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Cereal For The Peasants? How The Elites Use “Skimpflation” To Control Our Eating Habits

Posted by freedomforall 1 month, 3 weeks ago to Government
32 comments | Share | Flag

Excerpt:
"People who have been reading my analysis for a long time are well aware of my expectations on the eventual outcome of the US economic debacle: A stagflationary crisis followed by a massive crash similar to the Great Depression (or worse). I based this prediction on a number of circumstances, but primarily I went back to the history of currency devaluations and central bank policy. These kinds of things have happened before and they tend to follow a pattern that is visible today.

Specifically, I studies the 1971-1981 stagflation crisis for reference and I found some startling similarities. It was one of the worst economic declines in American history next to the depression, and it’s an event that almost no one talks about. A lot of people (specifically Gen Z) believe that our current era is the worst financial era of all time and that their generation has been shafted by previous generations.

This is inaccurate; the stagflation disaster of the 1970s was far worse. That said, it shows us where our country is eventually headed and it’s not looking good. What is a manageable economic crunch today has the potential to become a calamity tomorrow.

One issue that I’m fascinated by that usually isn’t mentioned in mainstream economic discussion is quality degradation – The way in which products, services, construction, manufacturing, style and availability tend to break down when inflation suddenly spikes. This process is known as “skimpflation” and it was rampant in the 1970s and early 1980s. Most Americans today think of the 70s as a happy-go-lucky era of disco, bell bottoms and psychedelics, but in reality it was economically dismal.

Examining real life images and footage from the decade compared to the 1950s to 1960s, there was a stark shift in the quality of life. From the quality of cars, to the quality of clothes, to the quality of housing. Some US cities (like New York or Philadelphia) looked like warzones complete with rubble strewn slums. After sky-high inflation for several years causes a doubling and tripling of retail prices along with growing unemployment rates, the environment starts to feel real ugly."


All Comments

  • Posted by mccannon01 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    You're probably right. I'm very good at electrical and mechanical, but if it comes to tubing I take a back seat to two of my brothers, who are pneumatic instrument experts. I'm sure between the three of us and a decent manual we could "git 'er done" if it is worth it.
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  • Posted by JakeOrilley 1 month, 3 weeks ago
    Thanks for the article FFA - am still working through all the info.....
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  • Posted by $ Abaco 1 month, 3 weeks ago
    I agree with the author's take on stagflation being a very highly-probably collapse mechanism. The Fed and the federal government have done everything to bring that about.
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  • Posted by mccannon01 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    The refrigerator article is excellent. I'm surprised the beginning of refrigeration tech goes back to the 18th century and working refrigeration systems were in use mid 19th century before electrical power was made available - the article says "mechanical" so I figure water wheel or steam engine. I liked the wall mounted model in the '50s, but can understand why they didn't become popular. My '82 made in USA Frigidaire side by side is still running just fine. It will be tough to replace today just to find one to fit in the space and without all the junk (ice maker, water thing, etc.).
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  • Posted by 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    As an outside consultant I observed petty infighting by "peter principle"
    managers who should have been fired far too often.
    Information that should have been shared was squirreled away
    when it could have been used to create jobs.
    Almost always the data miser was a bleeding heart socialist
    who felt (s)he should be in charge.
    They are the ones who impose their 'design' and ignore the
    streamlining that might shift power to someone who earned it.
    These Ellsworth Toohey's now control election vote counting and sit
    as judges to impose penalties on any who dare to be worthy of merit.
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  • Posted by mccannon01 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    "As a former 30 year software engineer, working a great deal in user interface design, I find that many websites and the versions found on digital devices are horribly designed." Amen to that, pixelate! I've designed/programmed user interfaces in manufacturing for years and if some of the jump-through-hoops trash I've seen in the world were put together by my people they'd be looking for a job. There are many times I was contracted into a factory to clean up an interface/process mess only to find the staff charged with doing the work were never asked how they did their jobs or what they would like on a screen to make life easier. No wonder all they got was some bureaucratic entanglement.
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  • Posted by $ pixelate 1 month, 3 weeks ago
    An online friend has described the last 10 years as sort-of-like living in a really shitty version of Star Trek where stuff only works 8 out of 10 times, and if you are not handy with tools, then you need to find a plan B. We have boat loads of gadgets and technology, but most of this crap we never actually asked for and it tends to overcomplicate, what should be, simple tasks. As a former 30 year software engineer, working a great deal in user interface design, I find that many websites and the versions found on digital devices are horribly designed. The most obvious directives are hidden away in popover labels, etc. Perhaps AI will help the situation, but I am not hopeful.
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  • Posted by $ gharkness 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    Enjoyed that article on refrigerators! When my first husband and I married in 1970, our house included a fridge that looked a lot like the one made in 1934, except our was a GE.

    When we divorced in 1992, that thing was still going strong, and continued to do so at least up until about 2017 when my ex died and I lost track of it. I also remember seeing fridges just like that in my doctors' offices!
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  • Posted by $ gharkness 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    Both of our Lexus vehicles were pre-owned, so we didn't pay full price. Not a small chunk, though.
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  • Posted by term2 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    great idea to not borrow for a car. Kind of hard now that average new car is 48k. I haven't bought American cars for 16 years now. I have been happy with Kia and Hyundai
    as they are a LOT less expensive than their americn counterparts.
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  • Posted by CaptainKirk 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    On Topic. Skimpflation. You bought a USED "good" vehicle instead of a new/expensive POS vehicle produced with Skimpflation.

    Great to here. I've only purchased 2 new cars for myself in my lifetime. I hope the Acura is the last one. At 57, I expect it will get me to 77 or 80. Which is beyond my expiration date, LOL...

    A vehicle is a utility that gets me from A to B. At my age, I can afford one that is reliable and comfortable. And with my experience of keeping them... I tend to get my monies worth out of them (Although this one was expensive enough that 20yrs was my minimum, LOL)
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  • Posted by 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    My grandfather's house had a late 40's working refrigerator in the kitchen porch until the house was sold in '99.
    It outlived granddad (age 78 in '71) and grandma (age 100 in '96.)
    Here's an interesting page about refrigerators: https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/refr...
    My Mazda is 25 this year and working well except for 2 (government forced) warning lights that don't affect
    driving a bit. I haven't owned a Detroit made car since '73. I have never purchased one (although I bought
    a German made Mercury Capri and used it from '74 to '81.)
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  • Posted by term2 1 month, 3 weeks ago
    let them eat cereal.... The saying for the current times
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  • Posted by $ gharkness 1 month, 3 weeks ago in reply to this comment.
    Good choice of vehicle. I drove two different models of Acura. It was during the "lease a car" craze, for which I should have had my head examined. I knew better than to lease, but at least I DID have two Acuras, one after the other, and they were both GREAT cars (TL and TSX - I loved the TSX most). Once I got tired of making lease payments, I settled down and bought a Toyota Camry, which had been a rental (it was what I could pay cash for). Despite its terrible physical appearance, that was one heck of a good car, and held up GREAT until I could pay cash for something more attractive. I made a vow NEVER to borrow money for a car again, and I never have.

    My husband and I each drive a Lexus now, and we expect them to be our last vehicles, but if we do have to purchase and can't afford another Lexus, it'll definitely be Acura for us. Great cars. And I think I've left the actual topic entirely :-)
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  • Posted by $ gharkness 1 month, 3 weeks ago
    People who think the 70s were great probably didn't spend any time sitting in a long line for gasoline. Maybe it was the psychedelics that kept them from realizing how horrible it was. I DO know I never went to a disco, NEVER wore bell bottoms and certainly never took a psychedelic. Maybe that's why it was such a miserable time for me.

    I clearly remember crying over the price of eggs, as real nutrition (not pre-packaged garbage) was very important to me as the mom of the family. My husband had nutritional issues and of course kids need to be well fed (and mine were). I just gave up other things to make sure they got their food but it was certainly NO FUN. I was lucky, though, to live in a small town, and so the issues and problems were less prevalent.

    This idea of reducing food quality is already showing itself in the physical decline of the American people. (well, worldwide, too, but right now I am concerned about America. I hate to always be screaming we're going to Hell in a Handbasket....but honestly, what other take can one have on this? I am increasingly seeing that there are, indeed, fates worse than death.
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  • Posted by term2 1 month, 3 weeks ago
    I dont believe anything that our government says currently. Its all propaganda designed to distort our thinking.
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