A few days ago, I was watching the evening news and heard a quick mention that coffee prices are rising, due to something, somewhere. The story registered in my mind and was filed in the section of my brain that alerts me to future retail price increases due to greedy, bloodsucking Wall Street leeches. Another section of my mind reminded me that the same leeches helped to cause the high oil prices of a few years ago that contributed to the start of this recession.
No more than a couple of days later, I was shopping in a super market chain that, in it's advertising likes to pretend that it's in business solely to satisfy it's customers. I went to the coffee aisle to replenish my supply of the awesome coffee that's packed in the red and gold bag. A few days ago, this coffee was selling for $5.10 for a 12 Oz. bag. Several times a year, this grocery chain has a buy one, get one free sale, making my favorite coffee an amazing deal. To my astonishment, they are now selling it for $6.50 per 12 Oz. bag. Did the wholesale price increases travel through the supply chain that quickly? No way! Many of the bags on the shelf were dusty, but were selling for $6.50 none the less.
The moral of the story is that in our wonderful "free" market system, everyone is "free" to shaft everyone else!
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