Inflationary Times

I remember clearly when I was a little boy growing up a loaf of bread was 29 cents, a candy bar 25 cents and they were much bigger than what is sold in stores today, and 15 cents to ride a bus all day including a transfer. If you had 50 cents in your pocket you could buy a bagful of candy that would last you for several days providing you didn't give it all away. School lunch was 25 cents a day and a good pair of sneakers was $6 dollars. Renting a 3 bedroom apartment in those days with all utilities included was between $120-$200 dollars a month depending on where you lived. Credit was very, very easy to establish. If you shopped at a store frequently and the store merchant knew you very well he would allow you to get goods from his store without a credit card, presenting cash, or writing a check. You could pay the merchant later without any hassles. Buying a house cost very litte with hardly any money down. There was no such thing as high interest rates, credit checks, and penalties.

A dollar was a dollar and if you needed to go to your local hospital for medical attention you didn't need insurance to get the treatment you needed or for admittance. Gasoline was something like 10 cents a gallon and more than half the country didn't owe back taxes to the federal government. Mass bankruptcy filings was unheard of because runaway inflation and immense debt didn't exist. $50 dollars would buy you just as many bags of groceries then as much as $200 dollars will get you today and you got much more for your money then as compared to what you get now. If you had a steady job accomplishing the American dream was as easy as saying your ABC'S. Jobs and careers were plentiful and if you wanted to make a living and grab a piece of the pie it was within your reach. College and private school tuition was fairly cheap and those who couldn't afford it a loan, grant, or scholarship was very easy to obtain.

The American dream was truly the American dream. I remember a time when car owners didn't have to have insurance to drive their car. Try doing that today. Most if not all states require you to have liability, collision, or both kinds of insurance before you can turn the ignition key. If you have a bad driving record now your insurance premiums will rise and in many cases a lot of insurance companies will not insure you meaning you will not be able to drive your car and get tags until you are properly insured. About $40,000 dollars would get you into a 3 or 4 bedroom two-story brick house basement included with several acres surrounding it. That same kind of quality built house on the market today will cost you at least $200,000 dollars in most places.

What happened? Why is inflation constantly on the rise with no hope in sight? How is it the American dream has faded away? A person or a couple who aren't earning at least $50,000 dollars per year total combined income are not really living the American dream but instead are struggling to keep their head above water. A single parent raising 1 or 2 children today is very costly and a growing trend among many persons these days is to work two fulltime jobs just to stay above water. No longer is it enough to work 8 hours to survive. $500 dollars is not enough to even rent an efficiency apartment let alone a 1 bedroom. Why is all of this happening?

"And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." Revelation 6:5-6.

This is another perfect example of the signs regarding the end times and the above mentioned prophecy foretold in the book of Revelation is being fulfilled right before our very eyes. There doesn't seem to be any hope or indication of inflation decreasing. It appears every time you turn around prices on goods, interest rates, rent, mortgage, taxes, food, clothing, insurance, and utilities are steadily going up while your wage earnings remain the same. Not only is inflation steadily rising but it is rising in double digit percentages. The job market is so bad and corrupt in many instances your employer wants to cut your salary and benefits but at the same time demand more productivity from you. It is almost impossible to get a decent raise just to keep up with the cost of living and many employers today are doing everything they can from giving you a decent or yearly raise whether your job is union based or not. Only those who are under the constant watch care and protection of the Lord will truly survive this terrible woe being visited upon this Earth.

Norman

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