Doomscroll News

Category: Econ

  • The Perfect Storm: Deconstructing the U.S. Coffee Supply Chain and the Post-2021 Price Surge

    The Perfect Storm: Deconstructing the U.S. Coffee Supply Chain and the Post-2021 Price Surge

    Executive Summary

    The substantial rise in U.S. coffee prices since 2021 is not the result of a single cause. Instead, it is a “perfect storm” of compounding global disruptions.

    This report deconstructs the complex factors behind the price surge. It traces the coffee bean’s journey from international farms to retail shelves across the United States. The analysis reveals a multi-layered crisis.

    The crisis began with a fundamental supply shock from unprecedented climate events in Brazil and Vietnam. These events drove commodity prices to a ten-year high. Persistent global inflation and logistical bottlenecks then exacerbated the problem, increasing costs at every stage.

    The situation was acutely aggravated in 2025 by a new U.S. tariff regime. This included a punitive 50% tariff on Brazil, which forced a chaotic and costly realignment of the entire coffee trade.

    Finally, the report demonstrates how the industry’s value chain amplified these initial cost increases. Its multiple percentage-based markups led to the near-doubling of prices that consumers experienced.

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  • Abolish the BLS Jobs Report

    There’s a compelling argument that the government’s method of mass counting jobs serves to obscure, rather than clarify, the true composition of the labor force. The BLS itself acknowledges that its surveys likely include illegal aliens, as the system isn’t designed to identify their legal status. This aggregate approach allows for the convenient bundling of all workers, making it impossible to discern the number of jobs held by citizens versus non-citizens, including undocumented workers or those on temporary visas. A system of transparent, individual company reporting would bring immediate clarity. If companies were responsible for reporting their own hiring data, any significant reliance on non-citizen labor would be far more apparent, holding both the companies and policymakers accountable for the real-world effects of immigration and labor policies.

    The monthly BLS jobs report is an obsolete and harmful system that should be abolished. Its monthly release is a recurring trap for retail investors, who are systematically disadvantaged by high-frequency trading algorithms that instantly trade on the numbers before the public can react (you’re literally at work and they’re gaming you). This turns a supposedly transparent economic indicator into a tool for institutional players to profit from manufactured volatility.

    Furthermore, the data itself is often unreliable, with significant upward or downward revisions frequently undermining the accuracy of the initial reports that cause these market shocks.

    Fundamentally, a free country should not rely on the government to be the central arbiter of economic information. This mass counting of jobs is an overstep of its role. Instead, we should foster a system where companies report their own data, allowing for a more organic and less centralized flow of information. This would end the monthly market convulsions and restore a measure of fairness for the individual investor.

  • Business Tax Devolutions: A Critical Dissection of Title XI, Subtitle B, Parts 1 & 2

    The recently proposed business tax measures under Title XI, Subtitle B, Parts 1 & 2, are presented as beneficial reforms. However, a closer examination reveals a series of provisions that range from questionably effective to deeply detrimental to American interests and fiscal responsibility.

    Sec. 111001: Extension of Special Depreciation Allowance (Bonus Depreciation) – A Recipe for Misallocation

    This section proposes extending 100% bonus depreciation for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and placed in service before January 1, 2030. This isn’t sound economic policy; it’s a blatant handout, likely to benefit well-connected insiders. Reports of companies already stockpiling assets suggest this will merely accelerate a pre-existing rush to capitalize on a temporary distortion. Such a policy actively encourages a misallocation of resources, incentivizing potentially unnecessary capital expenditure over more sustainable investments or debt reduction. It’s a short-sighted pump for certain sectors that will only exacerbate our national debt, not alleviate it.

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  • Knauff Power: Tariffs + Trump Gold Card = America’s Double Whammy

    Can the President act decisively on the Gold Card? The precedent set in Knauff v. Shaughnessy (1950) suggests yes. The Supreme Court recognized an “inherent executive power” over immigration matters tied to foreign affairs and national sovereignty. While Congress typically legislates in this area, Knauff indicates the President possesses authority, especially when national security – including economic security – is at stake. Attracting billions in investment for critical technologies certainly qualifies. This inherent authority provides a pathway to implement the Gold Card program swiftly, complementing the national security objectives of the tariffs.

    America needs more than just a nudge to reclaim its industrial dominance and secure its future. We need a powerful, two-fisted approach: the strategic pressure of tariffs combined with the magnetic pull of high-value investment. It’s time for the “Double Whammy” – leveraging both Section 232 tariffs AND President Trump’s proposed “Gold Card” program to bring jobs, capital, and cutting-edge innovation roaring back to American soil.

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