Mastodawn

Grocery prices remained high even as inflation slowed.

butter prices rose 27%
milk rose 14.7%
flour rose 24.9%

Does anyone want to tell me how bird flu affects milk prices? Without laughing.

PatJr Jan 17, 2023

I would guess a lot has more to do with diesel.

I agree Vin Diesel is to blame.

PirateRo Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost affects…once prices go up, you’ll likely never see them come down. Remember when we were told the price of milk is $4 because gasoline was $5/gal? Milk is even higher today. And bread! $5 a loaf??

Rory Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost The only thing that affects prices is Greed...

@customer228 …also money

Rory Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost Yes indeed. It's always about money...

reiner Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost corporate profiteering/monopolistic power at its finest. Like they say, never let a good crisis go to waste — corpos will use any excuse to raise prices.

@reiner well said. And it continues unabated

Rory Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost And we know who thrives on that...

Palin Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost
Don't forget insurance....
Geico tried to raise my insurance by $40.00 & said " you didn't do anything wrong, it's inflation"
So I switched insurance companies & saved $73.00.
Imagine that.....

@palin that’s insane !

Army Girl Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost weirdly, pork is the only thing that's gotten cheaper, at least where I live. Fresh veg has also almost doubled. We all know none of these prices will ever go down again, regardless of the "inflation rate".

@ArmyGirl mmm. Bacon.

Army Girl Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost 🤣🤣

Barbara Monaco Jan 17, 2023

@ArmyGirl True here in SoCal. There seems to be a surplus of pork. Last week our food pantry received pallets of big pork roasts for distribution. Supermarkets are offering half price sales on pork products.
I refuse to pay double for fresh veg. My favorite lettuce, locally grown, went from $1.49 to $2.99 in a space of weeks. I've replaced w/less expensive greens. Using frozen veg instead of fresh when possible.
Don't even get me started on eggs.🤬

Ice Nine Jan 17, 2023

Without the birds, there's only bees. Explain that to horny cattle, that's the sting.

@IceNine hi. What?

Ice Nine Jan 17, 2023

Well without knowing about the birds and the bees, we're not going to have any friskiness acted upon successfully.

So with the removal of the birds via H5N1, how can we explain to the cattle what to do?

If there are no calves, no milk produced, milk prices go up.

I think Australia is sussed but the big Eggageddon here in NZ now means NZ cheese is cheaper in Australia. Yes, significantly cheaper.

Bloody bird flu.

Ice Nine Jan 17, 2023

But seriously, that last bit - NZ has a supermarket duopoly. A Commerce Commission report concluded they make excessive profits.

So to alleviate our pain, if you spend enough at one, you get bricks (image credit Daniel Vernon, aka YeehawTheBoys).

Yeah, I ❤ capitalism.

@IceNine ❤️

This is Hell Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost 🔥🔥🔥

CUDA813 Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost because they own the media Outlets

@CUDA813 winner! We literally only have to look at their corporate owners and advertisers to find out

Roadskater, Ph.D.Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost "here's 2... stocks". So an article written by a reporter who failed 7th-grade English?

The cost of eggs is high due to an avian flu that is impacting flocks across the country. It’s got nothing to do with Joe Biden and the Democrats.

Packets and Bolts Jan 17, 2023

@j2dumfounded imagine having the most uninformed opinions, and then posting them in my comments with pride

🏆

@flexghost
Imagine

@j2dumfounded @flexghost Yet for some reason they don't talk about the horribly crowded conditions chickens are raised in leading to sicker chickens that can't resist the disease. Odd..

onecaliberal Jan 18, 2023

@PacketsAndBolts @j2dumfounded @[email protected] There are laws against it in California.

Michelle Markel Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost Let's not forget price gouging by the oil and utilities companies.

Quest Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost
I know things are screwed up right now with inflation and pricing but I'd like to play devils advocate for a second and point out that record profits could just be a function of higher prices. If your margin is 10% and eggs went from $2/dozen to $6/dozen your profit will be higher on the same volume or about the same on 1/3 the volume. While greed is probably a major factor in our inflationary issues it is also the reason we get click-bait news titles that stir emotions w/o analysis.

@quest imagine having the most unsupported random “but I feel this way” take and posting it in my comments for all to see

🥇

Quest Jan 18, 2023

@flexghost
Thanks for the reward!

spherulitic Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost the price of eggs shouldn’t have anything to do with the cost of production. The price of eggs is the maximum price people are willing to pay for eggs and not a penny less.

Chris ♾️Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost
At this point I'm wondering when someone will come out and say the obvious: that the price-hikes we've been seeing are a coordinated exercise in punishing labor for demanding (and getting) marginally higher pay, while also gouging profits out of a public that deserves better antitrust protections and punishing voters for electing democrats

WestTexasJesus Jan 17, 2023

@beautifulmind @flexghost corporate America owns all political parties.

Soozcat Jan 18, 2023

@beautifulmind @flexghost Some of it is just basic late-stage capitalist fuckery of "we've enjoyed record-breaking profits during the pandemic and we're not about to let that go without a fight"

Computeforloot

Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost the price of eggs is high because it CAN BE…you nailed it

JR 🏳️‍🌈Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost The same Right wing companies/billionaires that have a monopolies on much of our food production also own the media outlets.
Our constitution leaned heavily on the importance of a free press. A free press not hindered by the whims of its billionaire/corporate owners, our press however is.
We do not have free press from major media, pick and only can still rely on independent smaller megaphone sources.

@Lucky188 this

Codhisattva Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost disaster capitalism in full force

David_grün Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost Probably something to do with the Very Rich owning the media?

@DavidNorth sounds accurate

josh buermann Jan 17, 2023

What's a windfall tax going to do about ten percent of the flock being culled and prices rising until 10 percent of the demand is destroyed?

@buermann Omg this take for the millionth time. Read first then talk.

josh buermann Jan 18, 2023

@flexghost

Nothing in your post explains how a windfall profits tax is going to stop prices and profits from rising when supply chains are disrupted by, say, turning the economy off and then turning it on again because of a pandemic.

Maybe Oxfam attempts to? But you didn't link to their report.

@buermann “uh duhhhhhh”
- I summarized your reply. You’re welcome.

onecaliberal Jan 18, 2023

@buermann @[email protected] I buy eggs weekly. They went up 3 fold after they killed the bird’s. Corporations are greedy fuckers and deserve the disdain, but to pretend that had zero effect on price is wrong.

josh buermann Jan 18, 2023

@flexghost @Tbsa

Just went to the store and there were no eggs at any price.

I just don't understand what a windfall profits tax is supposed to accomplish here, prices are still going to go up when there's supply shortfalls, and then you're just taking away capital that needs to be re-invested to improve supply, which is where highly concentrated markets need regulation and anti-trust so the windfall isn't all siphoned off by parasitic monopoly capital.

lolonurse Jan 17, 2023

@flexghost
I feel the entire "military-industrial complex" has moved beyond feeling in any way connected to our country or its people. These people are living & operating in a world that barely acknowledge's the worker bees, or even leaders. They've become pretty much untouchable, from the way it looks. We can protest, but they just shrug & laugh. Dangerous times.

@lolonurse at this point it is sentient and just requires more simply because it does.

lolonurse Jan 18, 2023

@flexghost
When I was a child, Eisenhower warned about this. I keep saying if he were alive today, he'd be horrified, heartbroken, & definitely not a Republican! Yes, the global 1% & their businesses are a separate & hostile species.

DarryB Jan 18, 2023

@flexghost Food prices in the UK have gone 30 to 40% overall. Some items, such as pasta and rice are around 130% higher than 2019. Home energy bills are around £2500/$3000 up 96% over the last year and will go up again in April this year to around £4000/$4900. 10-11% inflation rate.
And we have more millionaires and billionaires than ever. Something is very, very wrong with our countries.

flexghost.Jan 18, 2023

@DarryB insane. And I agree.

Jasmine Jan 18, 2023

Corporations are predators. We're their prey. They need to be regulated to PROTECT us from them as CONSUMERS, and they fight those regulations. We also need regulations to PROTECT us from them as EMPLOYEES. They also fight tooth and nail against those protections, too. Maybe someone smarter than me can tell me why we CONTINUE TO ALLOW THIS??? Because I just don't understand why we continue to tolerate this abject abuse.

flexghost.Jan 18, 2023

@MysticaRose literally this.

Jasmine Jan 18, 2023