Hawkcreek wrote:marmico wrote:Shadowstats and Chapwood are nutters. 1300% inflation since 1980. LOL.
View some 2016 consumer energy prices relative to 1980.
https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/realprices/
Electricity (cents per kilowatthour) from 5.4 to 12.6 or 135%.
Natural gas (dollars per thousand cubic feet) from 3.7 to 10.1 or 175%.
Regular gasoline (dollars per gallon) from 1.25 to 2.15 or 75%.
Base model 1980 Ford F-150 approx $4000 (I bought one)
Base model 2017 Ford F-150 approx $38000
Yep, only 950%
But you're not comparing apples to apples. The government people who report inflation at least make an attempt to and document the process, for things like technology changes on such products.
So in 1980 you didn't have a LOT of safety equipment like multiple airbags, side beams, etc. Not to mention all the consumer electronics, etc. built in. A 1980 era ford Ford with a carb tended to be unreliable in 10 years, even with low mileage. Today, more like 20, especially with low mileage.
Housing and rent in the typical US city or town has gone up more like 300% since 1980 on average. Why not cite that, since housing is generally a higher proportion of household spending than cars?
When doomers keep playing such games, they just get less and less credible. Inflation in the US over the long term is plenty alarming cumulatively (IMO) without needing to exaggerate or willfully distort.