Carnes: Inflation nation exploitation
Are we really so slow
In this American conversation,
To not realize higher prices
Are a worldwide conflagration?
Chill people, inflation is not exclusive to Americans, although watching our political scene could possibly cause one to reach such a superficial conclusion.
Support Local Journalism
But it ain’t just us.
The exploitation by both sides is palatably nauseating, as President Joe Biden calling gas prices “Putin’s tax” is just as insulting to the senses as FOX news calling them “Biden’s gas prices.”
Both are deeply embedded with childish political steer guano.
The entire planet has been headed in this direction for years — decades even according to some — with the COVID-19 pandemic simply bringing the issues to the forefront sooner than expected (or planned for if you’re a conspiracy type).
Pandemic-caused production backlogs triggered supply chain issues, and combined with insufficient energy production and overwhelming demand, resulted in higher prices for fewer products and services.
That’s it, in a nutshell (granted, a very large nutshell): a perfect storm of uncontrollable worldwide problems coming to a head over a relatively short period of time, with energy (read: oil) being at the heart of the issue.
Paraphrasing a friend of mine on social media, “Energy is the basis for everything … the less you use the less you do,” meaning worldwide growth is dependent upon energy production — always has and always will. It’s the tippy-top of the production growth food chain, and has always had devastating effects across the globe.
But what really gets me at the moment is in spite of the political babble, with each side blaming the other (as if that’s a major philosophical debate), most Americans seem to be saying, “Hey, I’m actually doing okay, but everyone else seems to be suffering.”
Look at the attendance for last week’s GoPro Games. Did you notice how empty and uncrowded it was?
Nope, me neither.
Record earnings for Vail Resorts and record skier visits for Colorado announced last week.
We’re hurting … how?
At $5 bucks a gallon and 20 mpg in the average SUV, Front Rangers will spend around $50-60 in gas for a weekend visit to Happy Valley; about $25 more than a year ago. Think that stops a single family from making the trip?
Nope.
Sure, everything else has gone up as well, from hotel nights to restaurants to retail, yet the proverbial “they” keep coming.
Don’t get me wrong, yes, of course I understand America’s rampant inflation is imposing harsh strains on lower-income families, forcing them to pay much more for necessities like food, gas and rent, but hey, they’re not our market.
Relax, I’m just kidding.
But the reality is it’s a planet-wide issue, and we are all having to deal with it to one degree or another for the time being, and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it except to adapt with the constant changes and hope for the best.
All around us is inflation,
Especially those living in desperation,
Yet we can’t be saved by a vaccination,
Or by blaming a particular administration,
But with conservation at the petrol station
It’s at least a start of worldwide immolation for emancipation.
It really shouldn’t be such a hard expectation.
Richard Carnes, of Avon, writes weekly. He can be reached at poor@vail.net.