Good Read

 

How Russia is disrupting the US election (again)

"Prices are increasing at an average pace of 8.2% per year, considerably more than incomes are rising. A surge in the cost of staples such as food and rent leaves many Americans with no way to offset their declining purchasing power."

(Yeah, a recent bank of America note said we are stuck with this for the next 10 years. What is going to be left of US at that point becomes my question.)

"Inflation has no single cause, and some Biden critics want voters to think of the Democrats’ 2021 stimulus bill as the main trigger of higher prices. But Russian acts of aggression, both military and economic, are probably the biggest factors pushing food and energy prices higher."

(Inflation may not have a single cause that is true, but what is not being said (Discernment) is creating 6 trillion $ in two years was the single biggest factor in inflations rise and it is here to stay for a good while. The money supply is what was inflated, so now your currency isn't worth what it used to be, and yes good ole corporate America never misses an excuse to raise prices and yes incomes are going up but like the article says not near as much as the cost of goods and services etc)

“Ranging from higher oil prices to a global food crisis all the way through to the imminent threat of energy security in Europe, the conflict has certainly taken its toll,” Moody’s Analytics economists wrote in a recent report on global commodity markets. “Higher oil and gas prices have dealt a huge blow to purchasing power in major developed nations such as the U.S. and Germany, pushing them to the brink of recession.”

(It's kinda the game plan yo.)

'Maximum damage for the West'

(It's becoming so apparent what the aim of the conflict is that it just can not be kept under wraps any more)

"The Russian war against Ukraine has pushed prices up in several ways. Ukraine is a major grain exporter, and Russia has interdicted some of that trade, causing shortages and higher prices. Strict sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and Ukraine’s other allies have caused further shortages, even though those sanctions aim to exempt staples such as food.'

(Yeah, they backfired on us, just like somebody in the Kremlin knew they would.)

"Then there’s Russia’s oil and natural gas, which accounts for more than 10% of global production. Russia has used that leverage to starve Europe of desperately needed natural gas, and keep oil markets tight. Russian ally Saudi Arabia seems to be helping, by imposing a cut in oil production on the OPEC+ oil cartel. That has helped Russia earn a windfall in oil revenue, while consuming nations have to pay more.

(First time I have ever seen that in print: "Russian ally Saudi Arabia." They were never really our ally.)

"This is not mere collateral damage, the unintended economic consequence of military action. Russian President Vladimir Putin actually practices what strategists call “hybrid war”—a military war on the battlefield coupled with nonmilitary efforts to harm anyone opposing him, and weaken their resolve."

(Well no kidding, thanks for the heads up.)

“Russia is in a hybrid war with the collective West,” Tatiana Mitrova, a research fellow at Columbia University, said during an Oct. 12 energy forum. “In the West, people do not actually understand that they are at war with Russia. But one goal of this war is to wage maximum damage for the West.”

(Like I said above, it's become so obvious what he is doing that it just can not be ignored any more...Only took what...7, 8 months? Somebody was saying it day one of the conflict and he's not a "research fellow at Columbia University.")

"Another coming shock is a surge in heat and electricity prices this winter. That has everything to do with Putin’s energy war and an acute shortage of gas in Europe, now that Russia has pulled the plug. US natural gas prices haven’t surged as much as they have elsewhere, but we’re not immune to those price hikes, either."

(If you are employed in an industry that uses a lot of natural gas? Brace yourselves...)

"Energy is a key component in many manufactured and processed goods, including food. That’s one explanation for grocery costs that are up 13% during the last year. There’s also a global shortage of fertilizer, because Russia and Belarus (also subject to certain sanctions, as a Russia ally) produce key components. Fertilizer accounts for nearly 20% of a typical American farm’s operating costs, and near-record prices raise the retail price of food. So does the higher cost of energy for farm equipment and transportation."

(So, I'm just trying to get this right in my mind here, cause you know, I'm no "research fellow at Columbia University" or anything like that... Energy cost are going to go up but inflation has peaked? How does that work exactly if oil and natural gas go into 6000 different consumer products?

Somebody said it (inflation) hasn't even really started let alone peaked yet.)

"Food inflation may be a bigger problem for Biden now than gasoline costs. Soaring gas prices during the spring directly correlated with a decline in Biden’s approval rating, which then recovered as gas prices fell. But the average family only spends about 3% of its budget on gas. Food is about 12% of total spending, or four times as much as gas. That 13% hike in food costs means many families are struggling to pay for something they can’t do without."

(Energy and food, the two things you need the most for survival.)

Journey well my friends.

Godspeed everybody.