Biden's America

[BigRedBuster]

14 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

I agree with all of this except your interpretation of my position. I question their motives. I think I’ve said a few times in this discussion alone that I expect the worst from most large corps. But, if we’re going to call them out for behaving badly and with greed, please preface it with more than “they are raising prices” or “record profits”.  Those alone are not an indicator. 
 

I’m not defending these scumbags or our broken system. I just want the malfeasance and bad behavior well defined. Otherwise people may start to think all cases of increasing prices are simply the result of greedy businesses and corrupt execs.

Well said and that's been my point also.

[Born N Bled Red]

11 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

I agree with all of this except your interpretation of my position. I question their motives. I think I’ve said a few times in this discussion alone that I expect the worst from most large corps. But, if we’re going to call them out for behaving badly and with greed, please preface it with more than “they are raising prices” or “record profits”.  Those alone are not an indicator. 
 

I’m not defending these scumbags or our broken system. I just want the malfeasance and bad behavior well defined. Otherwise people may start to think all cases of increasing prices are simply the result of greedy businesses and corrupt execs.

 

I provided a pretty damn good write up about the bad actors a few comments back, which you acknowledged. No you pretend that that information wasn't provided. Why? Anyone discussing the effect price gouging is having on our inflation rate is referring to the same thing, the same data. Yet you continue to repeatedly say no one is providing information. I tell you what google this, exactly, "inflation or price gouging." You will get a ton of articles that identify bad actors. There is even a survey out there where Something like 78% of business respondents indicated they were raising prices beyond their inflation rate, simply because they feel they can. I'm paraphrasing that of course. 

 

At some point you have to try to take some personal responsibility and educate yourself. 

[admo]

24 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

This is a great post. I appreciate you clarifying your position.

 

But your original post, including the little guy with popcorn itching for an argument, didn't suggest any of this. You asked for a defense of Biden based on how awful you think he already is. I gave it my best, which was pretty good. 

 

If there was a poster stupid enough to say we should never criticize Biden, I didn't see it.

Thank you.  No problem you are welcome.  I dislike arguements, so that wasn't my intent, I do apologize to you if it came across that way.  Popcorn was sit and wait with interest. My bad.

 

Your morning hash browns for breakfast sounds good.  We had eggs & toast, grits, a waffle, and black coffee.

[Archy1221]

1 hour ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

I was going to wait till after breakfast to find some stats, but reading this morning's paper I got even fresher news:

 

Jobless claims just fell to the lowest level since 1970.

 

U.S. 4th Quarter GDP up 7%, an upgrade over the government's previous estimate, and part of a 5.7% overall jump in 2021, representing the biggest GDP surge since 1984.

 

Meanwhile: 

 

Stock market up 5.8% over a year ago, also reaching historic highs.

 

Consumer Confidence Index reporting a steady rise to 115.8 at the end of 2021, shrugging off COVID and inflation worries.

 

Hey! Why aren't you celebrating?

 

Do you really hate America that much?

I don’t hate America at all.  I’m not a Democrat 
 

You made a claim on a few things in a previous post that weren’t true.  Pointing that out isn’t anti-American.  It’s pointing out a claim that wasn’t true.  
 

You would have been better off stating that the measures in your original statement were heading in the right direction.  I would have agreed. Instead you had to make a comparison to the previous President and it fell flat. 
 

BTW….every President is going to have an all time high stock market if they complete a four year term.   It’s the yearly growth that matters. 

[JJ Husker]

1 hour ago, Born N Bled Red said:

 

I provided a pretty damn good write up about the bad actors a few comments back, which you acknowledged. No you pretend that that information wasn't provided. Why? Anyone discussing the effect price gouging is having on our inflation rate is referring to the same thing, the same data. Yet you continue to repeatedly say no one is providing information. I tell you what google this, exactly, "inflation or price gouging." You will get a ton of articles that identify bad actors. There is even a survey out there where Something like 78% of business respondents indicated they were raising prices beyond their inflation rate, simply because they feel they can. I'm paraphrasing that of course. 

 

At some point you have to try to take some personal responsibility and educate yourself. 

Chill TF out. I haven’t said no one is providing information. I acknowledged that post of your’s made some good points and was legit criticism. What I have been addressing (not necessarily your posts) are the instances where people have only used price increases or record profits as an example to claim bad acts by a company. You’ve supported your claims, don’t make an argument where there isn’t one to be had. And I’ll reiterate, price increases alone and/or record profits alone are not a sign of anything other than inflation. If we want to drag a company or CEO through the mud I’m sure we can come up with actual examples as you did in at least the one post.

[Guy Chamberlin]

4 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

Chill TF out. I haven’t said no one is providing information. I acknowledged that post of your’s made some good points and was legit criticism. What I have been addressing (not necessarily your posts) are the instances where people have only used price increases or record profits as an example to claim bad acts by a company. You’ve supported your claims, don’t make an argument where there isn’t one to be had. And I’ll reiterate, price increases alone and/or record profits alone are not a sign of anything other than inflation. If we want to drag a company or CEO through the mud I’m sure we can come up with actual examples as you did in at least the one post.

 

Pretty sure both of us went to the trouble of citing specific companies posting huge profits and increased executive compensation without making the sweeping accusations that concern you. And since you now characterize calling out legitimate bad actors as "dragging a CEO through the mud," I'm not sure you've really taken away anything useful from this exchange. 

[Guy Chamberlin]

1 hour ago, Archy1221 said:

I don’t hate America at all.  I’m not a Democrat 
 

You made a claim on a few things in a previous post that weren’t true.  Pointing that out isn’t anti-American.  It’s pointing out a claim that wasn’t true.  
 

You would have been better off stating that the measures in your original statement were heading in the right direction.  I would have agreed. Instead you had to make a comparison to the previous President and it fell flat. 
 

BTW….every President is going to have an all time high stock market if they complete a four year term.   It’s the yearly growth that matters. 

 

Although you have failed to point out what I wrongly pointed out (or address all the totally correct stuff) I will give you the benefit of the doubt: you are a wise American who carefully vets his facts, and would never dream of moving the goalposts to accuse or apologize for a President. 

[Archy1221]

13 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

Although you have failed to point out what I wrongly pointed out (or address all the totally correct stuff) I will give you the benefit of the doubt: you are a wise American who carefully vets his facts, and would never dream of moving the goalposts to accuse or apologize for a President. 

Glad we are on the same page then.  

[JJ Husker]

2 hours ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

Pretty sure both of us went to the trouble of citing specific companies posting huge profits and increased executive compensation without making the sweeping accusations that concern you. And since you now characterize calling out legitimate bad actors as "dragging a CEO through the mud," I'm not sure you've really taken away anything useful from this exchange. 

Hmmm, so I’m the one that has failed to take away anything useful?  Here’s one of the posts that encouraged me to comment….

 

On 2/17/2022 at 9:30 AM, Born N Bled Red said:

 

What's being called inflation is nothing more than price gouging by corporate monopolies. They are using the excuse of the pandemic to line their pockets. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Especially when you are at the bottom of the supply chain with over supply and low demand. And the corporate overlords that are engaged in the illegal practices of price fixing are raking it in, recording record profits while blaming inflation. - Its a freaking joke. 

 

Still think I’m the one with a problem understanding what some posters are blaming inflation on? Where’s the details in this post of ridiculous executive bonuses, suppressing the workers, unfair price gouging….

 

We are all better served when we actually read and understand what someone actually says instead of presuming to think we know their predisposition.

[Guy Chamberlin]

1 hour ago, JJ Husker said:

Hmmm, so I’m the one that has failed to take away anything useful?  Here’s one of the posts that encouraged me to comment….

 

 

Still think I’m the one with a problem understanding what some posters are blaming inflation on? Where’s the details in this post of ridiculous executive bonuses, suppressing the workers, unfair price gouging….

 

We are all better served when we actually read and understand what someone actually says instead of presuming to think we know their predisposition.

 

Oh yeah. That was a sweeping statement. People do that. It's wrong, but I get the frustration behind it.

 

If I recall correctly, you asked BNBR for specifics and then he provided them. In pretty good detail. 

 

I believe it was also you who said you expect the worst from most large corporations, called them scumbags, and admitted the system was broken. So it's really not much of a leap to think a significant number would use this inflation bubble unethically, as skilled economic analysts have already suggested. And after all that, you accused us of "dragging CEOs through the mud" as if you didn't just call them scumbags who tend to do the worst s#!t possible. 

 

I don't know how many times we need to reiterate that much of the inflationary pricing is legit. The fact that you give examples of smaller businesses doing the honest thing, while bigger corporations game the system, is the only part of this that's interesting. 

[JJ Husker]

1 hour ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

Oh yeah. That was a sweeping statement. People do that. It's wrong, but I get the frustration behind it.

 

If I recall correctly, you asked BNBR for specifics and then he provided them. In pretty good detail. 

 

I believe it was also you who said you expect the worst from most large corporations, called them scumbags, and admitted the system was broken. So it's really not much of a leap to think a significant number would use this inflation bubble unethically, as skilled economic analysts have already suggested. And after all that, you accused us of "dragging CEOs through the mud" as if you didn't just call them scumbags who tend to do the worst s#!t possible. 

 

I don't know how many times we need to reiterate that much of the inflationary pricing is legit. The fact that you give examples of smaller businesses doing the honest thing, while bigger corporations game the system, is the only part of this that's interesting. 

I guess my only explanation is that have a pretty large pet peeve against sweeping generalizations. And it triggers me a little more since I’m a business owners and I haven’t been able to keep up with the required price increases. I literally have been spending about 20% of my time at work recalculating my sales prices. It has been a daily necessity lately. So yeah I may be a little over sensitive to general statements that inflation is due to price gouging and profiteering. I know I’m far from a large corp and I likely don’t trust them anymore than you or BNBR do.

[Born N Bled Red]

3 hours ago, JJ Husker said:

I guess my only explanation is that have a pretty large pet peeve against sweeping generalizations. And it triggers me a little more since I’m a business owners and I haven’t been able to keep up with the required price increases. I literally have been spending about 20% of my time at work recalculating my sales prices. It has been a daily necessity lately. So yeah I may be a little over sensitive to general statements that inflation is due to price gouging and profiteering. I know I’m far from a large corp and I likely don’t trust them anymore than you or BNBR do.

 

Yeah, do you purchase raw goods from any major suppliers? How much of your price increases reflect theirs? Do you think 100% of their price increases are offsetting inflation or are they profiteering as well?

 

Honest questions. The accounting company I employ used inflation and the pandemic as justification to increase their prices. I think businesses likely still needed accountants during the pandemic, so I have a tough time justifying all that one as well.

[JJ Husker]

2 hours ago, Born N Bled Red said:

 

Yeah, do you purchase raw goods from any major suppliers? How much of your price increases reflect theirs? Do you think 100% of their price increases are offsetting inflation or are they profiteering as well?

 

Honest questions. The accounting company I employ used inflation and the pandemic as justification to increase their prices. I think businesses likely still needed accountants during the pandemic, so I have a tough time justifying all that one as well.

Oh I’m sure that some of it sometimes has been pure price gouging. I ran into many instances where a supplier had the only remaining stock on a specific item and then drastically increased the price simply because they could. TBF that doesn’t bother me as much as a company raising prices across the board just to boost profit. At least it’s a fairly normal market force to price something like you’re the only one that has it because you are.

 

Look, I haven’t been saying these things aren’t and haven’t been happening. I know they do and it doesn’t surprise me. Many companies and execs are bad actors. But its a bit much to make the blanket statement that the current inflation we are experiencing is due to nefarious reasons when there are also very understandable reasons. It’s been so long since we’ve seen inflation like this, I don’t think some people realize there are also normal market forces causing much of it. Pandemic, supply chain issues, worker shortages….prices will go up. Not all of it is companies acting badly….some of it is.

[BigRedBuster]

6 hours ago, JJ Husker said:

Oh I’m sure that some of it sometimes has been pure price gouging. I ran into many instances where a supplier had the only remaining stock on a specific item and then drastically increased the price simply because they could. TBF that doesn’t bother me as much as a company raising prices across the board just to boost profit. At least it’s a fairly normal market force to price something like you’re the only one that has it because you are.

 

Look, I haven’t been saying these things aren’t and haven’t been happening. I know they do and it doesn’t surprise me. Many companies and execs are bad actors. But its a bit much to make the blanket statement that the current inflation we are experiencing is due to nefarious reasons when there are also very understandable reasons. It’s been so long since we’ve seen inflation like this, I don’t think some people realize there are also normal market forces causing much of it. Pandemic, supply chain issues, worker shortages….prices will go up. Not all of it is companies acting badly….some of it is.

Yes….I believe the real problem both of us have had is in the conversation is in a  CD post you quoted above. 
 

Something like “the current inflation is nothing more than price gauging”

 

Statements like that are the issue. Both of us have acknowledged there is some of that. But, there is a lot of legitimate issues causing inflation. 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Here in Northern California, there was a big run on N95 masks prior to the pandemic because of the wildfires. It was hard to find them, and when you did there was some serious price gouging because hey, supply and demand. 

 

But on an unrelated trip into one of our lumber stores, I found they not only had a large, prominently displayed rack of N95s, they were actually priced below the normal price because hey, the good of the community.

 

So some of us gave the lumber yard (one of four in town) a big shout out and thanks on social media, and given the option I've taken more of my business to them.

 

This is what I'm talking about when I'm suggesting doing the good thing can also be good for business. We shouldn't assume that grabbing the extra cash at every opportunity is just the nature and duty of a smart business.