Deception/Lies: some of the biggie opiates of The People (in addition to "Religion" as Karl Marx and his fans would repeat).

 

Inflation reaches highest level since 1982 as consumer prices jump 7% in 2021

I went to the usual main marketplace/shopping mall/outlets a few days ago and prices have increased almost double-fold for many items in just the past two weeks. From small appliances such as fans to prices of food, it's nearly double. I have not heard of any type of shipping bottleneck supply-chain problem here in Thailand so no "excuse" for this huge increase/inflationary trend has been made. Ostensibly it is for tourism and to make-up for the years of lack that have created huge gaps in revenues for these huge conglomerate chains. The Tesco Chains have divested from the Tesco-Lotus brand and have returned to their corporate headquarters of England (or wherever, they have left Thailand). The store has exactly the same items minus the Tesco products which were few so the store which is now just called Lotus's is the same place with exactly the same items. But prices have gone up for all the stores in my vicinity. If I attempted to go to an outdoor Thai market for produce I would end-up paying what the Thais always charge me anyway: double the price they do for Thais. No prices are ever listed at these markets! But anyways---I hope the prices will be lowered once "high season" is over in May when rainy season kicks the tourists out. I also have to add that at smaller Mom n Pop stores in Phuket such as the dollar stores ("20 Baht" stores) no hike in prices is evident. No claims in Phuket newspapers about the result of "inflation" causing such huge hikes in prices because everyone knows prices always go up around peak holiday times of the New Year in these tourist places.

Thusly, I am skeptical of the US claims, or excuses, about supply chain problems and inflation being to "blame".

Retailers, conglomerates and their huge multi-international outlets are "making up" for lost revenue but people don't want to hear the reality of why. They need something to blame and these entities are easy to use as shields against just plain profit motive for quarterly losses for the past 2 years of the pandemic.