Corporations Are Shamelessly Using Inflation as a Cover

Corporations are quick to blame this new reality on the pandemic, but another major culprit is hiding in plain sight: their own profiteering.

Knowing that the current inflation frenzy is a convenient scapegoat, these companies are charging customers even more to pad their profit margins. They are just admitting it — they’re openly bragging to investors about how well it’s working.

And now, the conflict in Ukraine is providing yet another opportunity for oil and gas companies to pad their bottom lines. “It’s tragic what’s going on in Eastern Europe,” said one oil executive in late February. “But if anything, these high prices, the volatility, drive even more energy security and long-term contracting.”

[scheerpost.com]

It's a matter of basic math for them. We give raises to keep or draw in employees and in return raise our prices. Virtually the entire arena levels itself out from corporation to corporation.

My company recently got bought out by SA Recycling out of California. Apparently one of, if not the largest recycling companies worldwide. We're still going through the process of the turnover which began at the end of December. In January the gave us truck drivers a major pay raise (3.28 an hour) which we hadn't had one in like 3 or 4 years. I wouldn't know it with the inflation that has gone on over the past 2 years. We're thankful that Mary also works for a very good employee friendly company also who has seen her pay rate substantially go up with her multiple promotions. Her company matched the 15 an hour before 15 started making the national turn. They now hire in at 17 already. Everything we have gained is pretty much going right back out to survive basic needs. We're not putting back any substantial amount of money anyways. The amount of money she spends for groceries for 2 people is profoundly sickening. Then we have 10 stray and rescued cats on top of a Husky to feed. We struggle to find the only cat food they eat which Dawg eats also. I can only imagine what some people are going through, and or amount of debt they are building up.

{Policy makers are taking notice, too. The New York Attorney General’s office just announced new price gouging rules, paving the way for other states to follow suit.}

It won't do any good. Most likely, if anything, it will be adsorbed in tax cuts for the corporations and more taxes on products in the long run to keep campaign donations coming in. Add that sentiment to the next 2 paragraphs also.

{Without competition and robust regulation to keep them in check, big corporations have gotten away with using the pandemic to push up prices and fatten their profit margins — and if they aren’t reined in, high prices could be here to stay.}

Most prices don't go down as history dictates. Gas prices are based on oil production. When gas and diesel went up during the Bush administration, prices for virtually everything stayed the same for most products after the prices for those 2 main transportation aspects dropped again. We're currently being held hostage to another inflation rate that will be adapted to society for the benefit of the ruling class. When it levels off it will still be a setback for society on various fronts. Largely because we are dealing with terrorist entities with no concern for the world society rather than dealing with nations with socialized tendencies.

This Ain’t Putin’s Price Hike: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

Higher fuel and food prices are a sacrifice I’m prepared to make in exchange for a greatly increased likelihood of nuclear armageddon.

Let’s be clear: you’re not paying more for necessities to punish Putin and save Ukraine, you’re paying more for necessities to fund an economic war of unprecedented scale geared toward collapsing Russia to help secure US unipolar domination of this planet.

It’s exactly the same as the “cooling effect” that the persecution of whistleblowers and journalists has on leaks and investigative journalism. People shying away from speech they could be punished for does a lot more to restrict speech than the punishments themselves.

If for example a chemical attack occurs in Ukraine and is blamed on Russia, there will be great fear of questioning the official narrative about it on YouTube for fear of losing one’s platform because YouTube has banned skepticism of official stories about violence in that nation. People will self-censor to avoid being punished for their speech.

This is the exact same principle as a king having an artist who spoke ill of him tortured in the public square in order to deter future acts of dissent. Just re-packaged to be more palatable for the modern world.

[caitlinjohnstone.com]