Gas stations vs. department stores

I thought this chart here from the Illusion of Prosperity blog was pretty telling, and I think it says just about everything you need to know about what Fed policy has done for and to our economy over the last decade-plus (obviously the internet has a role to play here as well, but that dynamic alone cannot and does not account for a tripling of the ratio in a dozen years). Regardless of the reasons behind the spike in this chart, it's clear that inflationary monetary policy is powerless to restore lost retail jobs, but certainly ensures that we all spend more and more of our paychecks at the pump and the grocery store.

Pretty awesome, right? Hooray, Bernanke!

And hey, while we're at it, let's share another semi-terrifying chart from the same blogger.

Good times. Sooner or later, nobody will have any home equity at all, and then we'll all be living on Easy Street. Which will be good, because gas will be so expensive that we won't be able to afford to drive to any other streets. I can't wait.