The problem isn't inflation. It's prices. What goes up may not come down

Re:The problem isn't inflation. It's prices. What goes up ma... by mattgreenrocks on Wednesday November 08, 2023 @12:35PM (#38193915)

From my POV it feels like every near-essential good has slow but steady inflationary effect and everyone just sort of accepts it:

* health care

* housing

* cars

* food

It's hard not to feel like these markets each manifest a collective behavior of, "we know we're essential, so we are free to set prices as we wish because you have no real alternatives." It benefits all the players to play along, you don't even need to prove collusion. And there's no way to push back on it collectively. I realize some of them are due to limited supply (housing) or pure necessity (health care). But cars? I'm paying 10k more for the same thing I bought in 2016?

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Re:The problem isn't inflation. It's prices. What goes up ma... by throw0101a on Wednesday November 08, 2023 @12:51PM (#38194157)

> housing

Were you not around in the US (and many other places) in 2008-10? Prices can definitely fall.

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Re:The problem isn't inflation. It's prices. What goes up ma... by mattgreenrocks on Wednesday November 08, 2023 @12:59PM (#38194286)

For sure! Definitely the exception rather than the norm. Wished I'd bought then, but was in no position to do so.

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