now?

We ain't seen nothing yet.

Our country is about to fall apart.

Storm's coming.
All over the Capitalist world, with the exception of a few countries with governments that force most large companies to have employee unions, the company owns the job, not the employee. That is why at least half of all employees are poorly treated and paid. If companies were forced by employee unions to negotiate with employees, instead of instantly firing them, wages would rise. That wouldn't keep the new combination of employees plus capitalists from gouging the company's customers, but it would be a start toward giving customers some control over how high prices can go. Employee unions might be slightly sympathetic toward customers when Capitalists aren't in the least.

The example of electric prices in Texas shows how crazy the price setting has gotten thanks to Capitalists being given by State government total control over electric prices. There was once a system, which I remember well because it wasn't that long ago, where the State stopped electric companies from gouging their customers. What happened is that the old form of control remained in place, but the new commissioners in charge of prices raised the upper limit that prices can change on a daily basis from about 200% above average prices to 10,000% of average electric prices. That is the same as having no limits. But frequently, the electric prices for a day are hitting that upper limit of 10,000% because of "shortages" deliberately created by electric companies. It is completely crazy and the electric companies deny doing what they are doing, but they still do it anyway.

Rules and Laws of Public Utility Commission of Texas
https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/rulesnlaws/Default.aspx
The Law has not changed in Texas, but the commissioners have been changed. These new people have no respect for the old laws and have found sneaky ways to give the regulated industries control over everything substantial, while the commissioners give the outward appearance of keeping the old laws functioning.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

If any of what you say is true here, than why waste time forcing a vote on Abortion in the Senate?

Force a vote on this. Today. And make sure CNN and MSNBC cover it non-stop while your Democrats put everyone on record.

Fucking do something already, Democrats, or die in November.

Those are your only two options. Pawning blame on everyone but yourselves is not an option.

--------------------------------------------------

Me: "Remember Covid?"

Useless Idiots: "What's Covid, durr? Russia, Ukraine, Putin, NATO *drool*. DURRRR!!!!"

SECOND

Thursday, May 12, 2022 6:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

If any of what you say is true here, than why waste time forcing a vote on Abortion in the Senate?

Force a vote on this. Today. And make sure CNN and MSNBC cover it non-stop while your Democrats put everyone on record.

Fucking do something already, Democrats, or die in November.

Those are your only two options. Pawning blame on everyone but yourselves is not an option.

Today, the Senate voted on a bill making abortion legal. It failed because the Republicans opposed it. A month from now, most voters will blame the Democrats, complaining that the Democrats didn't try harder because Senator Manchin of W Virginia didn't vote for it. All the other Republicans didn't vote for it, but the Democrats will get at least half of the blame.

On controlling inflation, exactly the same thing would happen, but it would be Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona who wouldn't vote for it. The bill would be a thousand pages long, unlike the relatively short abortion bill. There would be plenty for demagogues to the misconstrue. In that case, because two Democrats didn't vote for controlling inflation, American voters would, once again just like abortion, place twice as much blame on the Democrats. The Democrats did not try hard enough is the only thing the voters will remember. They won't remember that no Republicans voted to control inflation.

Tooting my own horn too loud, I remember these simple things exactly how they happen, which is the main reason why I am in the top 1% and why the people who are confused and/or unfocused about who did what to whom are in the bottom 90% of wealth.

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/11/1097980529/senate-to-vote-on-a-bill-tha
t-codifies-abortion-protections-but-it-will-likely-f

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, May 12, 2022 11:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Today, the Senate voted on a bill making abortion legal.

CORRECTION: Today the Senate voted against a law on the FEDERAL LEVEL and relinquished that right to the States where it properly belongs.

I'm no fan of a FEDERAL government ban on weed either, but it looks like even if those cowards will never come around and give up that control the states have taken it upon themselves to legalize it.

Meanwhile, nobody is making any laws making Abortion illegal on the federal level. It will be up to the voters to decide what happens with this on a state by state basis.

Hopefully nobody on the extremes of either side outright ban in every single situation or allow you to murder babies after they are born, but let's not kid ourselves. This is exactly what is going to happen in several Republican and Democrat controlled states, because everybody went fucking wack job after 2 years of Covid lockdowns.

Quote:
It failed because the Republicans opposed it. A month from now, most voters will blame the Democrats, complaining that the Democrats didn't try harder because Senator Manchin of W Virginia didn't vote for it. All the other Republicans didn't vote for it, but the Democrats will get at least half of the blame.

On controlling inflation, exactly the same thing would happen, but it would be Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona who wouldn't vote for it. The bill would be a thousand pages long, unlike the relatively short abortion bill. There would be plenty for demagogues to the misconstrue. In that case, because two Democrats didn't vote for controlling inflation, American voters would, once again just like abortion, place twice as much blame on the Democrats. The Democrats did not try hard enough is the only thing the voters will remember. They won't remember that no Republicans voted to control inflation.

It was always going to fail, dummy. It was never put to a vote with the intention to pass it. It was simply putting everyone on record where they stood on the issue.

Quote:
Tooting my own horn too loud, I remember these simple things exactly how they happen, which is the main reason why I am in the top 1% and why the people who are confused and/or unfocused about who did what to whom are in the bottom 90% of wealth.

You're an idiot and a liar, and we've heard that bullshit line every day for the last 5 years.

Nobody cares.

--------------------------------------------------

Me: "Remember Covid?"

Useless Idiots: "What's Covid, durr? Russia, Ukraine, Putin, NATO *drool*. DURRRR!!!!"

SECOND

Thursday, May 12, 2022 9:20 PM

Inflation and All New Firefly comics.

These are downloaded, not paper versions:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=all+new+firefly

Prices are $2.99, $3.99, $4.99
I think there is a trend.
It must be Biden's fault. Or the price of oil. Or the Ukraine/Russia War.

Or maybe not.

What about the paper versions of All New Firefly comics?
https://www.tfaw.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=All+new+firefly

Prices are $2.99, $3.49, $4.49
I'm seeing another trend.

Then there are the free versions of All New Firefly comics:
http://fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?bid=20&tid=64992

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

6IXSTRINGJACK

Friday, May 13, 2022 9:51 AM

Buying a digital print of a comic makes even less sense to me than buying an NFT.

The fact that this is even a thing just signals that there are still way too many people with too much money in their pockets.

At least you can eat the paper version. It's not going to have any nutritional value outside of fiber, but it can quell the hunger pangs when you're starving because what Democrats did.

--------------------------------------------------

Me: "Remember Covid?"

Useless Idiots: "What's Covid, durr? Russia, Ukraine, Putin, NATO *drool*. DURRRR!!!!"

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