Peter Smith
● Twitter user BonkDaCarnivore didn't hold back when reacting to the latest U.S. inflation numbers, saying "inflation is over 3% on the year and ticking higher (and that's with them faking the CPI numbers)." The comment came after Bureau of Labor Statistics data revealed inflation climbing steadily from 2.3% in April to 3.0% in September—the sixth straight month of increases.
● The Consumer Price Index tracks price changes across housing, food, transportation, and more. But critics say the math doesn't tell the whole story. They point to weighting tricks and substitution effects that downplay how much everyday essentials—rent, groceries, healthcare—actually cost. If they're right and inflation is being underreported, the Federal Reserve might keep rates too low for too long, quietly eating away at people's buying power and trust in official numbers.
● If real inflation is higher than reported, families are falling behind faster than the data suggests. That could push workers to demand raises, drive up business costs, and force lawmakers to consider stopgap measures like temporary profit taxes to ease the squeeze. But if the CPI is accurate, this gradual drift toward 3% might just be the economy settling into a normal rhythm—what the Fed calls a "soft landing"—without triggering mass layoffs or business failures.
Peter Smith
