The NDP are at it again, and by “it,” I mean making stupid demands that should get them laughed out of any room they’re in. To wit, yesterday they demanded price caps on certain grocery items, claiming that the Loblaws settlement over the class action for the bread price-fixing scheme as “proof” that government needs to take action. I can’t think of a more economically illiterate argument that is trying to simply base itself on “vibes” that will only do far more harm than it will do good.
And I see that we’re back to “Zap, you’re frozen!” #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/iFC5aydwFB
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) July 25, 2024
The high price of certain grocery items is rarely an issue of grocery chains hiking prices. It does happen, but there has been little evidence of it when margins have been stable. If you bother to actually pay attention to agricultural news or Statistics Canada data, it’s pretty clear that much of those price increases are a result of climate change-related droughts in food-producing regions, with the odd flash flood or hurricane also ruining crops, and driving up prices. The invasion of Ukraine exacerbated issues by throwing world markets for wheats and cooking oils out of whack, driving up prices as exports couldn’t get to market. And even if you have growing conditions that rebound, often price are locked into contracts with producers or processors for several years at a time, which can delay prices returning to lower levels as supply rebounds. But the point here is that most of this is explainable if you actually bother to look, rather than just screaming “corporate greed!” because you are ideologically predisposed to doing so.
The NDP is the party of stupid people who think they are intellectuals. https://t.co/qshs3gVoaj
— Stephen Gordon (@stephenfgordon) July 24, 2024
More to the point, this just strikes me as a little bit of history repeating the demands for price controls in the mid-seventies as inflation was reaching double-digits, which then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau mocked with the phrase “Zap, you’re frozen!” We’re not there, and frankly the demand for price caps is frankly ridiculous, and if they persist, we should resurrect “Zap, you’re frozen” to mock them as relentlessly.
Applies universally. https://t.co/MttmFnKDZD
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) July 25, 2024
Programming Note: I am taking the next week or so off. Columns will continue on schedule but blogs and videos will be taking a bit of a break.
Ukraine Dispatch
Russia launched drone attacks against power facilities in two regions, prompting more power grid disruptions. Another drone attack appears to have overshot and struck down in Romania, but NATO doesn’t believe that this was an intentional attack. A leaked UN report is pointing to Russia as the culprit of an explosion at barracks housing Ukrainian POWs two years ago that killed fifty.
Liut combat robots are ready to join the battle.
These robotic platforms are designed to support assault operations, as well as detect and destroy enemy fire points. The systems can also be used as an observation post. pic.twitter.com/u5iIOJppu4
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) July 25, 2024
⚡️Pentagon finds accounting errors worth $2 billion in aid for Ukraine.
Due to the errors, the Defense Department can send a further $2 billion in weapons to Ukraine to cover the amount already approved by U.S. President Joe Biden.https://t.co/M5fUJkLngu
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) July 25, 2024