The Rigged Cost of Living: How Elites Engineered Your Financial Squeeze

Inflation: The Official Lie Every month, some career bureaucrat in Washington steps behind a lectern to assure you that inflation is “moderating.” They quote “core CPI” numbers designed to lull you into complacency. Here’s the truth: the formula used to calculate inflation has been rigged more times than a crooked slot machine. Back in the 1970s, the Consumer Price Index measured the actual cost of maintaining a middle-class lifestyle—housing, energy, food, healthcare. But each time those numbers got too politically inconvenient, the formula was “adjusted.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics swapped out real goods for hedonic substitutions and statistical gimmicks. The result? An official inflation rate that’s a fairy tale. Historical context: In 1980, if we applied the same inflation calculation as then, today’s rate wouldn’t be the anemic 3–4% reported by Washington—it would be closer to 12–15%. The same era gave us the last bout of real inflation panic, leading to 20% interest rates under Paul Volcker. But at least then, politicians admitted the problem existed. Today, they just lie. Counterargument rebuttal: Some economists claim that “modern” inflation metrics are more accurate because they adjust for product quality. Translation: “If your rent doubled, but your landlord painted the walls, you’re better off.” Nonsense. That’s lipstick on a pig. The Price of Surviving Remember when summer vacations didn’t require a second mortgage? When gas was under a dollar, and a decent motel cost less than a steak dinner? You’re not imagining things—wages have stagnated for forty years while the costs of living sprinted ahead. A few facts the cheerleaders won’t tell you: Housing: Over the last decade, home prices rose nearly 90%, far outpacing median household income, which crawled up about 30%. Health Insurance: From 2008 to 2023, average employer-provided premiums nearly doubled nationwide, to nearly $24,000 a year per family—before out-of-pocket expenses. Food: The average grocery bill has risen over 25% in just four years. Dog food alone has soared 45% since 2021. Tell me again how inflation is “manageable.” BNPL: The New Debt Trap More than a quarter of Americans now use Buy Now, Pay Later loans to pay for basics—groceries, diapers, gas. Wall Street salivates at this desperation, charging hidden fees and usurious interest rates once the teaser period ends. BNPL is just payday lending in a slick new wrapper. It thrives because policymakers refuse to enforce old-fashioned usury laws. Back in 1910, states capped interest rates to keep loan sharks at bay. Today, regulators sit on their hands while your neighbors finance cereal boxes and children’s clothes. A Nation of Financial Hostages Nearly 70% of Americans report depression and anxiety because they can’t keep up. This is no moral failing. This is what happens when a financial elite extracts wealth faster than workers can produce it. For decades, middle-income Americans have been told to “just budget better.” Here’s the raw truth: no amount of coupon-clipping will save you when your rent, insurance, and groceries swallow your paycheck before it clears. The Illusion of Prosperity Policymakers in both parties love to crow about record stock markets and “strong job numbers.” Let’s dissect that charade. Stock Market Boom? Sure—because the Federal Reserve printed $8 trillion to prop it up. But 84% of all stocks are owned by the richest 10%. You get the inflation, they get the wealth effect. Jobs? Yes, you can have two or three part-time jobs with no benefits. Many “new” jobs created since the pandemic are gig work or low-wage service positions that don’t pay the bills. Historical context: In the Great Depression, at least there was public acknowledgement that the system had failed. Today, there is only gaslighting—an endless barrage of PR telling you things are “resilient” as your credit card balance explodes. The Road Ahead—and Who to Blame It didn’t have to be this way. We arrived at this precipice through a series of reckless decisions: Offshoring millions of manufacturing jobs in the name of “efficiency.” Deregulating financial markets to allow speculative bubbles. Gutting antitrust enforcement so mega-corporations could corner markets and dictate prices. Relying on debt-fueled consumption instead of broad-based wage growth. If you’re angry, you should be. The collapse of affordable living was engineered by policymakers and corporate oligarchs who will never pay the price. Final Thoughts Some apologists will insist this is just the business cycle, or that “technological progress” inevitably creates winners and losers. Don’t buy it. This is not a natural disaster—it is a crime scene. The sooner we confront that fact, the sooner we can start demanding accountability from those who built this rigged system—and finally reclaim an economy that works for ordinary Americans.

The Rigged Cost of Living: How Elites Engineered Your Financial Squeeze

Bill Brocius Jul 17

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