Post by Henry NebrenskyPost by Daniel GoldsmithPost by Nigel StapleyThe OFIAH *still* relevant!
Lovely to see Rhianna and the Pratchett estate gave their full support to
Monroe.
Not that I object to the sentiment, but is it just me that
finds this inappropriate (in the technical sense)? The genius
in pTerry's formulation is that it shows how inequalities are
exacerbated even in the like-for-like purchases of necessities,
whether boots (for Vimes) or washing machines and laptops* (the
rest of us).
I think the usage is cromulent, for the following reason:-
The CPI measure of inflation is based upon the overall basket of goods, which
as you go on to detail, includes luxury items. More importantly, it measures
the price of goods based upon an average cost, so .5 kg of beef costs x.
Monroe's point is that these measures, both in the overall sense (the CPI
Basket) and in the specific (the averages) drastically understate the
inflationary pressures on the poorest in society. In Monroe's original
posting, she noted that the cost of carrots, which has barely moved when one
considers Organic Natural Carrots with the Dirt Still Attached, had gone up
*massively* in the Bargain Bin Bag.
Her idea of the index (as _I_ understood it) was to estimate the *costs* of
being Vimes - to properly calculate the inflationary cost of being shit-poor.
Post by Henry Nebrenskyit's about the differences in spending patterns.
That's where (I think) you're wrong. Its not a calculation of notional
differences, rather an estimation of the cost of being poor.
--
dgold <***@dgold.eu>