The Price of Liberty

On Wednesday, as expected and as we were warned dozens if not hundreds of times, the Fed raised interest rates. While we here at TPOL don’t pretend to understand the reasoning – or even why the Fed should have any power to establish interest rates – we do understand why people are worried and confused. We do not know if the increasingly panic-sounding warnings are legit or not. (We’ve heard it before.)

The confusion was seen stock markets, oil markets, and other indicators bounce all over the place. To add to the confusion, our dear Uncle Joe is spouting nonsense almost constantly regarding the economy. People still refuse to accept that political figures know as little about economics, the economy, and markets as the latest popular Hollywood displayer of cleavage or hypertrophied muscles. And as of Friday the 23rd of September 2022, the American (and overseas) stock markets are tumbling, courtesy of the Fed (according to most of the “expert” talking heads).

But even we here at TPOL don’t understand the complexities, we DO understand when prices go up and up and up – and when quantities in packaging of consumer products go down and down. And when more and more shelves – especially at grocery stores – get more and more empty. Even while prices climb.

And we understand why governments love inflation. Most governments, at least. Because in 2022, governments – national and most State governments – fund their madness by borrowing money. What TPOL often refers to as “taxing the future” and probably should be called “enslaving the future.”