The Naked Truth About Beer Prices

Beer Prices have been skyrocketing under President Biden. And no, it isn’t your imagination. Then are accelerating to the upside again. Beer drinkers across the nation are not going to be happy.

In the chart below you will see the beer price index from breweries from the Producer Price Index(PPI) released today.

Source:

Series Id: PCU312120312120
Series Title: PPI industry data for Breweries, not seasonally adjusted
Industry: Breweries
Product: Breweries
Base Date: 198206

Under President Trump, beer prices never had an annual increase as high as just reported for a 12-month period.

And yet, under President Biden, we hit a peak of 6.93% for the 12 months ending January 2023, which fell to 1.25% for the 12 months ending February 2024. Prices are now accelerating again to the upside at 1.84% higher for the 12 months ending April 2024.

When will it end?

The Naked Truth About Labor Force Participation

Labor Force Participation is the % of people working of those who are seeking work. Using the BLS data base tools, you can select criteria and time frames to see trends.

Trump Posts Highest Labor Force Participation During the Last 10 Years

Looking at the Labor Force Participation Rate for those above 25 years old by month, President Trump posted the highest participation rates. A rate of 64.7% was achieved in October and November in 2019.

Currently, we are at 63.7%, a full percentage point below peak employment as a percentage under President Biden. Were Biden to have the same LFP as Trump achieved, we’d have 1.58 million more people employed in the US today.

Conclusion: The US Economic Engine is not as robust as it has been in the past. The Federal Reserve Bank, which is charged with seeking peak employment, is not meeting its stated objective.

Slow Motion Economic Disaster is Accelerating

If You Blame Covid-19, Then Think Again

At some point, one has to believe the data over the hyperbole, and the facts over the fiction. But the people in the United States have become so short-sighted, it’s likely they could not even tell you where they were last New Year’s Eve without looking at their phone for visual proof, such as photos.

Ask those same people what happened to the “greatest US economy ever” and the responses will center around Covid-19-a flu that has garnered a response like none we have ever seen in the US.

But I believe that they are wrong, and that Covid-19 is being used by both parties for what they will believe can be political gain.

Third Quarter of 2019 the Slowdown Began In Earnest

The data is out there and you can prove it to yourself if you are willing to look. I have.

The third quarter of 2019 saw profit growth per share for the companies in the Value Line financial subscription fall from 15.35% growth to 1.81%. That sort of slowdown is very detrimental to the political party holding the White House.

In fact, it is slow enough that I would state that it would be likely that Trump lose in 2020 unless there was some incredible reversal, which would have needed some sort of catalyst to occur.

Fourth Quarter of 2019 Prior to Covid-19

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2019’s performance to 2018 is even more horrific. Profit growth per share was down 11.98%. Companies, on a per share basis, earned 11.98% less than the previous year.

Yet Trump and Company still kept touting this economy as the greatest ever. On the other hand, i knew we were heading towards a recession. Companies do not just stop generating profits.

Along Comes Covid-19

For years I have demonstrated how easy it is to forecast the Presidential Race by looking at just one number. Corporate profits after taxes has accurately predicted the outcome for every election since 1972 except for one-1976. And that was the only time we had a non-elected incumbent running for re-election.

I have to believe that both parties are aware of how important the economy is during an election year to the outcome. The question one must ask oneself is that if knowing the economic slowdown that was happening, would either party try to exploit Covid-19?

For instance, would the Republican Party use Covid-19 as cover for an economy that was clearly heading towards a recession, so that the flu would be blamed for the economy’s dismal performance?

And would the Democratic Party use Covid-19 to guarantee that the US Economy was in the tank as voters decide who to elect in November?

The Answer is Clearly Yes

Trump had nothing to lose by blaming Covid-19 for the sudden demise of the US economy. Without it, I feel he was certainly heading towards a loss even if Biden would ultimately be the nominee.

And the Democrats would have no problem sacrificing the economy in order to keep it in the tank as long as possible in order to help their agenda.

But rather than just stick to the economic impact, the Democrats have embraced the greatest move towards socialism we have ever witnessed. And this action just might move the mind of the voters off of the economic issues and onto the socialism issue, which will likely be their undoing.

Make No Mistake The Economy Was Grinding to A Halt

The economic damage that has happened and continues to happen all around us cannot be underestimated. It s worsening day by day.

Covid-19 will be the scapegoat for all of it. Yet I will know that Covid-19 was a political flu.

And the United States will NEVER be the same again.

Was it worth it?