> And ever-decreasing prices for consumers. Don’t forget that!
Except that's not happening for major purchases. Housing is more expensive than ever. Education is more expensive than ever. Healthcare is more expensive than ever. Cars and Trucks are more expensive than ever.
Besides taxes, the above are the biggest slice of the consumer's wallet, and those prices have almost never decreased. Shareholder returns keep going up, up, and up though.
> Housing is more expensive than ever. Education is more expensive than ever. Healthcare is more expensive than ever.
Housing, education and healthcare are to a very great extent to amenable to globalisation, since houses have to be built on a local plot of land, education is for most folks done in-country and healthcare too is delivered locally. Not that all three, too, are subject to massive amounts of subsidies.
> Cars and Trucks are more expensive than ever.
A Henry J in 1950 was $1,299 (according to https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/car/heres-much-c...), or $16,934 in 2024 dollars; a Nissan Versa is $17,820 today. While more expensive, that doesn’t seem crazy, just 5.23% more — and of course that Versa is a much better car.
Agree that housing, education and healthcare are more expensive than ever.
But I lived through the 1980s and let me tell you, in many ways consumer goods are better and cheaper than ever before. It was just normal and expected that cars would have holes rust in them, and sunroofs that would leak. A home computer was an exotic rarity, and a monitor with a 15" viewable area was considered big. There was an entire industry dedicated to renting TVs, not just because of the high upfront cost but also because they often broke down, and the rental company would provide the repair or replacement.
Except that's not happening for major purchases. Housing is more expensive than ever. Education is more expensive than ever. Healthcare is more expensive than ever. Cars and Trucks are more expensive than ever.
Besides taxes, the above are the biggest slice of the consumer's wallet, and those prices have almost never decreased. Shareholder returns keep going up, up, and up though.