tmyakal

Most companies have been taking it on the chin for now: eating the cost of the tariffs and taking a reduced profit to maintain prices and help foster consumer confidence while they wait and see how all the tariff negotiations actually play out.

With regards to the original question, inflation is measured across all consumer purchasing. So prices on goods (groceries, cars, computing hardware, etc) can increase significantly, but if the price on services (Netflix, restaurants, laundromats, etc) stays relatively flat, inflation ends up looking better than it feels.

I was paraphrasing both OP and yourself to create a farce, yes. Because farces are funny. It was a joke, not a clever and cutting rhetorical maneuver.

So, yeah, sucks a little that you took it so personally, but I do feel pretty good about it.

“I think the system is unfair and could be dramatically improved.”

“This is the improved version! No further progress shall be made! Work your 9-5 and be glad you’re not locked in the shirtwaist factory for twelve hours a day!”