Since the 1960s, if not prior,  there was concern that there would not be enough Oil to run our vehicles or factories. Yet here we are with prices swinging from Negative <$37/B> to over $100/B within the last few years. It seemed like every 10 years, a new calamity was introduced to instill fear amongst us all. The same fear-mongering of religion was imposed on people because they could predict the movement of the sun, rising in the west and setting in the east with masterful precision. Knowledge is a powerful tool and if used properly it can impose control by freezing your victim in fear because of uncertainty.

In the 1970s there was a heightened concern of an Ice Age gripping our planet. Would we all freeze to death? Luckily, I took up knitting but could only make rugs. In the 1980s, Acid Rain was the rave as the lakes were dying, unable to maintain vegetation or marine life. The whole ecosystem would collapse and humanity would suffer the consequences. Don’t be discouraged, not to fear because now we had something to divert our attention. The ozone layer had a huge hole in our atmosphere caused by aerosol sprays. The depleted shield, Mother Nature created, to protect the earth from harmful radiation emitted by the sun, was now punctured. Maybe I should have suggested the same repair kit, I used for all my inflatables? Eventually, the money raised mysteriously improved the patches so tourists could visit the great northern hemisphere to witness the Aurora Borealis  (Northern Lights) with confidence.

In 2000, the melting glaciers became a cause for concern probably more for the avid skier not being able to find a soft powder run. Regardless, the scientists made their predictions which led to the decade starting in 2010 as the Polar Caps were melting and rising sea levels would drown us all. I don’t know about you but I am either going to build an arc or find a friend who owns a yacht so that I can weather the storm and grow more potatoes when I find dry land. Also, make sure to have a life jacket nearby just in case the water rises quicker than the weather channel announces.

We are now in the decade of 2020 as people live in perpetual fear. Social distancing, Masks, and vaccines are creating anxiety amongst the masses. Conflicts arise because science only tells us what the influencers want us to hear. Debate is frowned upon because those that are complacent believe that we should all act for the greater good. The bottom line is that there are people profiting from the conflicts that arise to the detriment of all. Nobody wins except the chosen few. 

In today’s news, Inflation measured by CPI came in at 8.5% versus expectations of (8.7%). The drop was mainly due to the decrease in Oil pricing. Why are people celebrating a drop of 0.50 cents a gallon in the USA and or a litre in Canada when prices previously were dollars less for both countries? Poppy cock! Keeping the basket of goods consistent to calculate the cost of living continues to see the variables interchanged to determine what they want us to believe. The most common denominator is gasoline so it will have the most influence. Yet some will buy a vehicle, computer or value-added good and others won’t, reflecting differently for each individual. The true costs are difficult to gauge when individuals’ tastes and preferences change while metrics become inconsistent to accurately reflect the true state of affairs. As a result, the Central Bank might paint the whole town red as stern medicine for all when simple remedies like STOP PRINTING MORE MONEY and CONTROL EXCESS GOVERNMENT SPENDING could be our saving grace.

After, the CPI data was released the USD Index plummeted below the 105.0 level. The recent high was above the 109.0 level. This slight decrease might signal that the Federal Reserve could ease the increases in interest rates moving forward as the medicine applied could have been substantial but yet not enough. Another rate increase will come in September but the question will be how much?