The
phrase "as American as mom and apple pie" became popular during the
Second World War, but the connection between patriotism and apple pie
goes back even further, according to the folks at Smithsonian Magazine.
In 1924, an advertisement in the Gettysburg Times marketed suits that were "As American as Apple Pie" to gentlemen who "wouldn't give a fig to look like the Prince of Wales."
Apple pie, however, is becoming a victim of Bidenflation. According
to the Consumer Price Index for September, the price of apples rose 3.8
percent compared with the prior month. Compared with the previous
September, apple prices are up 7.8 percent. The price of flour is up 4.1
percent from a year ago. Eggs are up a shocking 12.6 percent. Salt and
other seasonings, a category that includes nutmeg and cinnamon, are up
4.2 percent. Sugar's up 3.9 percent. You can, however, catch a break on
butter—prices are down 1.3 percent.
The Consumer Price Index overall rose by 5.4 percent annually and 0.4
percent over the prior month. That means inflation accelerated in
September from August's 5.3 percent annual and 0.3 percent monthly rise.
Food prices jumped 0.9 percent for the month, with food at home rising
1.2 percent. Compared with a year ago, food at home costs 4.5 percent
more. The Department of Labor helpfully notes that prices are up in all
12 of its grocery store categories.
It's no wonder that the New York Fed's survey of consumers showed
inflation expectations hitting a new record high. Consumers expect
higher inflation because they are seeing it with their own eyes and
feeling it in their lightening wallets. It's not just grocery stores, of
course. The prices of clothes, shoes, furniture, appliances, and cars
all have seen serious rises year over year.
President Joe Biden made a big show of trying to arrest the
congestion at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which have become
major bottlenecks for goods coming into the U.S. Keeping the ports open
for longer may help a bit, but do not expect too much. The problems
extend from ports oceans away through our trains and trucks and even
into warehouses struggling to hire workers.
Fundamentally, a big problem is that the American left and the Biden
administration, in particular, appear to take the supply side of the
economy for granted. So they are pushing policies that depress
investments that could actually provide relief. Who wants to invest in a
new truck or even a trucking license when the Biden administration is
threatening to kill anything that runs on fossil fuels? What America is
rediscovering now is that the supply of goods and services cannot be
taken for granted, and adopting policies aimed solely at pumping demand
threatens to make even apple pie unaffordable.
– Alex Marlow & John Carney
Breitbart News Network
