Inflation and purchasing power: who benefits? The winners ?

[Christophe]

Blablablabla ... it's been 6 months that we keep talking about this damn purchasing power ... to say what in the end? By much, that France is getting worse and worse but without really putting its finger on the real culprits ... because they exist ...

Worse: this sarko campaign lie that is purchasing power is contagious and is spreading across Europe ...

It is starting to make me think of the mental bludgeoning that the Americans suffered about the Muslim terrorists after 9/11 ...

What GRAND ME (R) DIAS forget to say most of the time is that (to be completed):

a) the money does not disappear: a more expensive product = more margins distributed + or - fairly on the "chain of production and sale" ... therefore the fall in the purchasing power of some increases suddenly on that of others, it's mathematical.

b) The winner every time is the State with the VAT it collects because directly linked to the price of the product in question. He wants to increase purchasing power as he lowers VAT ...

c) consumer behavior sets prices to a large extent: a product which is not bought at a certain price will have its price lower ... sooner or later ... or will disappear ...

[Capt_Maloche]

Not necessarily true, if those who buy must tighten their belts

[Christophe]

Are you talking about c) I presume?

[Remundo]

Well seen on the VAT, but for the aspect "regulation" of the market, this is not true for captive markets like fuel or even food because now, 90% of the population goes to the stores for everything.

The modern economy has completely infantilized the citizen who will beg even his simplest needs systematically with a ticket in his hand and the sellers and the State have understood that he was ready to put one or two more for the same commodity ... The citizen is captive of the system ...

This system largely fed by excessive urbanization makes modern countries hypervulnerable to any increase or disruption in the supply of food and energy products, even though they are thought to be powerful and dynamic ... These are what are commonly called " colossi with feet of clay ".

Cut the electricity for just 3 days in a big city and you will see the bronx ... I'm not even talking about blocking the trucks ...

It does not take much to seize the machine based on hyperdependence on the market of each citizen ...
In a context of higher energy prices, these serious flaws in our societies are painfully noted ...

[nlc]

Shit, I don't want to get into a controversy, but frankly Chrisophe, I find this kind of message and this kind of speech really stupid.

Blablablabla ... it's been 6 months that we keep talking about this damn purchasing power ... to say what in the end? By much, that France is getting worse and worse but without really putting its finger on the real culprits ... because they exist ...

The state according to you? In any case, this is what you suggest in the rest of the message.
Why do people always have to find someone responsible for everything, without being responsible for anything? The culprits are you, it is me, and everyone.
The French work less and less (thank you the previous governments ...), therefore have more and more free time, and it is necessary to occupy it well ... And then it is necessary to follow the fashion, change mobile all the 6 months to have 1M pixel more on the CCD sensor or more color on the screen, you need a car that throws more than the neighbor, you need a flat screen (while the old TV worked very well. ..), you need the latest IT level to run the latest windaube bista to fill 3 boxes in a spreadsheet and send a few emails, you have to buy more expensive maintenance products, so you no longer have to scrub. more free time to spend, you have to buy salad in sachet as it does not need to clean it it's already done, it's still free time to spend, etc ... etc ...

Until recently, I barely touched the minimum wage (we finally increased a little 5 years after setting up the box), yet I never had a problem with "purchasing power". Why ? Because my head is on my shoulders, I am not walking in the consumer race like all those who complain.

Worse: this sarko campaign lie that is purchasing power is contagious and is spreading across Europe ...

We can't blame him, we have to focus a campaign on something right? All politicians, whatever they are, have always said what people wanted to hear, it's not new. I repeat the manager it's not him, it's us.

a) the money does not disappear: a more expensive product = more margins distributed + or - fairly on the "chain of production and sale" ... therefore the fall in the purchasing power of some increases suddenly on that of others, it's mathematical.

So it depends on what we are talking about!
Frankly, which consumer products are increasing? Food and fuels. Maybe a few other odds and ends, but otherwise, overall, everything goes down, right? EVERYTHING REMAINS CONSTANTLY LOWER!
Today you have a DVD player for less than € 30, a 1GB USB key for € 4, plane tickets to go to the other end of the world at unbeatable prices, etc ...
Everything is down, and that's the problem! It pushes people to consumption and they always want more!
And there is nothing left for the food, whose increase in my opinion comes from another problem: there are far too many on earth. The more it goes, the more demand there is than supply. Prices go up, like on the stock market, except that behind it we talk about food, unfortunately ...
So when I hear about green fuel, I really wonder if human beings shouldn't disappear quickly from this planet ...

b) The winner every time is the State with the VAT it collects because directly linked to the price of the product in question. He wants to increase purchasing power as he lowers VAT ...

A little easy as reasoning, and against the econological discourse of this site: if we give more purchasing power, we increase consumption, production, energy demand, pollution, and we decrease resources again and again of the planet.
The less there is purchasing power, the better the planet will be in my opinion. But the concern is that in fact there is no problem of purchasing power, we have never been able to buy as much and do as much stuff as today. Just ask our parents, grandparents, or great grandparents, they know something about it ...
The problem is that people always want more, that's all.
Weren't you the one who considered fuel price increases a good thing? I think it's a good thing, and I think if there is really a drop in purchasing power (which is totally false in my opinion, I repeat), well it can only be beneficial.

c) consumer behavior sets prices to a large extent: a product which is not bought at a certain price will have its price lower ... sooner or later ... or will disappear ...

Like electric cars? Yes, they disappear, that's the problem ...

[Remundo]

Yes Nlc, you raise indeed very relevant points ... People walk too much in hyper consumption and many products are completely useless.

There is nevertheless a real problem on energy and food now ... There, you can not cut it, you have to eat, heat and move to go to work ...

Sarko and the State have good backs ... It is indeed all the French who are collectively responsible. It was necessary 15 to 20 years ago to develop alternative energies rather than public debt ... that would have put in passing a sacred bundle of people at work for the same expense ... ALL the difference between an investment debt and an almost useless and above all sterile payment debt.

But I let Christophe defend himself against this dynamic replica of Nlc

[nlc]

So we agree, for me the only 2 things that increase is the food and the fuel.

For fuel, the reason is simple, demand is growing and resources are running out. Fuel is also taxed a lot, but here I think the tax is justified. It should even be more important, on diesel in particular, because it is dirtier and more energetic. And then this tax can be avoided by moving your ass to find alternatives: electric bike, electric scooter, etc ...

For food, the problem does not come only from intermediaries who put it in their pockets, it is that there are far too many on earth.
That said, sometimes in the summer I will pick my vegetables myself from the producer, and it costs nothing. The concern also is that the more it goes the more it comes from far away. And as the fuels increase, so does the food, cqfd.

[nlc]

I forgot to re-conclude:

I persist in saying that there is no problem of purchasing power, the only problem, it is the increase in the desire to buy, quite simply.

And if the food increases, just do not buy the salad in a bag made in china, but the salad from the producer next door, and take the time to wash it by hand.
And do not change your 4/3 cathode ray tube for a flat screen. The under-saved will buy a few kilos of potato for a few years

[Remundo]

Whether diesel is dirtier than petrol is a huge debate ...

That there are many of us on Earth, that's for sure. BUT as you suggest, it's a whole system to rethink. Tomatoes that come from Spain to Lille is a total aberration that the cost of oil is starting to make us understand ... It will have taken ecological awareness? ... in fact no, it will have taken that wallet finally hit hard.

Another point to change completely, the global energy mix: we must refocus on renewable, in particular solar and biomass.

What pious wishes tonight from me

[nlc]

Fully agree on renewable!

I also created a subject on the thermoaccoustic effect, revolutionary system which could create much more electricity per m² than a photovoltaic panel, and for much less expensive, but nobody wants to make a proto, it's still I'm going to have to stick to it!

But right now I really don't have that to do, I really regret it, but it's like that!
Besides, I know that I have more important to do than to argue here, but when I saw Christophe's message, it swelled me up and I couldn't help reacting!