We live in the new money area. It became clear that they don't actually have money: they have high income and high expenses. Earlier in the fall when the vax mandates came out and our neighbor that is GC at a major healthcare network was giddy about firing the unvaxxed I gave him a warning about seeing firsthand how well things like this played out in Iraq 15 years ago.
Then I got the, "Well how are you going to afford your mortgage and the payments on your new SUV?"
Their reaction when I shrugged and answered: "What mortgage, what car payment? We paid cash for both. This house is the least valuable property I own. What if my wife loses her job tomorrow we're retired (in our 40's). Hell it only takes half her salary to maintain our standard of living and the farms now provide more income than her job. I wrote checks this summer for fertilizer that were more than your Tesla."
They kind of shut the hell up after that. It became very clear that if they suddenly got a $15,000 bill that was due in 30 days they'd have trouble finding that kind of cash. Granted we drive a Dodge minivan and a Buick SUV now. It's not like we're buying BMW's or Audis...
What’s the spot price on soybeans and rice?
That being said next year is going to bad. Last year nitrogen was $350 a ton. This year it was $700 a ton. We booked what we could at between $900-1000 a ton. Right now it’s $1500 a ton and we can’t book anymore.
I had a cousin that worked sales and they'd have the problem of their products being stolen via credit card fraud and listed on Amazon. Since they intermix supplies from various suppliers their warehouses are full of stolen goods. If someone with political will wanted to come down on Amazon all you'd have to do is raid a couple dozen of their warehouses and find stolen goods and then prosecute. Shame that won't happen until a new crop of officials are elected with the balls to go after the enemy.
Not only that, but its clear that its so widespread that even they have lost control. With a lot of the gangs, while violent and pushing drugs, usually had an understanding of things that are taboo even for them. And if you do it you're own homies will take you out for it. Even that seems to be gone at this point.
And it’s going to get worse…