
<p>A lot of Americans are truly suffering from inflation and other aspects of our dysfunctional economy. ; But I think “suffering” may be too strong a word for the vast majority of Americans.</p>



<p>There are millions of Americans who are too wealthy to truly suffer from any economic downturn. ; About eight percent of Americans have a net worth of more than a million dollars – and there are a lot of wealthy folks with less than a million bucks. ; ;</p>



<p>They sail through the ups and downs of the economy … the erratic swings of the stock market … and run-away inflation. ; Ironically, virtually all those talking-heads we see on the newscasts – who report the terrible suffering of the common folks with mock empathy – are members of the very wealthy class. ; Show me an anchor, panelist, and contributor and I will show you a millionaire &#8212; even a multimillionaire. ; Not all of them, of course, but most of them. ; (If you want to play the game, go to your search engine and look up “net worth of [name here]”)</p>



<p>At the bottom of the economic scale are millions of Americans who are truly suffering. ; The inflation is forcing them to make painful decisions between a pair of glasses and food for the kids … paying the rent or mortgage payment … paying for gas or medicine.</p>



<p>But then there is the vast majority of us – folks with relatively minimal means to those who are – as they say – “comfortable. ; That is the vast majority of us. ; Inflation is a pain – an inconvenience. ; For many of us, it means making some choices that we do not like. ; Maybe a few less trips to our favorite restaurants. ; Maybe postponing the purchase of a new suit or dress.</p>



<p>But that is not suffering – not by world standards or even American standards. ; We are still better off than 90 percent of the world population.</p>



<p>Do not get me wrong. ; I do not like the impact of inflation on my already modest lifestyle. ; But suffering? ; Uh uh. ; I must either pay more to do the things I have grown accustomed to doing, or I have to trim back a bit.</p>



<p>We can know that most Americans are in that middle category where the gas prices … the inflation … and the shortage of some goods … are unhappy inconveniences but not a hardship. ; We know that because the skyrocketing gas prices have not caused a significant reduction in the amount of gas being sold. ; We are continuing to drive around town or take out-of-town trips much like before. ; ;</p>



<p>That can depend on where you live. ; I live in Florida, so I now pay about $4.45 per gallon – just below the national average. ; I have not reduced my driving despite the price hike, however. ; On the other hand, if you live in Los Angeles, you could be paying more than $8 per gallon. ; That means you pay a whopping $51.75 more for a 15-gallon fill-up than I do. ; The difference is virtually all taxes.</p>



<p>Also, consumer spending is not declining – and may actually be going up. ; We cannot have those numbers if the vast majority of people are “suffering.” ; Most people are like me – grumbling but not suffering.</p>



<p>Virtually every poll shows that Americans are willing to pay more for gas if it can help Ukraine by cutting Vladimir Putin’s income. ; That would not be the mindset if the masses of Americans were truly suffering.</p>



<p>Inflation is not a good thing. ; And what might be coming next could be worse … stagflation … recession. ; I do not have any problem holding those responsible for the variety of crises America faces. ; Just because most of us are not truly suffering, it does not mean we have to like the economic hit we are taking. ; Of course, we would like to buy more … and save more. ; ;</p>



<p>Just because our ship is weathering the economic storm does not mean we should not hold the captain responsible for steering us onto the rocks.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis. ;</p>

Who is SUFFERING from the inflation … and who is not
