SC255-12

https://www.globalresearch.ca/inflation-continues-soar-west-biden-unrelentingly-blames-russia/5778482

Inflation Continues to Soar in the West as Biden Unrelentingly Blames Russia

The most severe level of inflation since the 1980s is affecting the average US and European citizen more so then ever. The price of gasoline and the price of electricity, caused by anti-Russia sanctions, are constantly increasing, and interestingly even America’s beloved fast food is becoming more expensive.

According to the US Department of Labor, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 8.5% in the year to the end of March. In February, the index was 7.9%. Gasoline prices broke records, rising more than $4 a gallon. Not far behind are electricity bills and rent that account for about a third of total spending. Shipping costs have increased and the price of fast food, obsessively loved by Americans, hit the highest increase in 41 years. According to the Big Mac Index, the price of the popular McDonald’s burger rose 7% last year. In the past 10 years, the price of the Big Mac jumped 40%.

US President Joe Biden blamed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for rising inflation in America, saying on April 14 that the 70% increase in pricing last month was a result of “Putin’s price hike.”

“Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has driven up gas prices and food prices all over the world,” Biden said, adding: “What people don’t know is that 70% of the increase in inflation was the consequence of Putin’s Price Hike because of the impact on oil prices. Seventy percent.”

However, this is disingenuous as commodity prices in the US began to rise last year. Biden is attempting to halt the wave of disapproval he is receiving for allowing the average American citizen to economically suffer by blaming Moscow instead of admitting his own mistakes.

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when the US economy was struggling to stay afloat as politicians shut down the economy, the Federal Reserve began aggressively printing trillions of dollars, swelling the Fed’s balance sheet to nearly $9 trillion in 2021.

“You flooded the system with money,” 60 Minutes journalist Scott Pelley said in a 2021 interview with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

“Yes, we did,” Powell replied. “That’s another way to think about it. We did.”

Although the Federal Reserve aggressively pumped more money, they also decided to keep interest rates near zero. Pumping dollars in huge volumes only brings profits to banks and investors in the stock market. But as a result, all commodities have risen sharply: from grains and oil to transportation services.

The Fed insisted that inflation is only a short-term phenomenon, but their sluggishness has hit American pockets hard. In this way, inflation was already a result of bad American economic policy, but it has only been exacerbated by the anti-Russia sanctions.

It is recalled that on March 8, Biden officially announced a ban on energy imports from Russia despite warnings that the decision would impact consumers. Unsurprisingly, the price of oil immediately rose to $130 per barrel. The sharp drop in oil and gas use has led to rising fuel prices and rising inflation. However, Biden of course does not want to mention this as he would rather blame Putin for his own mistakes.

At the same time, Washington is putting pressure on the EU to give up energy imports from Russia. Unfortunately for Biden though, as the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted, some European countries were completely dependent on Russian oil and gas.

Meanwhile, prices in Europe are also skyrocketing. In March, inflation in 19 EU countries reached 7.5%. Inflation was particularly severe for some others though, hitting double digits in four member states, with Lithuania leading the way with 15.6%.

The inflation rate in Germany reached 7.3%, the highest level in 40 years. According to Karl von Rohr, deputy governor of Deutsche Bank, inflation for the year in Germany will be at 7-8%. Deutsche Bank experts also predicted that inflation would exceed 10% in the event of a complete embargo on Russian energy.

In March, energy prices in Europe recorded the biggest increase. In second place was food, alcohol and tobacco. In third place are services. Unfortunately for Europe, prices will continue to rise, especially as the Ukraine war and anti-Russia sanctions have created supply chain and logistics disruptions, as well as shortages of raw materials.

The UK is not protected either and inflation has also soared to record levels. The annual inflation rate rose to 7.0% in March, the highest level since March 1992. Electricity and gas bills rose 54% – from £1,227 to £1,971, and it is expected that energy prices will again increase in October.

This deadly mix of bad economic policy and sanctioning Russia without an exit strategy means that the average Western citizen is being most affected. Just as sanctions never saw the downfall of Castro in Cuba, Assad in Syria or Kim Jong-Un in North Korea, it will not lead to a capitulation of Putin or the Russian state, effectively meaning that sanctions are a pointless exercise that only further concentrates wealth into fewer hands in the West and out of the average citizen.

....

https://stephenlendman.org/2022/04/24/the-scourge-of-msms-war-on-truth/

The Scourge of MSM’s War on Truth

MSM v. truth, full disclosure and journalism as it should be are mortal enemies.

Operating as weapons of mass deception, US/Western MSM are paid to lie and suppress truth in service to powerful interests.

The above reality hit home like a hammer on kill shots and all else flu/covid.

The same reality applies to waging all-out war of words on Russia — in support of US/NATO sanctions and proxy hot war on the country, along with providing press agent services for Nazi-infested Ukraine.

On Sunday, the NYT falsely accused Russia of killing thousands of civilians in Mariupol — a bald-faced Big Lie.

It repeated fake news about Russian responsibility for “atrocities in Bucha” — knowing nothing of the sort occurred.

It lied about “corpses of murdered civilians (discovered in) the Kiev region” after Russian forces were deployed to Donbass.

It was fake news.

If falsely accused Russia of “attempt(ing) to destroy the Ukrainian state (sic).”

An endless stream of Big Lies infests its reports on all things Russia and Ukraine.

Ignoring Nazi-infested fascist Ukraine, it lied accusing Russia of “fasci(st)” rule under Vladimir Putin (sic).

A previous article asked if the Times is incapable of truth-telling.

Its daily fake news editions bear testimony to what’s very much the case.

Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbass are independent republics.

They’re not Ukrainian territory as the Times falsely claimed.

The broadsheet supports pouring more weapons into Ukraine to prolong endless fighting.

No matter that Russia is effectively destroying them.

On Sunday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces “performed 423 fire tasks” overnight.

Ten Ukrainian drones were destroyed in the last 24 hours — 551 since Fed. 24.

“(U)sing long-range high-precision air-based missiles,” Russian forces struck a military airfield near Odessa.

A logistics terminal “where a large batch of foreign weapons (were stored) was eliminated.”

On Saturday, Russian forces targeted 102 Ukrainian military targets, including “6 command posts, 84 strongholds and areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment as well as 10 artillery clusters.”

According to Times fake news, “Ukrainian leaders (sic) said they have the opportunity not only to defend their land but also to drive the Russians out (sic).”

According to WaPo fake news, Russia calls Ukrainians Nazis “to dehumanize them (sic).”

“Russian officials (are) the spitting image of what they pretend to condemn (sic).”

Ignoring Ukraine’s badly beaten and battered military — infested with Nazified thugs — WaPo pathetically called Russia’s dominant military operation in Ukraine “dysfunctional (sic).”

It lied about “mass civilian graves” near Mariupol. None exist.

It falsely accused Russian forces of shooting civilians “in the back of the head (sic).”

It lied claiming that Russia “prevent(s) refugees from leaving” conflict areas (sic).

It lied saying that Russian forces blocked “relief supplies from reaching injured and starving people (sic).”

And this WSJ fake news:

“Russia lost the battle of Kiev” — never waged.

Vladimir Putin “menace(s) Ukraine (sic).”

He intends to “assassinate (puppet) Zelensky (sic).”

“This is the time to give Ukraine all it can handle to press for victory against Russia (sic).”

An earlier Chicago Tribune editorial turned truth on its head, saying:

“The world isn’t safe with Putin in power (sic).”

“The Russian population must come to grips with (what it falsely called) reality (sic).”

Falsely calling Putin “a dictator (sic)” ignored Russia’s democracy — the real thing in stark contrast to US/Western fantasy versions.

All of the above and endless amounts more of the same assaults Americans and others in the West daily.

Truth-telling news and views are nowhere in sight.

MSM long ago banned journalism as it should be.

State-approved talking points are featured instead.

Americans are the most over-entertained, mind-manipulated ignoramuses on the planet.

On issues of most important to their lives, health and well-being, they’re detached from reality know-nothings.

They’re easy marks to be deceived by fake news.

It happens with disturbing regularity.

Polls prove it time and again.