Price Gouging: The Incredible Helplessness of the Consumer

Price Gouging: The Incredible Helplessness of the Consumer

The Helplessness is a Two Edged Sword

• Divided we fall
• Our bread and butter stems solely from supporting the ‘economic/corporate system’ we work for – we willingly cut our own economic throats for paychecks.

The iconic dragon eating its own tail is more than a metaphor; it reflects historic economic errors. 

Initially mass production drastically reduced costs of products previously hand made/custom built. Today, mass production accounts only for costs/budget cuts toward increasing profit; it no longer affects the price, whose dependency now rests only upon manipulated market demand.  

Additional considerations: From the elimination of durable goods - products that lasted a lifetime - to quadruple priced, exquisitely shiny, six month lifespan substitutes………………to ‘lifelike’, size enhanced  packaging, only a quarter to half full of product, triple the price of previous, dull, but full packages. (imagine the promotions and salary increases for these ideas).

The 10 Food Items Seeing The Largest Price Hikes

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05/15/food-price-hikes_n_5329627.html

Editor's note: From cattle trail drives of old, to massive, colossal, enormous, gigantic concentrated mass production with unprecedented cost savings is the reason for price hikes ….go consumer go, go, go!

65 miles wide and 163 miles long

About 93 per cent of the grocery items that comprise StatsCan’s basket used to compile the rate of inflation each month have risen, with most jumping by double digits, according to StatsCan data from March 2010 to March 2014. Consumers are paying at least 20 per cent more than they were in 2010 for each of the items on the list of top 10 foods with the biggest price jumps.

Editor's Note ………………. the largest cattle ranch in the United States, measuring 65 miles wide and 163 miles long. .... You can smell greeley, Colorado, long before you can see it.

Coming down the pipe in the gas arena

Highest Gas Prices: Countries

Norway reclaims the top spot from Turkey this quarter for the world's most expensive gasoline

Rank	Country	Price of one gallon of regular gasoline	Per capita daily income	Pain at the pumpi	Daily per capita consumption of gasoline	Percentage of income spent on gasoline
1	Norwayt	$10.08	$288.98	3.49%	0.24gal	0.84%
2	Turkeyt	9.55	30.78	31.02	0.03	0.86
3	Netherlandst	8.89	131.76	6.74	0.24	1.65
4	Italyt	8.61	93.24	9.24	0.17	1.56
5	Greecet	8.30	59.30	14.00	0.32	4.48
6	Portugalt	8.27	56.68	14.58	0.13	1.87
7	Francet	8.13	117.81	6.90	0.12	0.83
8	Hong Kongt	8.11	106.29	7.63	0.05	0.40
9	Swedent	8.10	164.44	4.93	0.40	1.97
10	Belgiumt	8.05	125.17	6.43	0.15	0.98
10	Finlandt	8.05	133.44	6.04	0.30	1.84
12	Germanyt	8.01	120.58	6.64	0.24	1.57
13	Denmarkt	7.92	160.73	4.92	0.28	1.36
14	Israelt	7.86	88.35	8.89	0.32	2.89
15	Irelandt	7.79	132.14	5.89	0.32	1.86
16	United Kingdomt	7.75	104.11	7.44	0.24	1.77
17	Sloveniat	7.39	62.07	11.91	0.27	3.23
18	Slovakiat	7.31	49.56	14.76	0.11	1.65
19	Maltat	7.27	60.80	11.95	0.15	1.83
20	Switzerlandt	7.25	220.47	3.29	0.39	1.30
21	Spaint	7.00	82.49	8.48	0.12	1.02
22	Hungaryt	6.91	36.56	18.89	0.13	2.53
23	Czech Republict	6.84	52.72	12.97	0.17	2.15
24	Austriat	6.80	136.56	4.98	0.21	1.05
25	Cyprust	6.78	72.10	9.41	0.35	3.29
26	Croatiat	6.70	37.41	17.91	0.14	2.59
27	Luxembourgt	6.51	307.22	2.12	0.68	1.43
28	New Zealandt	6.50	112.01	5.80	0.51	2.96
29	Latviat	6.49	41.88	15.50	0.12	1.83
30	Lithuaniat	6.44	42.08	15.31	0.06	0.89
30	South Koreat	6.44	68.63	9.38	0.16	1.51
32	Bulgariat	6.40	20.77	30.83	0.08	2.39
33	Romaniat	6.35	24.04	26.41	0.07	1.73
34	Singaporet	6.33	142.96	4.43	0.17	0.76
35	Polandt	6.28	35.82	17.53	0.11	1.89
36	Chilet	6.22	44.58	13.95	0.14	2.00
37	Estoniat	6.10	49.39	12.35	0.20	2.49
38	Japant	5.90	110.80	5.32	0.33	1.76
39	Brazilt	5.58	33.67	16.57	0.08	1.40
40	Argentinat	5.38	32.93	16.35	0.10	1.62
41	Australiat	5.30	188.87	2.80	0.61	1.72
42	South Africat	4.94	19.88	24.85	0.17	4.25
43	Indiat	4.74	4.36	108.65	0.01	1.26
44	Philippinest	4.71	7.99	58.96	0.03	1.73
45	Canadat	4.67	143.10	3.27	0.93	3.03
45	Chinat	4.67	18.16	25.71	0.05	1.30
47	Thailandt	4.65	18.01	25.84	0.08	1.94
48	Colombiat	4.52	22.57	20.03	0.06	1.14
49	Pakistant	3.87	3.59	108.01	0.01	1.37
50	United Statest	3.66	140.41	2.60	1.22	3.18
51	Indonesiat	3.62	10.46	34.60	0.08	2.67
52	Mexicot	3.43	30.11	11.38	0.28	3.18
53	Russiat	3.39	42.88	7.90	0.23	1.82
54	Malaysiat	2.31	29.99	7.69	0.31	2.37
55	Nigeriat	2.27	4.59	49.51	0.04	1.76
56	Irant	2.16	15.25	14.15	0.22	3.18
57	United Arab E…t	1.77	177.48	1.00	0.46	0.46
58	Egyptt	1.00	8.62	11.63	0.06	0.75
59	Kuwaitt	0.80	122.15	0.65	0.83	0.54
60	Saudi Arabiat	0.45	68.94	0.66	0.64	0.42
61	Venezuelat	0.04	31.58	0.13	0.40	0.05