One Very Small Candy Bar, $3.69?

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart 

When I was 10-12 years old, my favorite candy bar was the Milky Way. I would often buy one as I walked home from school. It cost me five cents. The last time I shopped at a store, a smaller version of that same candy bar cost $1.18. I can no longer be on my feet long enough to shop. However, my wife was shopping today and sent me a text with a picture of candy bars on a shelf. The cost was about $3.59 each, and they looked even smaller. Can you say “Greedflation?” And people wonder why I hate corporations. 

Millions of Americans choose to deny the truth. In our grocery stores, consumers pay the same or a greater price for every item they purchase, although the content is less than it was one year ago. For example, a package of bacon which sold for $3.99 a pound, 16 oz., is now just 12 oz., costing an average of $5.99. The same is true for a half-gallon of ice cream, at about the same rate. 

These examples prove that there are numerous cases of fraud perpetrated by major corporations. Every Republican president since Reagan allowed corporate America to take any action which increases their wealth at the expense of consumers. President Biden is the first president to use the word which accurately describes America’s economy in the 21st century in the 21st century: Greedflation. 

I ask a simple question: what will happen on Halloween, 2024? If the price of candy remains unaffordable, will “trick or treating” be cancelled? My wife and I have been on a fixed income for several years and have not participated, we cannot afford the amount of candy we would need if the number of children is as large as it has been in other years. Will this become commonplace and the second most popular holiday in America come to an end? 

Okay, the price of a candy bar is of little importance. However, the price of necessities is. Seniors, like me, depend on Social Security for all or most of our income. The government, in its infinite “wisdom,” ignores the plight of the average senior citizen. This is proof that our elected officials in Washington exclude America’s seniors. We require additional care and challenge the super-rich and our military for necessary government funds to survive. The 3.2 percent increase in Social Security in 2024 is no help at all. My wife and I have experienced an increase in our expenses of about 35 percent. 

Capitalism is non-existent in 2024. The basic rule of “supply and demand” no longer exists. America is now a plutocracy thanks to right-wing politicians. 

Men and women who call themselves “Republicans” are liars. The Republican Party imploded once and for all on January 20, 2017. These pretenders are tools of the billionaires who control our nation’s future. Over the last seven years America has moved closer to becoming a fascist society. Your right to vote in a fair and free election will become nothing but a memory if our nation continues in its current direction. 

Use your vote while you still have it. You can save democracy, the Constitution, and your freedom. 

Op-ed by James Turnage 

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