What is the thrust of this thread? The author appears to be taking umbrage at the 5% increase in inflation vs. 150-500% increases in various food items. However, inflation measures are commonly defined over a basket of goods and services, and price increases can vary greatly across individual items. In fact, is there are inflation indices that cover 'core' items, which should catch the scenario that the author is talking about. If they haven't (and I do not think they have), then this thread is mostly just a rant (the author is clear on this).