Inflation Rises, Tariffs to Blame

Plus: Zohran Mamdani's brilliant plan, Google monopoly claims fall flat, and more...

Inflation predictably creeps upward: Consumer prices rose in June, indicating that the tariffs that have already taken effect are making everyday items more expensive for all Americans. The consumer price index (CPI) "increased 0.3% on the month, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.7%," per CNBC. "Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core inflation picked up 0.2% on the month and an annual rate of 2.9%, with the annual rate in line with estimates."

Up until June, inflation had been on the decline, sloping gloriously downward, a welcome reprieve from the rampant high inflation during the years of President Joe Biden. But President Donald Trump's tariffs are having the effect that pretty much all credible economists said they would. "Prices of products most exposed to tariffs, like household furnishings, jumped 1 percent, significantly higher than the 0.3 rise last month," notes The New York Times. "Prices for appliances, specifically, rose 1.9 percent, up from 0.8 percent. The apparel index increased 0.4 percent, snapping multiple months of declining prices."

But this shows only the very early impact of tariffs. Trump is still working to strike deals—like one with Indonesia, in which imports to the U.S. would be taxed at 19 percent, announced this morning—and jack up prices on other countries, like the European Union, Mexico, and Brazil.

It's pretty clear that worse inflation is likely to come and that we'll encounter both higher prices in critical sectors and, possibly, weakened demand. For example, as new cars become more expensive, will people just substantially delay their purchases, hoping to wait it out until tariffs become less crippling? A country where you don't feel like you can realistically afford a new car anymore, because prices have been jacked up due to the president's foolhardy, haphazard decision making, is not a prosperous one.

Not to mention: Anytime inflation accelerates, the Federal Reserve is less likely to cut interest rates. So borrowing money does not appear likely to get cheaper, which means more people will be locked in place when making housing decisions, for example.

It feels like this administration is struggling to learn the lessons revealed by the prior one: People do not respond favorably to normal items getting more expensive for no good reason, nor to the knock-on effects of having to delay purchases and moves.

The funniest part of this may be the fact that we just had an election in which the losing side screamed for a YEAR that we should focus on the price trend, not the price level, and now… the winners are doing the exact same thing.

Hilarious stuff. https://t.co/R42GB9MnH2

— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) March 6, 2025

---

Scenes from New York: Our (likely?) next mayor has a brilliant plan for government-run grocery stores. I'm sure no one's ever thought of this before.

Wait wait wait wait… Mamdani's plan to offer cheap groceries comes from bulk pricing?

Hahahahaha pic.twitter.com/4UxKFvvdKY

— Patrick Hedger (@pat_hedger) July 15, 2025

It's going to be so funny watching a mayoralty consumed by trying to run a grocery store

— Kyle Smith (@rkylesmith) July 15, 2025

---

QUICK HITS

• Worrisome, from MarketWatch: "The Federal Reserve has defended itself from White House criticism that ongoing, costly renovations at the central bank's headquarters in Washington are the result of mismanagement. Last week, Russel Vought, the director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, said the Fed was turning its headquarters into a 'palace.' The cost of the renovation has risen to $2.5 billion, which is $700 million above its initial estimate. 'I think it just points to the fundamental mismanagement of the Fed under the chairman,' Vought said in an interview on CNBC." Chair Jerome Powell, whom the president is interested in replacing, says the media's coverage of the project is bad, but if he wants to correct the record, he ought to do so.
• "OpenAI and Perplexity's new browsers make the monopoly claims about Google look foolish," argues Reason's Tosin Akintola.
• Really good, spicy CNN clip where Democrat pundits insist, over and over again, that they really just have a messaging problem; libertarian pundit Brad Polumbo counters with the harsh truth that, also, their policies are in fact profoundly unpopular. (Gavin Newsom, king of the flip-floppers, lends some credence to this take in a recent podcast clip.)

There's a strange view on the Left that the only thing preventing their positions from gaining widespread acceptance is "messaging."

Maybe, if by "messaging" they mean their ability to use confusing language to trick people into supporting absurdities.pic.twitter.com/7NRVp42y9C

— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) July 15, 2025

• This thoughtful post cuts through a lot of the noise on both the right and left about heritage and pride in where we came from and whether caring about that is a fascist dog whistle or anything of the sort. But I'm ultimately persuaded by this argument, which is that it's really inappropriate for the Department of Homeland Security to be posting about this at all.

I understand why people find it distasteful for DHS to post this given the Trump admin's aggressively anti-immigration stance. But I viscerally, passionately hate this response and am disgusted at its popularity.

This was in fact my heritage! Almost every line of my ancestors… https://t.co/ailhT3J2Wz pic.twitter.com/3rVVQtyZhR

— TracingWoodgrains (@tracewoodgrains) July 15, 2025

• Hard agree:

Historically, tech that has given parents the ability to monitor their kids more closely has led to heightened anxiety/raised the bar on adequate supervision rather than giving kids more freedom. See: the baby monitor. https://t.co/FDHESDf2kw pic.twitter.com/qiJxNAub10

— Stephanie H. Murray (@stephmurrayyyy) July 15, 2025

• So many people just counter "move out of NYC!" But is nobody else bothered by the idea of just…ceding our nation's largest city, full of 8 million people and lots of important industries, to the ultraprogressives? What's the suggestion for people who work in finance or law or other industries that are tied to New York? Not to mention that it's not great in Los Angeles, or San Francisco, or Austin, or Denver, or Atlanta, or Philadelphia. Where can one benefit from agglomeration effects, good job prospects, and story times where they read the classics and focus less on woke indoctrination?

Every time I try to take my kid to storytime in Brooklyn it's always THIS TYPE OF BOOK. Can't we just read classics like Where the Wild Things Are (a great book about monsters and the importance of obeying yr mother) or Go Dog Go (about traffic laws and treetop parties)? pic.twitter.com/UONXEys6dN

— Liz Wolfe (@LizWolfeReason) July 15, 2025

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Inflation predictably creeps upward...

We just need to fire up that printer.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

No mention of the budget surplus….

[Chumby]

You also not getting invited to Reason cucktail parties.

[Ajsloss]

If I were a journalist, I'd also peg my worth to how many cucktail parties I get invited to.

[Chumby]

Some editors here must juggle their schedules to be able to squeeze them all in.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Is that all they juggle?

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Some of them also have to juggle afternoon tea (bag).

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

What about the Reason akita party?

[Chumby]

Those are held at clandestine speakeasies. Enter in the rear.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Liz has started drinking from the hose.

E.J. Antoni, Ph.D.
@RealEJAntoni
To be clear, the uptick in the CPI does not appear to be from tariffs; import prices were flat M/M in May and preliminary data shows only a small increase for Jun; the big culprit here was energy - all the more reason why we need more domestic production:

https://x.com/RealEJAntoni/status/1945106637896700085

Just as stated months earlier. Any rise will be blamed on tariffs.

Even the Walmart ceo admitted they haven't seen a rise in import costs just last week lol.

[Chumby]

Drinking from a hose:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianNostalgia/comments/11gtdwk/the_offical_sports_drink_when_i_was_a_kid/

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Also drinking from a hose:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pgPgsvxxxKE&pp=ygUMdWhmIGZpcmVob3Nl

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Look, almost all human thinking, and clever media reporting, is motivated reasoning, aka "If I didn't believe it I wouldn't see it."

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Looking at clouds for financial information would be more accurate than listening to Reason economics analysis.

[Spiritus Mundi]

This is born out in the PPI data. And what little increase there was seems largely due to increases in demand:

Prices for final demand goods rose 0.3 percent in June, the largest increase since moving up 0.3 percent in February. Over half of the broad-based advance in June can be traced to the index for final demand goods less foods and energy, which climbed 0.3 percent.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Now you're just going to confuse sarc and Liz.

[GroundTruth]

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

[Chumby]

PB$ and U$AID

PBS, NPR, and USAID could not doge the US Senate from voting to advance cutting $9B of taxpayer money being funneled to them. JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote in the affirmative and was not wrong in doing so.

[Fats of Fury]

The president and CEO of PBS, Paula Kerger, is all over the station telling viewers how vital the network is. She didn't tell them she earned compensation of $1,162,720.

President and CEO of WTTW, the PBS affilliate in Chicago is Sandra Cordova Micek. Her average salary as President & CEO of WTTW Inc is $833,818.

There are approximately 350 PBS affiliate stations in the United States sharing in the vitality. Average Salary of PBS CEOs in Top 30 Cities: $357,555

[Chumby]

I’m fine if they remain around as not-for-profits and subsist on private donations via their cuck-a-thons and other private contributions.

If they do, perhaps next season the Antiques Roadshow could roll out Joe Biden.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

She has over a million reasons why the funding needs to continue.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...tariffs that have already taken effect are making everyday items more expensive for all Americans.

They're buying too many dolls.

[Spiritus Mundi]

Bespoke bow ties.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

I stocked up on 23 kinds of deodorant in April. Really feel like I dodged a bullet.

[mulched]

The rest of us too.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Ha

[Chumby]

Insane in the Ukraine

Ukrainian drone hunters see the light and abandon serving the autocratic dictator in Kiev that siphons tens of billions from US taxpayers:

https://youtu.be/8eI6VTiqABA?si=1DKd6K1lQxAWh9zz

[Fist of Etiquette]

Anytime inflation accelerates, the Federal Reserve is less likely to cut interest rates. So borrowing money does not appear likely to get cheaper...

Won't someone please think of the lenders?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Wait wait wait wait… Mamdani's plan to offer cheap groceries comes from bulk pricing?

Buying for the entirety of the five boroughs ought to get you quite the discount!

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Cheesy poofs in bulk!

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

I seem to recall NYC fighting Wal Mart tooth and nail because they would undercut all the local bodegas on pricing.

I guess the City Store is going to try to do the same?

[Ajsloss]

But those profits would go to the icky Waltons. These profits are going to be reinvested into the community... leaders' slush funds.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Sadly, there will be no profits.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Was that before or after covid? Because I think a lot of bodegas went out of business.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Would someone please think of the community gardens! Big Apple is going to force them to close!

[Chumby]

Mediocre Liz complaining about groomer children books without really complaining about groomer children books.

Next week could be an offering by Dr Suss called
The Fat in the Matt.

Liz, darling, leave NYC and consider moving to America.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Or read to your kids at home.

[Chumby]

How can one afford an au pair these days that would read to the kiddos when tomato prices might increase 6%?!?!

[Dakotian (descendent of Kulaks)]

Maybe it's just me but I hear an underling "but living in New York is just so cool!" when she justifies staying in the city.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Also fear of traveling across the continent in a covered wagon wearing one of those pioneer dresses (and bonnet) while popping out babies every few weeks.

[Use the Schwartz]

New York's alright, if you like saxophones.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Last week, Russel Vought, the director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, said the Fed was turning its headquarters into a 'palace.'

If they wanted palatial they should have just moved their offices to Trump Tower.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

welcome reprieve from the rampant high inflation during the years of President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

FTFY, the Cares Acts- printing trillions so people didn't need to work/be productive.

[Spiritus Mundi]

I didn't know Trump was president in 2021 when inflation was ramping up? More revisionist bullshit from Reeeeason.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

So you are saying that printing trillions to shutdown sectors of the economy isn't inflationary?

[Spiritus Mundi]

It is, but the line says "rampant high inflation during the years of President Joe Biden and Donald Trump"

This is factually untrue. It would be accurate to say "rampant high inflation due to the policies of President Joe Biden and Donald Trump."

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Sorry for my slight mistake. That was my bad not Reasons.

Now fixed - Donald Trump thought printing trillions would bring great relief to Americans by protecting them from covid19 through unemployment. Instead his policy was inflationary and brought misery both at the economic and societal level.

Better?

[Spiritus Mundi]

Yeah, but it was more than just printing. Masks, 'social distancing', forced closures, forced injections (the billions given to big pharma for said injections). Lots of failures.

[Nelson]

The budget passed under Trump is what led to the inflation of the first year of Biden’s presidency because … it was Trump’s budget. The fact that Biden doubled down on stupid doesn’t mean Trump didn’t deficit spend like a madman.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Do yoi say anything backed by facts or intelligent argument? What were the first 2 spending bills signed by Joe dumdum?

[Nelson]

Doubling down on stupid, like I said.

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I thought Joe Biden was a good President. He wasn’t, but it explains why you think “WhataboutJoeBiden” is an effective counter to my point that Trump’s last budget of his first term was a bloated deficit-driven abomination that led to higher inflation. The fact that Joe Biden also had bloated, deficit-driven abominations doesn’t change what Trump did.

The fact that you think whataboutism is an effective way to make a point is just you being ignorant and easily manipulated by your preferred narrative.

If you believe that the most important thing, fiscally, for the US to do is balance the budget (like I do), party is irrelevant.

Trump is giving us more deficit than Biden did and shows no inclination to address non-discretionary spending, which is the only way to balance the budget. So yes, I will criticize any President who drives up deficits. I did it when Trump was President the first time, I did it when Biden was President, I’m doing it now that Trump is President again, and I will do it again when the next President sells out the future to pay for Boomer entitlement programs that screw the young.

But you’re one of those who thinks that cutting spending, while racking up historically high deficits, is a good thing and Trump should be lauded for borrowing more and more money.

Your narrative is that Trump is good and Biden is bad, not that deficits are bad and anyone who grows them is bad (so both Trump and Biden).

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Lol. So you wont answer the question. Why is that if you're not a leftist retard?

You claimed budget signed by Trump. But it was the 3 bills that occurred outside of regular order that caused a lot of the inflation, not the regular budget retard. You dont seem to know how government works.

Then you use the standard leftist template whataboutism while claiming you dont defend Biden as you defend Biden, as you won't answer the question dumdum.

Then ironically you blame Trump for the current deficit despite the current FY25 spending being signed by Biden, showing zero consistency of argument.

Then you call out discretionary spending which was signed by Biden for FY25 and is not part of reconciliation. Ignoring DOGE and recission bills going through the house after you cheered judges blocking spending cuts earlier in the year dumdum.

Then thos retarded statement.

But you’re one of those who thinks that cutting spending, while racking up historically high deficits

Cutting spending is always good you dumb leftist fuck lol. Youre the one against cutting 4% of non discretionary spending.

Sp let's summarize. Youre a retarded leftist fuck who cant even keep consistent arguments as you try to hide being a retarded leftist fuck. Lol.

[DesigNate]

One quibble: it wasn’t to excuse them from working, it was because state governments were being totalitarian shitwads and actively telling people they COULDN’T work.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...Brad Polumbo counters with the harsh truth that, also, their policies are in fact profoundly unpopular.

That's the Dems' messaging problem: accuracy.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Hmm, how to tell normal people that you hate them and want to fuck them over without telling them?

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Being a propagandist became a lot harder when most people realized they lie constantly.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarc's a Nazi, not even joking)]

Poor Lying Jeffy.

[Medulla Oblongata]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/james-carville-has-reached-his-wit-s-end-with-dems-identity-politics-obsession/ar-AA1Im6v8

Carville said. “Everybody knows this has been a big, giant, massive disaster. So there are two kinds of people in this debate. There are people like me that said, ‘This is a disaster and we’re still trying to wash the stench of this shit off. Every year that goes by, we get a little bit of a less stench. It was really stupid.'”

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Never been much of a fan of James Carville so watching him go through this is extremely funny.

[Marshal]

Never been much of a fan of James Carville

He's a disgusting piece of shit but even that is useful. He said while defending Bill Clinton of sexual assault "if you drag $100 bill through a trailer park you never know what you'll catch." It was probably the most misogynistic thing said on network TV to that point.

But the people who claim using the word "female" should get you banned from public life had no criticism for Carville whatsoever. That's because to left wingers standards only exist to attack the right, they are never principles everyone should adhere to. That's why Jeffsarc is so funny. They seem to think following this decades-old program is some new thing we can't recognize rather than a worn out tactic which is no longer effective.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Maybe, if by "messaging" they mean their ability to use confusing language to trick people into supporting absurdities.

They haven't redefined enough words.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Well, they’ve certainly tried like hell to disappear the notion of “absurdities”.

[Medulla Oblongata]

"ceding our nation's largest city, full of 8 million people and lots of important industries, to the ultraprogressives?"

Yes, do that, then build a wall and mine the rivers, blow the bridges and tunnels, and let them fester in their own filth.

[Social Justice is neither]

Can we deport the rest of the progressive faithful there so they can all experience their utopia?

[Medulla Oblongata]

Yeah, I thought of adding "But first, invite all the progressives to a big party in NYC, so that we can trap as many of them in there as possible."

[Ajsloss]

SANCTUARY!

https://youtu.be/N0BT3oH18T8?t=70

[Jefferson Paul]

Are you talking Matt Welch, "Red Wedding" type of big party?

[Medulla Oblongata]

Exactly, except the plan is to just leave them on the island behind the wall and mines after we drop the bridges and implode the tunnels. We're not murderers, after all.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Yeah, was gonna say, whoa, who’s talking about murder here?

I mean besides Matt Welch, of course….

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Get the true Marxist experience, come to New Nazino!

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

As long as I don't have to watch a remake of Escape from New York, where Snake Plisken is a fat mixed-race transgender social justice warrior with purple hair, tits, and a beard.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Put an eye patch on it and you’ll never know the difference, trust me.

[Spiritus Mundi]

Don't worry, batman will save them.

[Chupacabra]

What about the Assman? I think Chumby posted an article about him yesterday.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Who would order a license plate that says "Assman"?

[Chumby]

Someone being cheeky.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

A proctologist.

[Jefferson Paul]

There's a real life guy, David Assman, who lives in Canada. He was rejected by Canadian authorities when he tried to get a license plate that said "Assman." I believe the Seinfeld episode took that story for the Assman episode.

Apparently it's German, and originally was Assmann, pronounced Ossmen.

I found an article about the guy, but I didn't bother reading it:

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/three-men-on-what-its-like-to-have-the-last-name-assman-or-assmann

[Chumby]

Having to have gone through this ordeal almost rectum.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

It definitely put him behind on his bills.

[Chumby]

Could end up in arrears.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

The butt of a joke?

[Chumby]

Dog for Sale

Akita, male, 2 yo, housebroken

Does not like cats or owners that take a crank in their ass.

Contact WhiteMike@mastodon for more info.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

One of your best.

[Chumby]

While the woodchipper is the mascot of the commentariat, the akita is now the mascot of the based commentariat.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

...still going. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

[Longtobefree]

Really? Citing CNBC? Citing article that cite CNBC?

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Glad Reason finally mentioned the fed spending 2.5 billion dollars.

“Chair Jerome Powell, whom the president is interested in replacing, says the media's coverage of the project is bad, but if he wants to correct the record, he ought to do so.”

Ought has nothing to do with any of this. That’s the problem.

[Chumby]

Pluggo loves it when the Fed spends money. He loves them so much he could be called a Fedophile.

[Fist of Etiquette]

This was in fact my heritage!

Training people to hate their own country is the first (only?) step in making sure they are uninterested in defending it.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Historically, tech that has given parents the ability to monitor their kids more closely has led to heightened anxiety/raised the bar on adequate supervision rather than giving kids more freedom.

Step two is making subsequent generations less and less independent.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Subscribe to my podcast and buy my supplements.

[Longtobefree]

The book, General; don't forget about the book.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Fleshlight promo code? Typing in Fist might be a problem on their site.

[Chumby]

Jeffrey Toobin has a pudcast

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

He’s short staffed, could use more hands on dick.

[Chumby]

Thought he was surrounded by plenty of seamen.

[mad.casual]

Historically, putting the speaker of the baby monitor's receiver closer to the microphone of the transmitter causes more screeching regardless of any noise the baby or anyone else may or may not be making.

Also historically, this has not traditionally been regarded as a purely technical issue.

[Quicktown Brix]

Can't we just read classics like Where the Wild Things Are (a great book about monsters and the importance of obeying yr mother) or Go Dog Go (about traffic laws and treetop parties)?

Go dog go?! So you're OK with yellow dogs? I'm sorry. I do not like this hat at all.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Ooops...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/china-s-success-in-cleaning-up-air-pollution-may-have-accelerated-global-warming-study/ar-AA1IAudM

Efforts to clean up air pollution in China and across East Asia may have inadvertently contributed to a spike in global warming, a new study has found.

The decline in aerosol emissions — which can cool the planet by absorbing sunlight — have added about 0.05 degrees Celsius in warming per decade since 2010, according to the study, published on Monday in Communications Earth & Environment.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

which can cool the planet by absorbing sunlight

That makes no sense. Reflecting might be a better word.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

Ooh, look at Mr Science over here, noticing that absorbing vs reflecting adds heat to the global system.
We don’t need your Sciency quibbles in our Global Warmening stories.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

OK, then let's ban water vapor and get it over with.

[Mike Parsons]

Pollute and use too much carbon? - Climate change
Switch to nuclear? - Climate change
Burn less carbon and clean up the pollution...- somehow still climate change

Guys, im starting to think we are playing Calvin Ball

[Ajsloss]

"Welcome to Climate Change, where everything's made up and the points don't matter." -Drew Carey

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"And no matter what, we will take your stuff and make you eat bugs."

[Fist of Etiquette]

But is nobody else bothered by the idea of just…ceding our nation's largest city, full of 8 million people and lots of important industries, to the ultraprogressives?

YOU ALL FOISTED COVID PANIC ON THE NORMIES. You get what you deserve.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Go bang more pots and pans.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Removing the O from FOISTED might have worked as well.

I mean, if you’re into that kind of thing….

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

That was covered extensively jn yesterday’s roundup.

[Chumby]

The akita is now the based libertarian mascot.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Security folks at work issued this notice:

'Good Trouble Lives On' Protests

Anti-Trump protests will be held nationwide on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
The events will also mark the 5th anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’ passing.
Lewis, who served in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 2021 (GA05), was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement
Credited with coining the phrase “Get in good trouble.”

From the organizer's website:

"Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration. Together, we’ll remind them that in America, the power lies with the people."

"We are facing the most brazen rollback of civil rights in generations. Whether you're outraged by attacks on voting rights, the gutting of essential services, disappearances of our neighbors, or the assault on free speech and our right to protest - this movement is for you."

"Trump is trying to divide us, but we know the power of coming together."

The main organizing groups include Transformative Justice Coalition, Black Voters Matter, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Mi Familia en Acción, along with other partners. Many of these groups were also involved in the recent “No Kings Day” and “Hands Off” protest efforts.

Key events will take place in Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

If you are local to any of the planned events:

Extreme caution is urged near these gatherings.
Anticipate disruption of traffic on major roadways.
Monitor local news.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

Lulz, voting rights again?
The Stacey Abrams grift?

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

… who served in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 2021

That job was not meant to be a career.

[Fats of Fury]

Thursday? Hmmm, will they all take personal time off from work?

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Given that most of them are richer, white retirees, I’d say no.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

This is their work.

[Chumby]

What about your zoomers that used all their PTO?

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Read about these, this morning. Locally, it’s a bunch of Boomers getting together to stand and protest. I guess they want to relive the 60s they never actually did in real life back then (many were too young).

[Gaear Grimsrud]

The media needs a bunch of mostly harmless old people to support their mostly peaceful narrative. Antifa will be a block away but no one will notice.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Crowds on Demand CEO SAID he was offered 20M ro generate attendees for this.

[Jefferson Paul]

I saw that too. I have to wonder why the guy who's a CEO of a company that manufactures attendance at protests would not only reject the offer, but also make his rejection public. I'm glad he did, as it shows how much of the No Kings, No Trouble, etc. protests are inorganic.

I would think publicizing this kind of thing would be bad for his company going forward if other "protests" fear him publicizing the requests for his services. If I were trying to organize one of these "protests" I wouldn't want it publicized how the attendance was manufactured.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

He said he doesn't want to lose half his clientele by getting into politics. And he doesn't think it isn't even good optics for the DNC.

[Chumby]

Million Tran March

[Jefferson Paul]

"Get on the Bus Butt"

A Spike Lee joint

[Gaear Grimsrud]

"We are facing the most brazen rollback of civil rights in generations."
I guess they slept through Covid.

[Z Crazy]

Public safety is more important than civil rights.

[rbike (Retardfinder@ Reason)]

We're all going too, right? Let's carpool

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

inappropriate for the Department of Homeland Security to be posting about this at all.

Yup, that dude has a sombrero on, its both a leftist AI plot to make our founders all look Mexican and a rightist cultural appropriation.

Also remember our heritage didn't include a Dept of Homeland Security.

[Longtobefree]

Actually, it did.
It was called "the militia". (and they had GUNS!)

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

How dare you sir, have you no shame? To equate the great citizen militias to DHS...*shakes head*. The militias protected Baltimore while the feds let DC burn (simplified ver).

[Mike Parsons]

"There's a strange view on the Left that the only thing preventing their positions from gaining widespread acceptance is "messaging."
"

Ya, its just cope. "The uneducated just dont understand our grand central planning"

...its not that they have seen it fail over and over and also dont think you should trans their 10 year old

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Stupid peasants!

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Why do they always vote against their own self interest? It's a mystery wrapped in an enigmatic turd sandwich.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

They never seem to comprehend that their problem isn’t marketing their underlying message, it’s the actual underlying message itself that’s the issue.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

But is nobody else bothered by the idea of just…ceding our nation's largest city, full of 8 million people and lots of important industries, to the ultraprogressives?

Yes, but it will fail. In the meantime, you'll be fighting city hall on $900 parking tickets for not having a car for them to ticket. I can think of better ways to spend the few precious years we are all granted.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

No, Liz, tariffs do not cause inflation. Inflation is always and everywhere due to an increase in the money supply.

Inflation Rises, Tariffs to Blame

Tariffs raise prices, by design. But that is not inflation.

True inflation from increasing the money supply causes price rises, and the public associates price rises with inflation, so now inflation has acquired the non-economist meaning of price rises. It's partly the blame of economists who throw their jargon out in public without any consideration, like "rent seeking" which has a different definition of "rent" as being "excess profits" (or something, IANAE). They don't help when they work for the government and call the price index rises "inflation" when they are really the symptoms, not the cause.

[sarcasmic]

Economists define inflation as a general increase in prices, and tariffs cause a general increase in prices. That means tariffs are inflationary. That's not to be confused with the rate of inflation. That is caused by the money supply.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Lol. You retards are back on this despite inflation still being below expectations and the average of the last 4 years? When import data shows no to little change in prices (see cite above)

Youre fucking cultists at this point.

It is amazing watching you have decades of data and still make the same retarded predictions and analysis.

[Quicktown Brix]

despite inflation still being below expectations

Nope. Not true. And don't forget the expectations were for increased CPI due to tariffs.

[Spiritus Mundi]

You still never figured out the figure in the bottom of yesterdays article show 5 consecutive over estimates. Here it is again, maybe this time you will take the time to understand the 5 red bars are expected minus actual.

This is the 5th monthly 'miss' for Core CPI in a row - the sky is falling analyst crowd continues to be wrong...

[sarcasmic]

Your source of information is garbage and only fools people who know absolutely nothing about the subject.

[Spiritus Mundi]

Look, you finally figured out what an ad homenin is! Good for you little buddy.

Also, all the data in that article is from Bloomberg. They are not experts like the ones you use.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

What information is wrong? Nelson couldn't answer yesterday.

I do love when the left proves their ignorance is chosen though.

[Quicktown Brix]

You still never figured out the figure in the bottom of yesterdays article show 5 consecutive over estimates.

Who gives a shit about the over-estimates of your cherry-picked core CPI? Total CPI increased over last month and more than predicted. What matters is actual CPI and it's increasing.

It's like a serial killer murdered 8 adults and 2 children last month. Then it is predicted he would kill 24 adults and 6 children this month.

But, at the end of the month we see he killed 20 adults and 20 children. Now you blow smoke up our asses about how good it is he killed less than the expected number of adults even though he killed more people than last month and even more people than expected than expected this month.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Lol. This is “bears in trunks” stupid.

For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re mike.

[Quicktown Brix]

For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re mike.

I appreciate that.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

He still called you stupid. I guess being called Mike is really insulting.

[Quicktown Brix]

He called my analogy stupid. It's no big deal.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Whether real Mike or NPC Mike, it doesn't matter.

[Quicktown Brix]

I showed everyone my identity. Why won't you? What are you afraid of?

[Chumby]

Because sarc has some sort of homoerotic fantasy about him.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Not enough squawking?

[sarcasmic]

It's a ridiculously stupid argument anyway. "Inflation was below expectations, that means tariffs don't raise prices!" How stupid is that? The experts got it wrong, so that means economists are wrong? I don't even get what they're trying to assert other than saying economists are poopy-heads. It's a stupid and dishonest argument being made by stupid and dishonest people.

[Spiritus Mundi]

If your theory is true it will have predictive power. The fact that it is always wrong disproves the theory.

[sarcasmic]

Nobody except the strawmen you continually argue against has said that economics is predictive. It's not magic. No one except you idiot strawman slayers said it was.

I still can't believe how stupid you people are. You know that taxes make things more expensive. You know that taxes on businesses get passed along to customers. But when it comes to Trump's tariffs, which are nothing more than import taxes, you suddenly deny all of the above and claim that his taxes don't do any of those things. As if they're magic. It's lunacy.

[Spiritus Mundi]

How do you not know what a strawman is while employing one of your own?

[sarcasmic]

Your entire argument is based upon the premise that tariffs don't raise prices. It's not a strawman. It's the core of your argument. Or was I wrong when I said you know that taxes get passed along to customers? If that's the case then you're hopelessly dumb.

[Spiritus Mundi]

My entire argument is you chicken little types are shitting your pants for no reason. You let your emotions guide your beliefs. Over $80 billion in tariffs have been collected without any meaningful impact on prices. This is seen over and over in the data, no matter how you TDS types try to spin it. Producers are eating the tariffs because they have to compete in a market were other products aren't subject to the tariffs. You know you are wrong so you constantly argue against things nobody said, a strawman.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

They haven't raised prices because the costs for tariffs have been distributed outside of costs. So prices have not risen due to tariffs. As seen by the actual fucking data.

Supply shifts have occurred. Importers have reduced their final sales prices. Distributors from foreign suppliers have lowered their prices. Monetary changes between countries have kept costs flat as well, such as looney dropping in Canada relative to the dollar.

You claim to understand economics but you sure as fuck never prove that assertion.

Likewise other actions taken by the US such as deregulation has offset domestic costs.

You literally know nothing about actual economics.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

It isnt predictive yet you continuously cite "economists" making predictions as fact to push your narratives.

[DesigNate]

I almost posted the same response before scrolling a little further.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

What dont you get? Import data shows a flat costing. You choose to ignore that while claiming tariffs drive CPI. CPI is driven by many factors. The issue this month seems to be energy costs went up due to a few conflicts.

It seems you intentionally refuse anything beyond your spoon fed liberal narratives.

Youre also ignoring fed inflation target is literally 2% lol.

You and Mike (QB) dont care about and have no intellectual curiosity to actually look into the claims you assume as facts. It is hilarious though. So keep it up.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Goddamn, you’re retarded Sarc. While tariffs may raise prices, they do so once, and once only. It’s similar if a supplier chooses to raise a price once and once only. Sure, it can ripple, but there’s just one ripple. Inflation is compounding, day after day, week after week, year after year and caused by too much money chasing too few commodities. People (like you, Sarc) seem to forget that the money supply is a commodity; a reverse commodity if you will, whereby the more of it is in the system, the lower its value gets, and the less it can purchase.

[DesigNate]

“Economists define inflation as a general increase in prices”

Present day economists might, but they’re fucking retarded to do so.

[DaveH]

"Move out of NYC" presupposes considerable affluence, financial and mental resources to start anew.

Walking away from one's job and a not inconsiderable amount of one's property is beyond the means of many, not to mention the non-financial costs of leaving friends, family, connections behind.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

So you agree it’s cruel and unfair to import people from far away lands?

[sarcasmic]

Lies! Only Democrat taxes get passed through to the customer! Trump taxes are magic! They lower prices!
-what some Trump defenders really believe

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

What does the actual data say? Hint it is posted above.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Data? Who needs (or allows) data when we have The Science?

[Mother's Lament - (Sarc's a Nazi, not even joking)]

Data?? Sarc don't need no stinking data.

[Chumby]

Sobriety? I don’t need no stinking sobriety.

- also sarc

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Sarc's Razor: never attribute to malice that which can be explained by a drunken stupor.

[Spiritus Mundi]

-what some Trump defenders really believe

Yet something nobody has ever said. Never change strawcasmic.

Same drunk time, same drunk channel.

[sarcasmic]

You've posted links to people making that very argument you dumb fuck.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarc's a Nazi, not even joking)]

No, he hasn't. Your reading comprehension is grade four.

[Spiritus Mundi]

I am starting to think english is not his first language.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

He is fluent in retard though.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

“……grade four.”

Haha. You wacky Canucks talk funny, eh?

(JK went to prep school in Windsor for a year. Had a blast. You guys even have a grade 13! How wacky is that? And the provincial liquor store sold 17 year old me beer many times.)

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Hey LIz; it's not like we've RECENTLY had inflation before last month; go to Goggle and the friendly AI function will help you with this:

The U.S. inflation rate, as measured by the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), has fluctuated over the years. Recent years have seen notable increases, with rates rising to 8.0% in 2022. However, it has since decreased, with the rate at 2.9% at the end of 2024. The rate for May 2025 is reported as 2.4%.
Here's a more detailed look at recent years:
2019: 1.8%
2020: 1.2%
2021: 4.7%
2022: 8.0%
2023: Inflation decreased to 3.4%
2024: Inflation continued to decrease to 2.95%
May 2025: 2.4%

The annual inflation rate in the US was 2.7% in June 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 2.4% in May and is the highest level since February. On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.3% in June, the largest increase in five months, according to CNBC.

And now with a 0.2- 0.3% in increase in CPI we are supposed to believe that it's all on Trump and the sky is literally falling? I understand that many people, especially the ones who think they are smart and virtuous, hate Trump [and there are certainly things to not like about him] but come on.

[sarcasmic]

Know how many economists who say that tariffs are inflationary also say that tariffs raise the rate of inflation? None. Zero. Why? Because they're not the same thing. To make a physics analogy, inflation is velocity while the rate of inflation is acceleration. Tariffs can cause a jump in velocity without effecting acceleration.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

What does the impoet data actually show? You know there is actually analysis with more acuity than CPI data right? Where you could actually prove your incorrect thesis. They have measures for import data.

Funny watching you say it doesn't cause inflation, just a jump, yet the import data doesn't show a jump. Meanwhile you are ranting based off an inflationary metric despite admitting, finally, it isnt inflationary. But you're too stupid to understand the diametrically opposed argument you're making.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Yeah, but experts!

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

At some point, we have to quit responding to the trolls. Look at Sarc's "physics analogy". It is clearly not an original thought, it is something he gathered from Twitter or heard on NPR. It is just "scientific" enough to appear intelligent while not being the least bit informative. We are arguing with someone 3 levels removed from Sarc, and Sarc will just respond with fallacy, because he can't answer criticism of an uninformative comment that wasn't even his to begin with.

The guy is just an attention seeker who thinks he is a libertarian because he hates cops and DCS. Drunks fear cops for a good reason. DCS was weaponized against him by his own kid.

I speculate he doesn't even realize he is a Marxist lackey as he lacks the critical thinking skills to argue against Marxism from a libertarian viewpoint. Look his utter denial that allowing unfettered immigration has accelerated the Marxist driven class war in the US despite all proof.

He is the useful idiot. He is the proletarian who longs to be an apparatchik.

Jeffy is even worse. Jeffy is a pervert who foolishly wishes for the tearing down of standards and norms, never contemplating that those things exist to encourage people like him to keep their pervert thoughts to themselves so their neighbors don't lynch them.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

I agree. Sarc doesn't actually know anything he just repeats what he hears. You see it in his comments over and over in a desperation to sound intelligent.

[Chumby]

We get to see the current offering of bumper stickers from northern Mass.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

I did not claim that tariffs have no impact on inflation; they are one of many variables including demand over supply, costs of raw materials, increased money supply, etc. Government actions including taxation and TARIFFS and supply chain disruptions certainly play a part.

You reference Import/Price index as an indicator of consumer inflation. The BLS indicates the PPI increased 2.3% June 24-25, but demand was unchanged in June. Meanwhile the Import/Price Index for the 12 month period rose 0.2% and was unchanged for June.

Right, there are other measures besides CPI.

As for the data you deem irrelevant I am referencing what the author posited at the outset of the article (CPI) to support her thesis that tariffs are causing inflation, If your argument is with her take it there.

I make no claim to be an economist but if you have a better argument vs pejoratives let’s hear it.

[sarcasmic]

if you have a better argument vs pejoratives let’s hear it

Don't hold your breath. He argues against people, not what people say.

[Spiritus Mundi]

sarcasmic 31 minutes ago
Flag Comment
Mute User
Your source of information is garbage and only fools people who know absolutely nothing about the subject.

Oh the irony.

[sarcasmic]

I've read the articles from zerohedge that you've posted and I poked around a bit. The stuff that they post is garbage. I'm not calling the authors names and saying the stuff they post is because the authors are poopy-heads. I'm saying that everything I've read on that site was junk. And anyone who believes it is a moron. That's not ad hominem, idiot. Fuck, why am I wasting my time. You're not worth it. Think I'll put you on mute.

Ahhhh, that's nice. One less idiot to be tempted to argue with.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Wanna try again on the ad hominem bit, Sarc?

sarcasmic 12 minutes ago

if you have a better argument vs pejoratives let’s hear it

Don't hold your breath. He argues against people, not what people say.

Your comment, above, is a perfect example of ad hominem.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

They literally post government data such as the CPI you are using in your own claims.

So you didnt poke around.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

[Spiritus Mundi]

Show the list!!! Is it on Bondi's desk?

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

POST THE LIST!

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

I'm not calling the authors names and saying the stuff they post is because the authors are poopy-heads. I'm saying that everything I've read on that site was junk. And anyone who believes it is a moron. That's not ad hominem, idiot. Fuck, why am I wasting my time. You're not worth it. Think I'll put you on mute.

ad hominem, refers to several types of arguments where the speaker attacks the character, motive, or some other attribute of the person making an argument rather than the substance of the argument

A is A, you stupid cunt. No matter how many disclaimers you post or how many people you mute.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

He was one of the first mutes when that option became available. While he does at times make some sense [blind squirrel nuts], overall just not worth the trouble.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Assuming this wasn't a reply to me as I didnt respond to you or make that claim.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Mea culpa; I muted drunk-assed Sarc a long time ago, and in these threads sometimes a reply to him looks like a reply to me.

Had I known it was Sarc I wouldn't have bothered.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

I've done it too. He laughably responded to your comment saying I never argue in good faith trying to get you on his team. Assumed thats what happened.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

I did not claim that tariffs have no impact on inflation;

It does not matter what you do or don't claim. The argument being made is that tariffs will bring on MASSIVE inflation. When you point out that there is barely discernable inflation, they shout, "AHA! See, there IS inflation! That proves you wrong!"

They don't care what you claim because they never intended to enter into a honest discussion.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

True that; as with all propaganda, no one there is looking for anything honest.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Know how many economists promote Keynesian spending and other government intervention (and probably have some affinity for socialism)? Know what we should think of their statements about economic policy?

[sarcasmic]

Keynes said that the government should step in when times are tough, and step out when times are good. He didn't advocate for massive deficit spending all the time. So these strawmen you are arguing against aren't even Keynesians, and the policies definitely are not Keynesian. And that's not a defense of Keynes either. Just pointing out that you don't know anything about Keynes, or economics for that matter.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Cite?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

So your understanding of keyenesian economics is also bald. He stated similar to what you state but his theory is more than that one statement retard.

The fed has been operating off keyenesian models for decades. How are you so fucking ignorant? For example, the multiplier is based off keyenesian economics for gov spending. Effects from tax cuts are lower due to keyenesian economics.

You truly are ignorant.

Hilarious seeing you call others ignorant. The entore economics system you constantly defend here is keyenesian as has been pointed out to you multiple times.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Time traveling tariffs.

[Quicktown Brix]

Hey LIz; it's not like we've RECENTLY had inflation before last month;

Yep, that's why Trump ran on reducing prices and why CPI ticking back up now is so frustrating, especially when it was finally trending back down.

And now with a 0.2- 0.3% in increase in CPI we are supposed to believe that it's all on Trump and the sky is literally falling?

If 0.3% increase is all the tariffs do, then it's not a huge deal. But everyone except Trump apologists accept the prediction is that this is just the beginning. The affects of tariffs take time to work through the economy...and Trump has been tacking on additional tariffs lately.

The sky is not falling, but Trump's approval rating are.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

It is not so much that I am a "Trump apologist" though I realize I sound like one, reason being that I prefer this narcissistic megalomaniac over any known alternative. Realpolitik tells me things would be much much worse has he lost the election; if you disagree please state why. I want less government not more, and I believe Trump and company could be doing a better job of it, but then it could be much worse.

My other issue is the one sidedness of our media and their utter failure to treat anything objectively.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Sarc is too dumb to understand, well, anything.

[Quicktown Brix]

Realpolitik tells me things would be much much worse has he lost the election; if you disagree please state why.

Worse? yes. Much, much worse? Assuming the GOP still won the House and Senate, maybe not. Kamala would have been a lame duck and further damaging the dems prospects while getting very little done.

So we can agree, Trump was the lesser evil. I guess where I differ from you is that I feel he still deserved strong criticism on issues where he is wrong. I also find Trump to be disappointing compared to what he campaigned on and even compared to Trump 1.0.

My other issue is the one sidedness of our media and their utter failure to treat anything objectively.

No argument there, but by the broken clock rule... I try to not let despicable people sway me either way. I get what you're saying, though.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Nothing I disagree with there; there is a lot of political capital being squandered as we type.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

I also find Trump to be disappointing compared to what he campaigned on and even compared to Trump 1.0.

Maybe you didn't listen to the confirmation hearings. Trump appointed people who are willing to stand up to the entrenched bureaucracy. There is a very real possibility that the government shrinks during this term.

Trump can be as Trump as he wants while the people he nominated get the job done.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Mike hates him due to that. It's where he gets his graft. He literally defended government grants with 60%+ administrative costs.

[Chumby]

Mike says that should be viewed as HO2 under the bridge.

[Quicktown Brix]

Show us where Mike said that.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

But everyone except Trump apologists accept the prediction is that this is just the beginning.

Yo, QB, just last week you claimed you could be better and were not deserving of being called a Marxist asshat.

Your blatant appeal to authority and "Trump apologist" just makes it appear that you have nothing other than "it must be bad if Trump did it."

[Quicktown Brix]

Hi Chuck,

What I mean by my Trump apologist comment is that I think it takes a strong bias to overlook the copious evidence, history and logic that tariffs increase prices.

Your blatant appeal to authority

Not all appeals to authority are fallacious, especially when those "authorities" have research and historical evidence to support their claims.

Your blatant appeal to authority and "Trump apologist" just makes it appear that you have nothing other than "it must be bad if Trump did it."

Not everything Trump does is bad. Chopping USAID, income tax cuts and especially freeing us from wokeness and political correctness are all great things we got from Trump. I thought we'd add gutting of the deep state to that up until recently, too.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

Not all appeals to authority are fallacious, especially when those "authorities" have research and historical evidence to support their claims.

Invoking a nebulous authority (everyone) that cannot be refuted is always fallacious. It is self-evident.

[Quicktown Brix]

Speaking of self-evident, what do you think people mean when they say "everybody knows" or "everybody says"? Appeal to authority my ass.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

Appeal to authority my ass.

There are different types of appeal to authority fallacy, including the appeal to false or unqualified authority, and the appeal to anonymous authority, where the claim is attributed to an unnamed expert or group of experts. Both types of fallacies are considered invalid because they lack the necessary evidence to support the claim.

I am drifting back to my theory that QB is White Mike with a ChatGTP account. He typed "appeal to authority" into Google and stuck with the first thing he came to that supported him without ever reading the rest. That is Mike level of stupid.

You should also note, QB, where the AI analysis is incomplete. Appealing to authority is always fallacious if it cannot actually be confirmed. Honest argumentation requires proper citation and not just, "they disagree with you."

[Quicktown Brix]

The point, Chuck, was not to convince anyone that tariffs increase prices using the authority of "everybody," but that people are not making a big deal out of 0.3 % because everybody thinks this is just the start and the CPI will continue up. But you missed that point in your petty nitpick attempt.

And your "appeal to authority" claim was such an absurd stretch, I assumed you meant a previous post where I said "economists predict..." which is why I replied about research.

So now you proselytize to me about the proper way to talk politics in a comment section. I've read many of your comments, Chuck. I don't see "proper ciatation" too much. You didn't even properly cite your source here. What I do see is speculation about me. Obviously, I'm in a unique position to know you're wrong.

So go ahead and think I'm MikeGPT. I don't care what you think. It just proves to me you use poor deduction.

[Nelson]

I’m surprised by those numbers, but if you’re sourcing from BLS they are accurate. I’m stunned that the Biden deficit spending only resulted in one year of ridiculous inflation (8%) while Trump’s last budget gave us high (4.7%) inflation. I also thought that the middle two Biden budgets were both well over 3%.

The pressure of tariffs raising costs (and therefore prices), combined with the massive deficits Trump just signed on for, make me fear what the next six months hold in store for us, but I’m truly shocked at how short Biden’s inflation spike lasted.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Lol. Stay retarded my leftist friend. Extending the current tax code is truly frightening. You are free to donate excess money to the treasury to cover your shortfall from not raising income taxes.

[Longtobefree]

For those of us who routinely "Buy American", the tariffs have hardly been noticeable.

[Nelson]

You already took the price hit.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Hey buddy. Waiting for you still to point out what in those zero hedge articles was wrong. Be a good boy.

[Nelson]

Pretty much every time, in every way. I tried reading them for about 6 months, but the dishonest slant and partisan bias, with loaded words and logical fallacies to boot, made it very clear about what they were going to say on any given topic.

Also the deflections when their articles turn out to be inaccurate because of their editorial failings. If there is a way for news organizations to be dishonest, ZeroHedge has done it.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia) 3 hours ago
Hey buddy. Waiting for you still to point out what in those zero hedge articles was wrong. Be a good boy.

[Mike Parsons]

"Every time I try to take my kid to storytime in Brooklyn it's always THIS TYPE OF BOOK."

Ya, I was just in a big city for vacation and we went into a book shop to grab something for the kids. Just about every book was this shit, CRT indoctrination, grooming (gaybc's, non binary baby). Walked right the fuck out.

Was run by a proud BIPOC woman and an AWFL with problem glasses.

[Chumby]

Dr Suss also has
Mean Pegs and Sam

[Mike Parsons]

My goofy ass hippie dippie sister in law was talking about a "neat!" book she heard of that's purpose is essentially to introduce a child to sexuality and their bodies. Its target audience is apparently just above toddler age, no joke.

We agreed, its really great that she doesn't have kids, and probably wont be using her for any date night baby sitting.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

I have a serious problem with the irreconcilable contradiction in telling kids "all bodies are beautiful" and simultaneously telling them "you are free to change your body to be your true self". So serious that it makes me want to punch people in the face who simultaneously espouse those ideas.

[Quicktown Brix]

Good point.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

If you can't cognitive dissonance you can't be a progressive. Sorry.

[mad.casual]

Reaching back to my childhood:

Is a person's artificial leg really a part of their body? If a trans person's former name is their dead name, then isn't their stitched-up chest where they had their mammary glands removed something more like the necrotic or cancerous amputated limb part of their body?

[Chumby]

Ahhh, the mammaries.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Those were titillating.

[Chumby]

It was nice of mad to keep us abreast about this.

[mad.casual]

abreast

Look, if you're going to have a book titled "Bodies are Cool" with a bunch of people with stretch marks on the cover, at least try not to be completely retarded.

[Mike Parsons]

"Really good, spicy CNN clip where Democrat pundits insist.."

Think this was also the one where Navaro tells dude to shut up and he couldnt understand bc white man, and they were just flabbergasted when he called them racists.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

That fucking gordita needs to worry more about her cholesterol level than anything white people are doing.

Also, revoke her citizenship and send her back to Nicaragua.

[Marshal]

It was good racism though, so it's ok.

[Fats of Fury]

Gee anti-communist Nyers, quit crying and pick one, I say Adams and come out and vote. The turnout for De Blasio was 1,102,400, 25.96% of eligible voters. He won by 8.5% of eligible voters! I'd say Madmani may be similar. Get off your lazy asses and vote. How hard is it to get 8.6% of voters?

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Madmani is going to win.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Muting Sarc like he mutes us)]

Were it Chicago, those 8.6% of voters could be found lying 6 feet under.

[VinniUSMC]

So many people just counter "move out of NYC!"

No. The problem with NYC is the people living in NYC who vote in NYC. Stay there. Scare away all of those businesses. Then build a wall around NYC, or just pull a Bane and remove all of the bridges. Either way, please, stay there. Keep your NYC/NJ/CA garbage in those garbage places.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

40% of NYC is now foreign-born.
I guess at least 10.1% is IvyLeague/SevenSisters ‘elite’ Woke indoctrination camp graduates.

This is the predictable result of Reason’s OpenBorders policy preference

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Someday Liz will realize how different stories are actually connected. I hope.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

40% of NYC is now foreign-born.

And this is a problem. Massive immigration while teaching their kids CRT is the way you accelerate Marxism.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""40% of NYC is now foreign-born.""

Are they really? Or do they identify as foreign-born?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/24/nyregion/40-percent-in-new-york-born-abroad.html

[Chumby]

Black Pigeon Speaks recently dropped a video about this in the UK:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=heasG-VgJRM&pp=

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Ireland and the UK only have one way out of their current situation, unfortunately.

[Chumby]

Opt for the NHS funded cosplay gender change and become some rapefugee’s bitch. Peenelope Akbar.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

You guys laugh about Mamdani's bulk pricing scheme, but combine that with limited choice, and he might have something. Take pasta: not just one brand but one type, delivered loose in dump trucks and sold from open barrels. But remember to bring your own bags.

[Ajsloss]

Common sense pasta control. Count me in.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Nobody needs 23 kinds of noodles.

[Chumby]

One would be a gluten for punishment going to a capitalist grocery store being confused by all the brands, shapes, and ingredient types.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

"Fuck off, Jews! We don't sell kosher."

"Completely coincidentally, we also don't sell alcohol or pork products."

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"Can I interest you in these really cool ethnic Middle East scarves that have no political signal whatsoever?"

[Roberta]

Tariffs, or any other taxes, cannot feed inflation, because they don't lead to more money circulating.

[Nelson]

Increased costs to businesses lead to increased prices. Increased prices are called, colloquially, inflation.

Is there a technical difference? Yes. Do most people understand it? No. Nor do they care. If prices are higher, they get angry because prices are higher, no matter what you want to call it.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Ok Humpty Dumpty.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

Increased prices are called, colloquially, inflation.

No, they increased prices are colloquially known as "What the fuck?"

Inflation is economic jargon. Using jargon colloquially is usually an attempt at obfuscation.

[Nelson]

Really? As prices rise, see if your friends bemoan inflation or not.

They will, because that’s what people call it when prices rise precipitously.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

You need better friends.

When I talk to my wife or people at the office, I talk about prices, because I am not an asshole who abuses jargon to obfuscate.

[Nelson]

I understand the difference. Most people don’t. That’s why most people call rising prices “inflation”.

And if you live in a red state, you’re more likely to misunderstand the difference, given the inferior education outcomes most red states achieve.

Of course since either means your dollar buys less, the difference is (literally) academic.

[Incunabulum]

Except Liz is from a Blue state and she's fucking it up while all the Red state yokels here understand the difference.

Kinda destroys your thesis.

[VinniUSMC]

Nelson is a shining example of the theory that the Left is less able to articulate the positions of the Right than vice versa. That's what happens when colleges hand out straight As for participation. "Educated" but not intelligent.

[Nelson]

“ the Left is less able to articulate the positions of the Right than vice versa”

There are a couple problems here. First, I am not “the Left” unless your definition is “to the left of paleocons and MAGA”. Also, I wasn’t articulating any position of the right, I was pointing out the educational failings of red states and the general misunderstanding (from both the right and the left) of the technical difference between inflation and higher prices. If you want to claim that it is a misunderstanding that doesn’t cross political lines, you’ll have to have more than “all the red state folks know it”.

Also, given the rhetoric from the right about Marxism, abortion, trans rights, and drag story hour, they are clearly completely incapable of articulation the positions of the left. The wingnuts on the left? Sure. But most people aren’t extreme like that.

“ That's what happens when colleges hand out straight As for participation.”

If you believe that, you clearly didn’t go to college. Not even a Hillsdale-level community college does that.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Also, I wasn’t articulating any position of the right, I was pointing out the educational failings of red states and the general misunderstanding (from both the right and the left) of the technical difference between inflation and higher prices.

Nigga, you're arguing that people are going to chimp out over what has been an average rate of inflation over the last 30 years. You're not really one to pontificate about educational failings.

Also, given the rhetoric from the right about Marxism, abortion, trans rights, and drag story hour, they are clearly completely incapable of articulation the positions of the left. The wingnuts on the left? Sure. But most people aren’t extreme like that.

All of these policies are supported by the mainstream of the Democratic party, including their elected politicians. If you're going to lie like this, try not to be so blatantly obvious about it. My 12-year-old tells more convincing bullshit.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

Also, given the rhetoric from the right about Marxism, abortion, trans rights, and drag story hour, they are clearly completely incapable of articulation the positions of the left.

Are you seriously contending that the left's position on all of those is not directly derived from critical theory which is directly derived from Marxism? Because they are strategic elements in the promotion of class/race/religious driven warfare.

[Nelson]

“ Kinda destroys your thesis.”

The fact that one person doesn’t differentiate and you did? No, in no rational world does that destroy my thesis.

Overgeneralize much?

Liz, while living in a blue state, does not represent all people living in blue states just like you, while living in a red state, do not represent all people living in red states. If you were better educated, you would realize this blatantly obvious truth.

Now if you had some data that showed that more red state educated people understood the technical difference between inflation and rising prices while more blue state educated people didn’t, then and only then would you have a point.

I have a wealth of data about the inherent inferiority of red states in terms of educational achievement, per-capita income, poverty levels, GDP, and opportunity for advancement.

Those things mitigate against your “all the Red state yokels here understand the difference”, even if such a broad generalization is laughably illogical to begin with.

Also, I am from a blue state and I know the difference, so what does that do to your thesis?

[Incunabulum]

Interestingly enough, you failed to read that I specifically noted that *multiple commenters here* from red states pointed out the technical distinction. Which pointing out is what prompted to to write a response claiming that none of these yokels understood the difference because of failures of their education system.

Yet another nail in your thesis' coffin.

Also, you claimed that people would be freaking out about 'inflation' except MAGA - the people you claim have poor educations, aren't. Because they understand inflation. But the people *you know* - Blue staters - are.

That is basically your thesis stakes through the heart, buried, and cement poured over the coffin.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Nelson isnt the brightest leftist. May even be below sarc. It is amusing though.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND 3 hours ago

“Ok, ok, that’s not really inflation, but everyone I know is ignorant and that’s what they think it is, so that’s what I call it. Also, everyone I know is smarter than those deplorables in red states.”

Imagine posting both of these statements in the same thread?

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

And if you live in a red state, you’re more likely to misunderstand the difference, given the inferior education outcomes most red states achieve.

You do realize you write like an elitist cunt that would be perfectly willing to abuse language to obfuscate the truth, don't you? You just don't give a fuck?

I live in NoVA, home to many elitist cunts just like you.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

He writes like a standard leftist retard who grew up on a poor leftist school system like Baltimore that thinks agreeing with Rachel Maddow makes him intelligent.

Nelson is as retarded as sarc is.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Sarc, just without the drinking.

[Medulla Oblongata]

I've suspected that Nelson is Sarc's sober sock.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Hungover sarc?

[Nelson]

Tell me you are incapable of understanding the things I wrote without saying it.

I defy you to find any place where I have mentioned, never mind agreed with, Rachel Maddow. She is as insane to the left as the paleocon buffoons like you are on the right.

You constantly post ignorant things with little or no specificity. Take tariffs. Every explanation I’ve made about why the impact of tariffs have been felt very little yet, how, why, and when tariffs will become noticeable, what supply chains look like and how they work, and the various decisions about price hikes that companies have to make have been detailed.

Yet you continue to ask why “my prediction” about rising prices is wrong. Answer: because my prediction, based on my experience in international supply chains, has yet to happen. I predicted an impact starting 3-4 months after the tariffs were started, with increasing impact over the next 3-6 months. Apparently you don’t understand what “3-4 months” means, since you’ve been asking the same question and getting the same answer for a couple months now.

And your “proof” that tariffs don’t cause prices to rise? ZeroHedge, which any honest person can easily identify as a hard-right silo site like Slate or MSNBC is for the left. No analysis, like I do. No details, like I do. Just “ZeroHedge says it isn’t happening, so you’re wrong”.

Try to include some detail and some understanding in your posts and you’ll look a lot less ignorant. A Herculean task for you, I know, but try to be slightly less ignorant.

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

Serious question. If your predictions are for future periods, why are you here defending them now when they will become self-evident in the future.

Showing up early to tell everyone how right you are reeks of bullshit and wanting to be on the record to take advantage in the event of coincidence. Will you promise to come back and apologize if you are wrong?

There is also the fact that tariffs were announced 3-4 months ago, even if delayed, and I have definitely seen "experts" telling us we are already seeing the effects because "markets adjust to what they expect." Either your prediction varies from other experts, or you are simply hedging .

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Showing up early to tell everyone how right you are reeks of bullshit and wanting to be on the record to take advantage in the event of coincidence.

He did this with the DeSantis/Disney thing, too. People like him haven't yet realized that a degree doesn't give you magical predictive powers. Look at all the climate change predictions over the last 3 generations.

[Nelson]

“ If your predictions are for future periods, why are you here defending them now when they will become self-evident in the future.”

I’m not. And I have said that, repeatedly, to Jesse. The idea that tariffs would have a large, sudden, immediate impact on prices doesn’t make sense.

On a theoretical level, tariffs increase costs on businesses and will result in higher prices because higher costs eventually lead to higher prices, regardless of the source.

On a practical level, the timing and the size of price increases depend on a lot of factors including delivery dates (orders are paid at time of order, tariffs are paid at time of entry, and those two dates are usually 3-4 months apart), strategic decisions about gaining (or losing) market share, available reserves of the companies, and more.

“ Will you promise to come back and apologize if you are wrong?”

I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. My prediction for the peak and plateau of the price increases runs from about October (possibly November, but I don’t think many companies have the reserves to delay to November) through about April.

That’s Assuming more erratic tariffs don’t occur between now and then. Consistent tariffs (say hitting every new bilateral trade deal country with 25% or 50% to start, knowing it will end up around 20%) would still cause slight upward pressure, but the stability would cause fewer companies to get spooked and hunker down. Economic activity is a great way to decrease upward price pressure.

“ and I have definitely seen "experts" telling us we are already seeing the effects because "markets adjust to what they expect."”

Correct, on a macro level. Stability is often more important than policy in terms of keeping economic activity high. So a bad policy that companies can predict leads to better outcomes than a good policy that is erratically applied. Companies are *very* risk-averse. Maybe-yes-maybe-no makes them hunker down and place fewer orders until the landscape becomes more predictable.

On a micro level, it depends on the company and various internal factors. How much in reserves do they have? A lot means they can afford to eat the cost of the first unprofitable order in favor of continuous inventory resupply. When did they place their orders and when did they arrive? A company that had their orders arrive just before the tariffs went insane has a 3-4 month window to wait out volatility because they got their products before the tariff costs. A company whose order arrived the day after the tariffs arrived is instantly faced with an unprofitable delivery and, if they don’t have a lot in reserve, will have to raise prices earlier. Some companies carry larger inventories since COVID, so they would be in a better place than one that still uses just-in-time inventory practices. There are many factors like this, specific to each company, that could effect when and how much they choose to raise prices. But if you add 45% to the cost of an order, that money has to come from somewhere and the place with the least disruption is the customers.

“ Either your prediction varies from other experts, or you are simply hedging .”

First, I wouldn’t call myself an expert. That insinuates a lot more formal education, especially in macroeconomics, than I ever had. My posts and explanations are based on my experience in the field. Not only did I place and budget orders from overseas, I was part of the team that shifted our production from China to Vietnam a decade ago due to labor costs and dealt with the differences between IP products (NEVER make them in China) vs mass production products. I can tell you what the reaction of companies will be because I dealt with it intimately for years. I can tell you the factors influencing decisions (just-in-time inventory policies are fun and fascinating all by itself). I can detail the practical impact on companies because I dealt with them and had to come up with solutions that kept us competitive in the market.

I wouldn’t call it hedging because I don’t know everything about each company. For instance, I know that Wal-Mart is much less exposed to cost increases because they are so huge they literally dictate the price to suppliers instead of the other way around (and it’s brutal on margins). Has Target achieved that level since I retired about 10 years ago? If so, they are also less vulnerable to tariffs than smaller competitors. But almost no other companies are that big. So they will have to respond to higher costs earlier.

I know most people want to pretend that business is cookie-cutter, but there are a lot of different business models that provide different levels of exposure to cost shocks like sudden tariffs. It’s not just timing and resources, it’s how well or poorly a company is managed. A well-managed company will be able to survive more than a poorly-run company. They just are more efficient in their use of resources, so the poorly-run company might have to raise its prices by 4% while the well-run one only has to raise 2%. That seems like a small difference, but in business 2 points is a big deal.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Multiple people here are laughing at the inaccuracies of what you wrote and your standard false leftist narratives lol.

Hey Nelson buddy, when your theory is constantly proven wrong and you refuse to modify your theory, you're an uneducated cultists.

[Nelson]

“ He did this with the DeSantis/Disney thing, too”

You’re thinking about someone else. I have opinions about the Disney thing, but they are all about the power of government, not about Disney.

Except for a small holding of Disney stock, I have no dog in that fight. And if Disney’s stock ever stops filling the niche in my portfolio, I’ll replace it with something that does.

Companies are companies. I don’t have loyalty to any of them, especially in my investments. If you make good products, I’m on board. If you stop, I’m out. If your stock performs the way it’s supposed to (in Disney’s case, stable stock price with a small dividend), great. If that stops, I’ll buy another stock that provides the same thing.

The one thing I’ll say is that the stock has done a lot better than I hoped and has delivered on what I wanted from it. And now that I’m retired, I’m a lot less aggressive with my investments.

[Nelson]

“ Multiple people here are laughing at the inaccuracies of what you wrote”

Really, Jesse? Would you like to point out what knaccuracies? And while you’re at it, what “false leftist narrative” are you talking about.

And please be specific, like I was.

“ when your theory is constantly proven wrong and you refuse to modify your theory”

Which theory? And again, please be specific. You constantly lie and say I said prices would rise immediately, which I very specifically (and in great detail) did not say. I said the exact opposite.

If you think that “You’re wrong and we’re laughing at you” is a compelling refutation of my detailed post, you’re living in a fantasy world.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

You’re thinking about someone else. I have opinions about the Disney thing, but they are all about the power of government, not about Disney.

No, dipshit, your own words are there for everyone to see. Don't act like some leftist twat and pretend that every day is a clean slate where what you said yesterday doesn't apply anymore.

[Nelson]

“ You do realize you write like an elitist cunt that would be perfectly willing to abuse language to obfuscate the truth”

I write like an educated person, yes. Education equals elitist in your world? That says a lot about you.

“ obfuscate the truth”

What truth am I obfuscating? That the bottom third of states in major categories like educational achievement, poverty, income, and GdP is dominated by red states? That’s just factually accurate.

“ You just don't give a fuck?”

Apparently you don’t understand the things I write, since I very much do care. Read anything about balanced budgets or capitalism or rights-based order or the many, many places that government should stop legislating and you’ll see I care very much about a number of core libertarian ideals.

I just have no patience for vindictive, angry, cruel, and unjust policies that get fewer results and cost more. For example, do you want more criminal illegals gone, like I do? Do it like Obama, not Trump.

But saying I don’t oppose illegal immigration because I oppose the costly and inefficient way it’s being done isn’t me not caring. It’s me caring more for results than politics. You may fail to see the difference, but you have a narrative you want to believe.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

I write like an educated person, yes. Education equals elitist in your world? That says a lot about you.

You certainly write like someone who thinks their "education" makes them some kind of sage. That's what makes you elitist, not that piece of paper.

[Nelson]

What makes you think I have a “piece of paper”? I’m educated because I learn things and understand the foundations of how things work. While my experience is in marketing and supply chains, I have learned far more than that in my life. Mostly because I like learning. That’s how I became a libertarian, by questioning the orthodoxy of both left (taxes are the way to prosperity) and right (tax cuts are the way to prosperity) because they are insufficient and dogmatic. That’s how I ended up being a pro-capitalist, flat tax supporting, balanced budget advocate.

You are the one making the false assumption that when I say “educated” I mean “I went to college”. I agree with you that graduating from college and being educated aren’t necessarily synonymous. There are plenty of people who play the game and figure out what the professor wants to hear rather than actually learning.

That’s not me.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

I’m educated because I learn things and understand the foundations of how things work.

Bullshit. The only thing you've demonstrated is what a tedious fart-huffer you are.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Learning requires revisement of your beliefs when they are shown to be incorrect.

Youre a retarded parrot Nelson. One who refuses to learn. Lol.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

LOL!

I write like an educated person, yes. Education equals elitist in your world? That says a lot about you.

Nelson is less self aware than sarc is.

[Nelson]

I see. Only those who haven’t gone to college are the right kind of educated. Anything more makes them an “elitist”.

Knowledge is a good thing.

Throwing around “elitist” indiscriminately isn’t the insult you think it is. It says a lot more about you than anyone else.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Lol, I went to college. You really missed the point Nelson.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

You apparently dont understand it. Or you're trying to back track from all your wrong economic predictions. Instead of just admitting you were a fucking idiot.

[Nelson]

“ You apparently dont understand it”

I do, but if you want to learn, here: https://www.stlouisfed.org/open-vault/2025/july/differences-prices-inflation-explained

“ Or you're trying to back track from all your wrong economic predictions”

Which wrong economic predictions? As I point out every time you say “my” predictions are wrong, my actual predictions have barely started. I said prices would start to rise 3-4 months after the tariffs were imposed (with details about why and various things that could delay them, like a company choosing to eat the first unprofitable delivery to see how things settle out). They will accelerate after that, especially when the first large company is forced to raise prices (and lose market share) because the others will follow about couple months later without taking the same hit. They will continue to rise for 3-10 months depending on what the tariff landscape looks like. Back-to-school prices won’t be bad, but Christmas shopping will be pricey.

See how you make false accusations with no actual details or understanding? Yet you are never ashamed of it because in your world the fact that I find paleocons a sad combination of ignorant and awful, and cultural conservatives (those who wish to force others to live by social conservative values through legislation) to be coercive and anti-liberty makes me a bad person (or, in your ignorant shorthand, a “leftist”).

I am a libertarian because I value individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, and capitalism with fewer impediments (tariff as well as bloated regulations).

If you want to be an honest person, come at me with facts and accusations based on my posts, not your simplistic, binary worldview.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

As I point out every time you say “my” predictions are wrong, my actual predictions have barely started.

Based on your track record, I think we'll be okay.

[Nelson]

Again, my track record is a couple weeks old. So far I’m right.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Again, your track record goes back farther than a couple of weeks. I think we'll be okay.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

You dont understand it. If you did you'd stop regurgitating the same models that have been constantly shown to be wrong especially when it is recent.

You understand nothing. You are not adaptable to modifying what you've been told. But you double down despite being proven wrong in real time.

Youre a fucking idiot Nelson.

[Nelson]

“ that have been constantly shown to be wrong”

Constantly, you say? Care to give any examples?

You and your paleocon friends are exactly why I am not worried about MAGA as a long-term influence on American politics. Your ignorance and pathetic desire to have everything Trump says be true (even the self-contradictory parts) will falter when he is gone. I don’t see anyone who can pick up his mantle and carry on.

Perhaps I’ll be wrong, but MAGA seems to be built on a house of cards. They don’t stand for anything.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

And if you live in a red state, you’re more likely to misunderstand the difference, given the inferior education outcomes most red states achieve?

Your dumb ass wasn't even aware that this is the average inflation rate for the last 30 years. The fuck you think you're kidding about your supposed knowledge?

How's that "discovery" "after halftime" going for your lefty boos at Disney, by the way? You were very insistent that it was going to destroy DeSantis.

[Nelson]

As we were discussing above, there is a difference between inflation and rising prices. I was assured by one of your fellow paleocons that all you red state yokels understood the difference. Apparently he meant “except for Red Rocks”.

“ The fuck you think you're kidding about your supposed knowledge?”

Unlike you and Jesse and Mother and the various other hard right paleocon fools, I post my knowledge in detailed posts. If you want to know anything about my position on tariffs and why I think they will cause prices to rise (which, since you didn’t know, is technically different than inflation), just read my posts. I walk through it in great detail because that was part of my job for years.

I also have opinions, and reasons why I think my opinions would make good policy (like a flat tax and entitlement reform). But I don’t have practical experience in those things, so I am less educated about them than supply chain and marketing.

“ How's that "discovery" "after halftime" going for your lefty boos at Disney, by the way?”

I have no idea what that means. My only connection to Disney is their stock, which I hold because it is a solid blue chip stock and pays a small dividend. If it stops being those things, I’ll sell it and buy another low-risk dividend-paying stick. As long as it fills a niche in my portfolio, I don’t care if it’s Disney or anything else.

“ You were very insistent that it was going to destroy DeSantis.”

You’ve got the wrong person. I think it shows that DeSantis used the power of government to punish his political enemies, which I believe is very, very wrong and an illustration of his general disdain for good governance, but I don’t see any way it could have “destroyed” him. I probably also thought that he would lose some cases in court because I choose to believe that the Constitutional system we have will prevent abuses of power.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

If you want to know anything about my position on tariffs and why I think they will cause prices to rise (which, since you didn’t know, is technically different than inflation), just read my posts.

Yes, you have to use those kinds of glittering generalities because the historical record shows that there's no correlation between tariff rates and inflation rates. "Tariffs make everything cost more" is one of those unfalsifiable claims that never seem to be measured against actual prices over a span of time.

I have no idea what that means. My only connection to Disney is their stock, which I hold because it is a solid blue chip stock and pays a small dividend.

LOL, I've already falsified this attempt to play dumb, but I'll post again just for the yucks:

Nelson 2 years ago
Claiming victory at halftime is usually a good way to lose.

Nelson 2 years ago
"He’s giving Disney one last chance to drop the stupidity"

Yes, the multibillion dollar international corporation that was retaliated against for speaking against a bad law is the one that is being stupid.

I imagine the Disney lawyers are licking their chops over discovery. This will be more humiliating for Florida politicians than the Dominion lawsuit was for Fox. And that's saying a lot.

Someone bragging about their "education" really shouldn't be this unself-aware.

[Nelson]

“ Yes, you have to use those kinds of glittering generalities because the historical record shows that there's no correlation between tariff rates and inflation rates.”

Again, I said it affects prices, not inflation rate. Because *any* increase in cost to businesses will create upward pressure on prices. Regulations, taxes, tariffs, energy prices, etc. and I make the exact opposite of “glittering generalities”. I make detailed posts, unlike you and Jesse and Mother.

The idea that increased costs from, for example, overregulation will drive up prices but increased costs from tariffs won’t is magical thinking. Increased costs impact businesses, regardless of the source.

“ Claiming victory at halftime is usually a good way to lose.”

And he didn’t lose. That’s what the rule of law is all about. In my mind, this was the wrong result but it went through the legal process and survived. So it’s exactly how it should be.

You seem to think that I’m some outcome-oriented zealot. I’m not. I accept when bad things are done, but survive challenges. It doesn’t make me happy, but it doesn’t make me lose my mind and accuse everyone of cheating or stealing elections or being a bad judge.

That’s just one difference between us. The principle matters, even if I don’t like the result.

“ I imagine the Disney lawyers are licking their chops over discovery. This will be more humiliating for Florida politicians than the Dominion lawsuit was for Fox. And that's saying a lot.”

I missed on that one, too, although I was right about Dominion. I thought they would go at DeSantis hard and grab anything and everything they could justify. They didn’t.

“ Yes, the multibillion dollar international corporation that was retaliated against for speaking against a bad law is the one that is being stupid.”

What, exactly, is wrong about that statement? While I had a LOT more hope that the courts would reign in the abuse of power that DeSantis displayed, it didn’t happen. Yes, I had too much faith in the legal system checking the power of a vindictive executive. In that, I was wrong.

But I stand by the assertion that a governor or President going after companies that displease them is something that shouldn’t happen. You may be comfortable with a powerful, unitary executive with few checks on their power. I am not. Because the next guy will take that power and do the same thing to their enemies and none of us benefit from that sort of scorched-earth politics. I believe in checks and balances.

“ Someone bragging about their "education" really shouldn't be this unself-aware.”

It’s not a lack of self-awareness, it’s a prediction that turned out to be wrong. It’s not like I thought that Disney was the knight in shining armor and DeSantis was the evil sorcerer. I thought that DeSantis was using the executive branch to punish Disney and that Disney would fight back. They didn’t, so the process happened exactly how it was supposed to, with an outcome I disliked. That’s called life. You don’t always get what you want.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Again, I said it affects prices, not inflation rate.

Again, get back to us when tariffs actually affect the prices.

And don't try to shrug off your lack of predictive powers when you were so fucking smug about it initially.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Imagine a group of friends who has Nelson as the smart one?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Even sarc would be known as the smart one in that group.

[Chumby]

Sarc’s imaginary friends that laugh at the humor in his posts agree.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

They will, because that’s what people call it when prices rise precipitously.

The average rate of inflation is a "precipitous rise"?

No, retard, people notice it when prices suddenly undergo massive spikes, not year-over-year incremental increases that are typical through the course of decades.

[Nelson]

Again, there is a difference between inflation and price increases. It’s literally one of the main things we’re discussing.

If you want to learn, here: https://www.stlouisfed.org/open-vault/2025/july/differences-prices-inflation-explained

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

And you're claiming that people will notice the price increases from tariffs--which your lefty boos are conflating with the increase in the inflation rate. Which aren't actually connected, but your lefty boos are so desperate for a W they're grasping on to whatever they can these days.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Actually I think the ongoing conflation of the (revised again and again) CPI with inflation (which actually has had a real definition for centuries) is a decades old psyop to convince the great unwashed that money is some mystical entity beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. The CPI doesn't tell us anything about the money supply. It only tells us that our dollars are worth less than they were last month or last year or 50 years ago. The FED explicitly tells us that they intend to destroy the dollar by 2% annually. When the treasury demands cash they print more dollars but ultimately have to extinguish the debt via the inflation tax. Tariffs may move dollars from one place to another but they can't create dollars and by definition cannot be inflationary. I know there was a huge sigh of relief at Reason when they saw that .3 on the CPI print top line. But the report details do not in any way indicate that tariffs had anything to do with it. These are not honest journalists.

[Nelson]

“ The CPI doesn't tell us anything about the money supply.”

Agreed.

“ It only tells us that our dollars are worth less than they were last month or last year or 50 years ago.”

Correct. This is what tariffs impact, the price of products. Increased costs lead to increased price lead to a dollar buying less than it did before. FWIW, overregulation has the same effect, just not as strongly.

“ When the treasury demands cash they print more dollars but ultimately have to extinguish the debt via the inflation tax.”

Exactly. This is why deficit spending is so damaging and why a balanced budget is so necessary.

“ Tariffs may move dollars from one place to another but they can't create dollars and by definition cannot be inflationary.”

Agreed. My point was that most people don’t understand the difference between higher prices and inflation. People often use the term “inflation” to refer to higher prices. It’s not a clearly understood distinction even for those who took micro- and macroeconomics in college, then promptly forgot 90% of it when the test was over.

“ But the report details do not in any way indicate that tariffs had anything to do with it.”

Journalists of all stripes struggle to understand the difference between coincidence, correlation, and causation. Often, so do scientists, who should know better.

https://www.snexplores.org/article/explainer-correlation-causation-coincidence-and-more

[Incunabulum]

But the technical distinction is important here.

If prices are rising because of tariffs it is not inflation - a different mechanism to tame too much money (increase taxes) or too few good, which is what inflation is, is not the same as what is needed to control prices raises due to tariffs.

So Reason, by conflating the two, is helping increase ignorance and working to make things worse.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Nelson is pushing his ignorance onto others.

The last two days of his post have been hilariously retarded.

[Nelson]

I’m not the one claiming that inflation and price rises are the same. I merely pointed out that most people don’t differentiate between the technical meaning of inflation and rising prices. You paleocons have turned it into some weird pile-on where you insinuate that I said the technical definition of inflation includes price increases.

I didn’t.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Agreed. The technical distinction is indeed important. Tariffs cannot increase the money supply. And even if they could the price increases we see today are nothing compared to the inflation tax created by the Covid money dump, which the economy is still winding out of.

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

Nelson doesn't understand what inflation means.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

“Ok, ok, that’s not really inflation, but everyone I know is ignorant and that’s what they think it is, so that’s what I call it. Also, everyone I know is smarter than those deplorables in red states.”

Imagine posting both of these statements in the same thread?

[JesseAz (Prime Meanster of Sarcasia)]

And then calling those who do understand it the non intelligent ones.

The sarc virus is spreading.

[Nelson]

You are saying that I claimed that inflation and prices increases are the same? Because I did no such thing.

[Nelson]

“ Ok, ok, that’s not really inflation”

Yes. I’ve never said differently. You understand that, right?

All I said was that, generally speaking, the public struggles to understand the distinction between inflation and prices rising and frequently uses “inflation” to describe both.

The strange pile-on you folks are doing ignores what I actually said in favor of some bizarre narrative about what you think I do or don’t understand, based entirely on your projections. It’s par for the paleocon course, but still deeply dishonest.

“ Also, everyone I know is smarter than those deplorables in red states.”

Putting more words in my mouth, are you? I said no such thing. I merely pointed out that the education level in red states is demonstrably lower than in blue states.

I like to point that out because it really chaps your ass that their policies, which social conservatives constantly assert are superior to blue states, consistently underperform blue states. As proof, look at how butthurt you are.

Don’t get me wrong, blue states do some dumb things, especially fiscally. But when you have decades of data that show that most the bottom third of states act one way and most of the top third of states act a different way, it doesn’t make sense to continue to think that’s a coincidence. Blue states outperform red states. That’s just life in the real world.

[DesigNate]

Yes, asshole leftists decided they would make everyone dumber by referring to general price increases as inflation (no really, look up the history of how the word started being used). Because that’s what they do: change the way we speak and interact so nobody can really know what the fuck is going on.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

RE: parental anxiety. I agree that many parents, and people in general, have gotten too paranoid and obsessed with safetyism. But I wonder if this also reflects expected attitudes with changes in demographics. Did people (including pioneers) who had 6 or 10 kids, and expected a few to die in infancy, change rationally when they have only one kid, and get more concerned?

[Mike Parsons]

ya, the change in times is huge

If you have a couple that didn't have kids until late 30s, used IVF, and now has their one and only kid, it makes sense that they end up helicoptering over the kid (enabled further by technology), compared to a family even in the 1900s that would have 4-5 kids in their 20s, and of course even more extreme is the comparison of the homestead/pioneer days of "lets make 10 kids, as they will be the work force, and also half of them will probably die in infancy, the other half will be lucky to make it to 20".

Part of the anxiety tech brings is the "bad thing happens ---> I COULD HAVE done X,Y,Z"
Wife and I were admittedly overboard with our kids, we had the cameras in their room and even the sock monitor. Thinking was "well if its my kid that gets SIDS, and I didn't use the technology I could easily afford and (appropriately) use, Ill never forgive myself." Pioneers didn't have that choice. Living every day knowing a wolf (of some variety) might snatch up your kid was a just how it was.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

My wife and I only had one son because yeah, we waited too long. We had an audio monitor, don't think video was available back then, mostly because of the SIDS hysteria. Once he was toddling we raised him the way we grew up. There were no helicopters. Pretty much let him do what he wanted short of violence or destruction. Turned into a pretty amazing man but I take no credit. He figured it out on his own.

[mad.casual]

But I wonder if this also reflects expected attitudes with changes in demographics.

Imagine for a moment that modern society has near-wholly silenced and discarded half or more of the parental unit, the half that is traditionally regarded as better both with technology, risk, and the employment of technology to minimize risk to the other half.

Recently, it's been bandied about that the divorce rates for FF couples is significantly (>50%) higher than any other combination. There's obviously a direct implication about sexual orientation but for all the "MUH GENDUR ROLLZ IZ KONSTRUKTS!" and "MUH THEEOREEZ IZ KRITICAL!" bandied about, the more Earth shattering (or "shattering") aspect should be that if you take two members of the more "tolerant", "empathetic", and "emotionally grounded" gender and put them together they end up hating each other and separating out of animosity more than any combination that contains the half of the species that is more "violent", "oppressive", and "emotionally distant" than wild bears.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Women are genetically programed to see other women as competitors and a threat. They hate each other much more than they hate men and they can be viciously cruel in ways that some of us patriarchs can't even get our brains around. Sexual attraction may not be enough to overcome that primal instinct.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

And it shows up in early years, when little girls play psychological games with each other while little boys just run and throw things.

[mad.casual]

Sexual attraction may not be enough to overcome that primal instinct.

You're ceding a lot of insane, progressive, post-modern ground here. Sexual attraction inherently requires reproduction.

Counterpoint- For as much bullshit gets folded into IQ, EQ is a higher and deeper pile. Longer than EQ has been around it's been known that men are more efficient communicators both in terms of communicating less *and* in terms of achieving greater understanding with the same number or fewer words. This would seem to suggest that women aren't more empathetic, they're just better liars. A fact that would align with various historical accounts and philosophies dating back into prehistory.

Per "wild bears", hypergamy, smothering mothers, and... other sexual proclivities... they see *everyone* as a threat (and pretend they don't).

[Chuck the Sarcasm Police]

Did people (including pioneers) who had 6 or 10 kids, and expected a few to die in infancy, change rationally when they have only one kid, and get more concerned?

Absolutely. Regardless of what nihilist philosophers have to say about human behavior, reproduction is a biological imperative. It is rational to exhibit more care and concern for fewer offspring and that is evident across all species.

What has really changed between then and now is peoples' willingness to overprotect other peoples' children. That does not strike me as rational.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

'So many people just counter "move out of NYC!" But is nobody else bothered by the idea of just…ceding our nation's largest city, full of 8 million people and lots of important industries, to the ultraprogressives?'

So better to remain, think you are promoting a rational resistance, but actually enable the crazies to keep pushing their agenda? Did you ever think that if all the productive people left, John Galt style, the progressive utopia would last just a month?

[Dillinger]

>>actually enable the crazies to keep pushing their agenda?

Liz' bosses want the agenda some portion of the Koch/Soros alliance just gave Mamdani like $23 million obo Working Families lol

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

The consumer price index (CPI) "increased 0.3% on the month, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.7%," per CNBC.

Um, hasn't this been the average inflation rate over the last 35 years?

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Sorry, history is racist.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

"Trump Is Closing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What You Stand to Lose"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/trump-is-closing-the-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-what-you-stand-to-lose/vi-AA1IEEwb

Some overpaid bureaucrats.

[Mother's Lament - (Sarc's a Nazi, not even joking)]

Reason hardest hit.

[Dillinger]

>>Inflation Rises, Tariffs to Blame

you guys are really bad at the tea leaves.

[Chumby]

Tea bags, otoh…

[Ajsloss]

Not exactly steeped in subtlety...

[Chumby]

Earl Gay

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Fifty shades?

[TJJ2000]

"Don't blame the cause! Blame the effect!", reason staff. /s

Look. The US has a serious debt (spending) problem. That is were the inflation problems are founded. As-if the massive COVID spending and following massive inflation didn't set that into stone.

Debt doesn't get paid-for by consuming. You can't spend your way out of debt (import-consumerism). You have to MAKE/CREATE (i.e. domestic production) to pay for runaway consumption.

[Marshal]

It’s going to be so funny watching a mayoralty consumed by trying to run a grocery store

I think it's strange anyone believes the mayor or government will pay a bit of attention to the stores after they open. Why would they? They don't care if they're profitable, they don't care about service delivery, they don't care about anything except being able to say they opened government stores.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

They will pay an NGO to run it.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

And pay someone $500k to run a few bodegas.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

The white neighborhoods will be happy to pay for it.

[Marshal]

Right, and every dollar it loses is a vote for Mamdani. Losing money is the point.

[Incunabulum]

>But is nobody else bothered by the idea of just…ceding our nation's largest city,

No. They are zombies. Get out, build a wall around it, contain the memetic infection.

As for the finance people - *they did this*. They can go fix themselves or they can stay and deal with the fallout of what they voted for.

[Incunabulum]

>Where can one benefit from agglomeration effects, good job prospects

Phoenix. Dallas. Tons of places in the icky red states - just don't come out looking to change the place into what you fled from - no more multiculturalism, back to the melting pot.

[MT-Man]

A country where you don't feel like you can realistically afford a new car anymore, because prices have been jacked up due to the president's foolhardy, haphazard decision making, is not a prosperous one. - I really don't agree with this position, I haven't seen any of the youths who don't have a sense of indebtedness (Thanks student loan forgiveness) stop from overreaching all the time, I mean cars are way more than just 4 years ago and you are telling me a .3% is the point you want to hammer home now?

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Two classes of people buy new cars, Idiots and those wealthy enough to not give a shit about the cost. A new car is a depreciating asset. Your are absolutely guaranteed to be poorer when you drive it out of the show room. If you finance it you will compound your path to poverty with every monthly payment. Neither the idiots nor the wealthy will bat an eye at a .3% cost increase.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

It's also a false narrative, because prices on vehicles went through the fucking roof during COVID, and the auto dealers have refused to bring them back closer to pre-COVID prices because they know people will eventually need to get new vehicles. There's videos out there talking about how some dealerships have had vehicles on the lot for up to TWO MODEL YEARS. By that point, they're pretty much rotted out and useless anyway.

Current vehicle prices have fuck-all to do with Trump's tariffs. It's like these people went to sleep in February 2020, woke up two months ago, and thought Trump got himself a third term.

[mad.casual]

There's also the background current or flux of "just really popular" vehicles.

But, to your point, even this article has the hilarious "Sure, they're sitting on overstock of more than 25% of their lifetime total sales but things will only get worse once tariffs drive prices up." take.

[DesigNate]

Liz, if you want normal story times at the public library, you’re gonna have to leave NYC and come back to Texas.