The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the December inflation data today [DATA HERE] for December.  Readers on these pages are not surprised to discover that inflation in the U.S. economy has now reached a forty year high at 7 percent.  {Go Deep}

Unfortunately, the 7% in June of 1982 was when inflation was on the way down from Jimmy Carter’s failed economic policy.  This time our 7% milestone has been achieved while inflation is on the climb thanks to Joe Biden’s failed economic policies.

Carter’s mess was created by regulation, policies and oil prices.  Biden’s mess is created by the same and much more.

Yes, it will be getting worse.

That weird picture with the Bidens and the Carters comes to mind.  The scale within the picture is appropriate when considering inflation and what is to come.  Biden’s inflation is much larger than Carter’s.

As you know, the top line number of 7% is a false premise.  We are feeling much, much higher overall prices in our lives with gasoline, home heating fuel, electricity costs, housing and the astronomical prices at the grocery store.  The BLS data is backward looking, meaning it was compiled in early December 2021 for comparison to December 2020.  Where we are CURRENTLY is much worse than where we were in early December.

We are feeling the front side of the inflation hurricane right now. The consumer prices at end of January and through February are now reflecting new purchase order prices and contract prices to wholesalers, buyers and retailers.  The higher energy costs, fuel costs, warehousing costs, transportation costs and delivery costs are cumulative. As a result, the December report is simply the precursor to what will be much more damaging inflation data in Feb (showing this month) and March (showing Feb).

Additionally, the BLS data captured gas prices at their slight drop from oil prices in late November and early December.  The price of oil has now gone even higher, and the price of gasoline is once again on the rise.  We have not yet seen the worst of this folks.  Hopefully most are prepared.

I modified BLS Table-1, taking out some of the noise, to give the snapshot of how the bureau is compiling data:

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the JoeBama Administration and Presidency.

“This is no small thing, to restore a republic after it has fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may be that our task is impossible. Yet, if we do not try then how will we know it can’t be done? And if we do not try, it most certainly won’t be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, will be lost.”

“But I tell you this: We will not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we will make with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from that day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and Port of Long Beach (POLB) to announce the Biden administration officially saved Christmas.  Yes, that actually happened.   Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti took it one step further and proclaimed Secretary Buttigieg as the official “man who saved Christmas”.   WATCH:

The Biden administration is making these ridiculous claims, because they know that no one in the media will actually look into the data and challenge them on the insufferable nonsense.  [SEE DATA HERE]

However, beyond the ridiculous claims about increasing port container delivery, when there was actually a decline in port container delivery, the POLA and POLB scheme to hide the ships {Go Deep} has now spread to the Port of Oakland, California.

“Operation Hide the Ships”

OAKLAND – […] Following its success in Southern California, the new system is being expanded to the Bay Area. Ships will wait 50 miles off the coast in a safety and air quality zone until their scheduled arrival time at the Port.

The new system became effective Monday. Ships will get an arrival time based on when they left their last port of call. Before Monday, ships were given an arrival time when they were fewer than 80 nautical miles from the coast.

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The shifting sands of COVID vaccination mandates are happening stunningly fast.  During a press conference today the state health officials in Victoria, Australia, announced that vaccinated workers have 30 days to take their mandatory booster shots, or they will lose their jobs.

The announcement occurs at 07:07 of the video below. Prompted, WATCH:

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Mandatory booster shots or lose your employment.

Australia is nuts.  Then again, the U.S. probably isn’t far behind.

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Earlier today, Senator Ted Cruz attempted to regain his J6 credibility with questions to the DOJ and FBI about the day’s events.

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing provided the backdrop for an urgently needed modification to the marionette strings.  Capitalizing on the opportunity, Senator Ted Cruz (U-DC) asked Jill Sanborn, Executive Assistant Director, National Security Branch at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, about any law enforcement participation in the events of Jan. 6.

Questions were asked, grand protestations were proclaimed, theater lights dimmed to provide the dramatic context, and Ms. Sanborn noted she could not answer the questions.  Curiously (or not) there was no follow-up as to “why the FBI was unable to answer”. WATCH: 

The Cruz campaign staff quickly copied the performance and uploaded it to the Senator’s accounts for immediate distribution.  Many teeth began gnashing, and grand proclamations were made about the possibilities and ramifications.

Shiney things began making a lot of noise all around the social media sphere, and there is now a strong possibility the situation may escalate.  Some observers even noted that strongly worded letters might be sent… and tomorrow is Wednesday.

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The empty shelf problems in/around DC last weekend were mostly due to regional weather and employment issues.  However, the snapshot represents an example of how people react to their first encounter.  The conditions in the video represent a worst case scenario for those who have been watching the supply chain issue coming over the horizon. {Go Deep}

I doubt our average 2022 result will be this bad overall, however, there are areas where this might be the status.  For most people outside urban areas, this severity of a food store shortage is unlikely, unless the federal government gets involved.  If the federal government intervenes, this will be more common.

We know from prior examples, if these types of conditions were to last for just 72 hours across every store in a metropolitan region, you would see a level of panic begin.  Civic stability remains relatively stable for 72 hours (3 days).  However, if these conditions are persistent for more than 3 days, the general mindset of the population changes quickly.  Things rapidly deteriorate.  After three days, all reference points for civic norms are gone.

Those who remember Miami-Dade, specifically the Homestead region, in the aftermath of hurricane Andrew have a solid reference for what happens.  New Orleans after hurricane Katrina was a lesser, albeit more public version.   Hunger, fear and desperation are not a good combination.

{Background on Larger Issues HERE}

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The Australian media are well known to be stenographers for the far left totalitarian mindset of the government officials.  If you have watched any of the COVID-19 press conferences with media, you will note they never challenge the state ministers or federal politicians.  As remarkable as it may seem, the Australian media are considerably more biased than U.S. corporate media.

Showcasing that point, two broadcasters, Rebecca Maddern & Mike Amor from Channel 7 in Australia, did not know their microphones were recording them as they discussed the headline story around Novak Djokovic, the world #1 tennis player who was detained by border officials despite being given a visa for entry to play in the Australian open.

The two pundits were recorded complaining about Novak Djokovic and calling him a “lying, sneaky asshole” for challenging, and winning, a court case against the Australian government.  The stenographers were upset about the world seeing first hand just how ridiculous the Australian COVID-19 dictates, rules and regulations are.   WATCH:

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Apparently, there’s a rebel amid the production staff throwing sand into the machinery.  LOL.  Well done.

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The snowball effect of cumulative inflation is going to be on display tomorrow when the BLS inflation data from December is released.  We have previously discussed the unavoidable price increases as noted within the November data Here, and within the producer price data Here.

While the data being released tomorrow is backward looking, we are in the eye of the inflation storm right now.  The consumer prices at end of January and through February are all reflecting new purchase order prices and contract prices to wholesalers, buyers and retailers.   As a result, the December reports will be the precursor to what will be much more damaging data in Feb and March.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki began trying to get ahead of the consumer price release with a short briefing to the traveling press pool earlier today.  A short audio-only soundbite reflects the political problem the White House knows they will soon be dealing with. LISTEN:

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Senator Dr. Rand Paul confronted Dr. Anthony Fauci and they got into a heated exchange during a Senate committee hearing on COVID-19.

Senator Paul confronted Fauci about his efforts to manipulate science based on his political ideology.   Dr. Fauci pulled the first line of leftist retort, become a victim, and replied that Senator Paul was trying to get him killed.

Dr. Fauci’s extremely partisan political views form the basis of his ¹instability.  Suffering from extreme delusions of grandeur and enabled by a group of leftist sycophants in politics, media and Hollywood, Fauci has a severely inflated view of his importance, while simultaneously carrying a fear of being exposed as the fraud he is.  The defensive pearl-clutching is a big tell.  WATCH:

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