[kcolford]

inflation is low because people are buying less; remember that inflation is calculated based on actual expenses (a "basket of goods" but that basket is adjusted based on how much people are actually spending); demand for the newest tv or plastic phone case is down; people are still buying the same amount of food and using the same amount of gas, neither of which are tariffed because of exceptions to the tariff rules

prices are up so people are buying less, it's just that simple; only a handful of companies have reported their Q4 christmas earnings but retailers' are already forecasted to be way below previous years'