5 ms·

Is that what Jen Psaki says every single day in front of the cameras? Because I watch it every single day and so far I don't think I've heard anything remotely

Is that what Jen Psaki says every single day in front of the cameras? Because I watch it every single day and so far I don't think I've heard anything remotely approximating "The sanctions we have imposed have caused a minor increase in the cost of fuel, but the overall trend is due other factors." Every day it's "Putin Price Hike", and absolutely 0 taking responsibility.

arcticbull 5y ago
I didn't say anything like what you claim I did in the first paragraph. The cost of gas going up isn't solely due to sanctions, either. The war that the Russians launched - where they're currently shooting civilians in the street - unprovoked, against a global food exporter. That war of course led to the world using any and all relevant tools including sanctions to punish them. [edit] Blaming the world for the sanctions they imposed on the Russians is like seeing a bully smacking a victim yelling "stop hitting yourself" and saying "yeah! why are you hitting yourself?!" So yeah, the Russians are responsible for large increases in the cost of oil, and food. Are there other factors at play? Sure. A global shipping crisis, a COVID outbreak and lockdowns in China. A lot of pent-up demand chasing limited supply. Snarled supply chains. I do think we'd be much further along getting out of this if the Russians hadn't kicked off their 'special military operation.' What are we blaming the administration for? Continuing the bi-partisan Trump-era QE cycle which allowed America the fastest-ever exit from a recession event (COVID), saving America from a lost decade?
colinmhayes 5y ago
I'm not sure if you've ever participated in politics, but deflecting blame is like rule number 1. Please point to a time a prominent politician has ever accepted blame for something.
- lostdog 5y ago
  Yeah, the current political system and news organizations would absolutely punish Biden for taking the blame on inflation, so the current "it's someone else's fault and also I am fixing it" is just what you get. ...though the certainty that inflation is definitely 100% Biden's fault is a bit unjustified too.
  - adventured 5y ago
    Biden is already getting the blame regardless. He's one of the least popular presidents in US history, in part due to the brutal inflationary wave that is mauling wages and the standard of living for the average person. When you walk into your grocery store and see consumer basics going up in price so dramatically, it's going to prompt the desire to blame, and of course Biden is a big target. Regardless of if it's fair for voters to blame Biden so heavily, they are and will.
    - kipchak 5y ago
      This seems like an unfortunate consequence of candidates being expected to promise everything and the kitchen sink on the campaign trail, and the increase in federal power. That combined with very high partisanship makes it easy to point the finger as to who is responsible. People usually aren't presented a more nuanced narrative.
      - koolba 5y ago
        There isn’t much nuance to trillions of dollars of fiscal stimulus and rampant inflation. It’s kind of economics 101. Claiming they’re not responsible, or even worse, claiming that an additional $1.85T of spending will reign in inflation is beyond ridiculous: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/business/economy/biden-inflation.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/business/economy/biden-in...
        colinmhayes 5y ago
        Monetary expansion in the face of recession has been the feds policy since 2008. Not only is Biden not the one who decided to expand the monetary base/keep interest rates low, even if he had decided that it would’ve been in line with the last 2 presidents.
        koolba 5y ago
        I’m referring to fiscal stimulus, not monetary policy. The Fed keeping rates so low for so long is a separate (but clearly related).
abduhl 5y ago
>> Because I watch it every single day and so far This may be hard to hear, but you probably shouldn't be watching it every single day. They're never going to say what you want them to say because it's not true. Russia's invasion of Ukraine (and associated war crimes) is most definitely a root cause for current inflation spikes in food and energy. If you're looking for someone to say that it's due to other factors then you're looking for something that isn't true. And food/energy prices are most likely going to get worse as the conflict drags on.
giarc 5y ago
Is the government responsible for inflation? Honest question. They don't set prices for goods. They have been printing money, but that's been going on for 2-3 years now.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- butlerm 5y ago
  Government regulations can affect the cost and supply of just about anything, especially housing and energy. Tariffs on foreign goods can be a major factor as well. Beyond that it is a question of government borrowing and central bank money supply. Government borrowing will be inflationary if it is financed by the central bank and it doesn't look like there is any credible plan for paying it off. That sort of thing is indistinguishable from printing currency to pay your bills, which doesn't work out very well after a while. Germany in the 1920s and Zimbabwe more recently are good examples of that.
- bduerst 5y ago
  Can a government be responsible for inflation? Yes. Is the government responsible for the inflation observed right now? That's a complex answer, of which current political adversaries of the executive branch leadership would love to pin solely on them.
- jcadam 5y ago
  I blame Nixon.
- newaccount2021 5y ago

arcticbull 5y ago

I didn't say anything like what you claim I did in the first paragraph. The cost of gas going up isn't solely due to sanctions, either. The war that the Russians launched - where they're currently shooting civilians in the street - unprovoked, against a global food exporter. That war of course led to the world using any and all relevant tools including sanctions to punish them. [edit] Blaming the world for the sanctions they imposed on the Russians is like seeing a bully smacking a victim yelling "stop hitting yourself" and saying "yeah! why are you hitting yourself?!" So yeah, the Russians are responsible for large increases in the cost of oil, and food. Are there other factors at play? Sure. A global shipping crisis, a COVID outbreak and lockdowns in China. A lot of pent-up demand chasing limited supply. Snarled supply chains. I do think we'd be much further along getting out of this if the Russians hadn't kicked off their 'special military operation.' What are we blaming the administration for? Continuing the bi-partisan Trump-era QE cycle which allowed America the fastest-ever exit from a recession event (COVID), saving America from a lost decade?

colinmhayes 5y ago

I'm not sure if you've ever participated in politics, but deflecting blame is like rule number 1. Please point to a time a prominent politician has ever accepted blame for something.

lostdog 5y ago
Yeah, the current political system and news organizations would absolutely punish Biden for taking the blame on inflation, so the current "it's someone else's fault and also I am fixing it" is just what you get. ...though the certainty that inflation is definitely 100% Biden's fault is a bit unjustified too.
- adventured 5y ago
  Biden is already getting the blame regardless. He's one of the least popular presidents in US history, in part due to the brutal inflationary wave that is mauling wages and the standard of living for the average person. When you walk into your grocery store and see consumer basics going up in price so dramatically, it's going to prompt the desire to blame, and of course Biden is a big target. Regardless of if it's fair for voters to blame Biden so heavily, they are and will.
  - kipchak 5y ago
    This seems like an unfortunate consequence of candidates being expected to promise everything and the kitchen sink on the campaign trail, and the increase in federal power. That combined with very high partisanship makes it easy to point the finger as to who is responsible. People usually aren't presented a more nuanced narrative.
    - koolba 5y ago
      There isn’t much nuance to trillions of dollars of fiscal stimulus and rampant inflation. It’s kind of economics 101. Claiming they’re not responsible, or even worse, claiming that an additional $1.85T of spending will reign in inflation is beyond ridiculous: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/business/economy/biden-inflation.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/business/economy/biden-in...
      - colinmhayes 5y ago
        Monetary expansion in the face of recession has been the feds policy since 2008. Not only is Biden not the one who decided to expand the monetary base/keep interest rates low, even if he had decided that it would’ve been in line with the last 2 presidents.
        koolba 5y ago
        I’m referring to fiscal stimulus, not monetary policy. The Fed keeping rates so low for so long is a separate (but clearly related).

abduhl 5y ago

>> Because I watch it every single day and so far This may be hard to hear, but you probably shouldn't be watching it every single day. They're never going to say what you want them to say because it's not true. Russia's invasion of Ukraine (and associated war crimes) is most definitely a root cause for current inflation spikes in food and energy. If you're looking for someone to say that it's due to other factors then you're looking for something that isn't true. And food/energy prices are most likely going to get worse as the conflict drags on.

giarc 5y ago

Is the government responsible for inflation? Honest question. They don't set prices for goods. They have been printing money, but that's been going on for 2-3 years now.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
butlerm 5y ago
Government regulations can affect the cost and supply of just about anything, especially housing and energy. Tariffs on foreign goods can be a major factor as well. Beyond that it is a question of government borrowing and central bank money supply. Government borrowing will be inflationary if it is financed by the central bank and it doesn't look like there is any credible plan for paying it off. That sort of thing is indistinguishable from printing currency to pay your bills, which doesn't work out very well after a while. Germany in the 1920s and Zimbabwe more recently are good examples of that.
bduerst 5y ago
Can a government be responsible for inflation? Yes. Is the government responsible for the inflation observed right now? That's a complex answer, of which current political adversaries of the executive branch leadership would love to pin solely on them.
jcadam 5y ago
I blame Nixon.
newaccount2021 5y ago