More Ire for AEI.

I inadvertently saved a receipt from Walmart. from 1996….I found it a few years ago, in a box…and put it in Wealth of Nations…over there, next to Marx’ Capital, a large portion of the output of Galbraith, and the Godfather.(the "Economics Shelf")

A “large bag of Catfood”, way back then, was around $4.00.

The “Same “ Bag, today, is closer to $20.

Did the Catfood Improve, exponentially(fortunate for the poor!)?

Did Catffood become Scarce?
I think a Reasonable explanation is , rather, that the Money we use to Purchase that Catfood, is that much less Valuable.

There’s lots of examples like this(but for which I didn’t save receipts)…that indicate that the Official Inflation Rate has been Artificially Low...that the "Purchasing Power"(utility*) of the Dollar is a lot Lower than it used to be. Indeed, that even the Official Numbers are Rosy, and thus Suspect.

(Steak=Hamburger, "Energy" is unimportant, so isn't counted,etc)

But…here’s AEI!

This is a sort of Random, Cursory, Sample of their section on Poverty…..the first, by my new Whipping Boy, Nicholas:

http://www.aei.org/article/society-and-culture/citizenship/the-poverty-of-the-poverty-rate/

http://www.aei.org/papers/social-and-culture/poverty/the-material-well-being-of-the-poor-and-middle-class-since-1980/

http://www.aei-ideas.org/2011/11/income-inequality-myths-no-the-rich-didnt-steal-all-the-money/

It is all in our heads, I guess!

I possess a Refrigerator(three, actually)…a Microwave….Three Computers….and the Internet.

We also have three window units(A/C is mentioned, a lot…as in “if ya got A/C, ya can’t be “poor””)

Under the Criteria, used in these links, I am Not Poor.

(yay)

I have a washer/dryer, too.

I submit, that folks who try to Research “Poverty”….hell, all Economists!....should spend a Year of their Education, Living at the Bottom.
Perhaps with some great weight attached to one leg…small stones placed in their shoes….or a Cilice.

 To simulate Disability.

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I can only stomach so much  Opposition Research, lol.

I will continue to pick on Nicholas, and his buddies…but, for Health Reasons, only when I’m already Angry.

*I do not mean "Utility" like Economists do...rather, I mean it: How good is the Hammer that is Money?
Does it just barely get the job done(like a bar of iron)? Or is it better, more suited to the job, at hand?
I had forgotten about their esoteric definition.lol