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Harris Economics was "slapped in the face": high prices are due to high government spending, don't let companies take the blame

2024-08-17

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In a governing blueprint released on Friday, U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Harris said that if she is elected, she will issue the first-ever federal ban on food price gouging and increase penalties on companies that raise prices.

This claim caused a huge uproar, not only triggering ridicule from the Trump campaign team, but also arousing the anger of professionals from all walks of life.

Critics point out thatHarris, who has served as the US Vice President for more than three years, seems to be shifting the blame for the inflation crisis to businesses rather than the Biden-Harris administration's unbridled spending.

“Inflation is common in grocery stores, but it’s always created by the government. It’s the same story every time — politicians create inflation by printing money, demonize and blame companies that have nothing to do with inflation to distract from their own profligacy,” Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder and president of Gemini exchange, wrote on the platform.

Investment analyst Lyn Alden noted on X that grocery stores like Kroger have “extremely thin profit margins.” Therefore, the entire “corporate price gouging” argument from Harris’ team is just “bullshit.” Food manufacturers have similar profit margins, in the low double-digit range.

Musk, a Trump fan and the world's richest man, holds a similar view. On Friday, he posted on the X platform:

Inflation is caused by the federal government spending more than it takes in because they just print more money to fill the hole. To fix inflation, cut back on wasteful government spending. Your tax dollars should be spent well, not poorly.

He hinted that if Harris implemented price controls, the consequence would be large-scale store closures and severe shortages of essential supplies.

Even the Democratic Party mouthpiece, The Washington Post, pointed out thatPrice controls are a poor policy choice.

How much responsibility does Harris bear for the US inflation crisis?

In the eyes of many people, Vice President Harris is to blame for the inflation crisis in the United States over the past two years. She is the biggest supporter of "Biden Economics."

House Republicans reminded voters on Thursday at the XSince Harris took office as vice president in early 2021, egg prices have risen 46.8%, peanut butter prices have risen 42.8%, cookies prices have risen 40.3%, and baby food and formula prices have risen 30.1%., delivery service prices increased by 29.7%.

The price of food in primary and secondary schools has increased by 65.5% in total, and the price of luncheon meat, juice, and snacks have all increased by more than 20%...

Supermarket burger prices have reached an all-time high, new figures show.

Additionally, since Harris took office, U.S. inflation has soared 21%, while wages for working and middle class workers have increased 19.8%.

During Trump's term, domestic food prices rose 6.5% (an average annual increase of 1.6%). During Biden's term, domestic food prices rose more than 21% (an average annual increase of 5.5%).

Someone warned,If Harris is elected, the American people may have to endure four more years of inflation crisis.

What does the first "food price increase ban" in American history mean for the economy?

Harris said at a campaign rally on Friday that if she is elected president, she will investigate and punish "big companies" that violate regulations, address anti-competitive practices such as price manipulation in the food and daily necessities industries, and increase penalties for price gouging, especially daily necessities such as necessities and gasoline.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Harris campaign made it clear that they would ensure that big corporations could not make excessive corporate profits by unfairly exploiting consumers.

However, some economists believe that price controls are a counterproductive form of government intervention.

Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said:

This represents a return to the lazy and failed economic policies of the 1970s.Price controls at the time proved to be a disaster for the economy, suggesting Harris panders to voters on economic issues and seeks easy answers.