Seems like pre-pandemic things were going great. Then covid happened and everything shut down. Post-pandemic supply chains were inconsistent creating unpreceded demand for short supply (an example is the great toilet paper rush of 2020). The inconsistencies made the ports chaotic and goods couldn't get delivered. Then the manufacturers couldn't keep up when shipping returned to normal. Then there were supply shortages when all that got worked out because other countries continued to have lockdowns. Then there weren't enough workers after that all got sorted out. Now finally, after all that has somewhat gone back to normal, prices for things keep going higher with no further reason other than inflation happens, and we just accept it.
But is it inflation? Should we just accept it? God forbid we call it what it is: good old fashioned corporate greed, government oversight and subsequent mismanagement?
The gov't is the one who shut everything down, going as far to turn people into snitches on their neighbors if they had people over during lockdowns. But it was okay to riot in the streets but you couldn't go to church or have a few people over. Untested vaccines were accepted as reliable and safe and would save us all. The Wuhan theory about lab-leak origin was shut down and mocked even though anyone with a brain will wonder. Aside from that, all the small businesses were forced to shut down for “public safety” making us reliant on large corporations that were heavily profiting yet not able to keep up with supply, nor did they really care because there was no other competition. These large corporations were all too happy when the mom and pops markets shut their doors, eliminating the competition for the foreseeable future. Then all the covid money started flowing in affording people more money to not work than to work, no fear of eviction and the potential for loan forgiveness. Who would want to work!? The big businesses got most of the money and our adoration for being so brave, employing all those essential employees during our time of crisis. Nevermind the thousands of other businesses that had to shut down more money for the big guys and less incentive to behave. And now here we are, all that sorted out but still high prices and low wages. Turns out those loans were not forgiven, eviction bills came due, and people weren't saving. Now they are desperate for work, the whole Great Resignation was a smoke show, and there are only the large businesses to work for. The same businesses who have a long track record of keeping their employees on medicare for health care, offering no PTO or COLA's, and supporting slave labor in other countries to manufacture their cheap goods we pay top dollar for. Yet all we do is complain about how the government or these corporations aren't providing a livable wage. And we seem so surprised by it.