GHAWG-- God's Hog: A Watchful Guardian-- LeoThreads Zapfic Entries 562-568

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^{Cover image is a screen capture of LeoThreads edited with MS Paint}

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TL;DR

● What is GHAWG?

● Zapfic Entries 562-568

    5️⃣6️⃣2️⃣ 2024-September-02 18:37:27

    5️⃣6️⃣3️⃣ 2024-September-02 18:47:30

    5️⃣6️⃣4️⃣ 2024-September-03 00:12:57

    5️⃣6️⃣5️⃣ 2024-September-04 18:12:54

    5️⃣6️⃣6️⃣ 2024-September-05 18:01:12

    5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣ 2024-September-06 18:32:06

    5️⃣6️⃣8️⃣ 2024-September-07 18:38:30

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What Is GHAWG?

#GHAWG is short for "God's Hog: A Watchful Guardian." This fictional story tells how David Guardia, a courier and business owner from Bayonne, New Jersey, US moved into the next phase of his life after spending the final ten years of his ailing father's life helping him.

More details can be found in the first post of this weekly recap.

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Zapfic Entries 562-568

5️⃣6️⃣2️⃣ 2024-September-02 18:37:27

"When something's in low supply & high demand, its price goes up," stated Lindsay.

"Correct-a-mundo, Fonzie," Hank told her.

"No matter how hard some people try, there is no escaping the laws of supply and demand," adds Frank.

https://inleo.io/threads/view/magnacarta/re-magnacarta-2gepkelfb

🏍️ The [Brothers Marchenko](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-lu49xsps), Hank & Frank, confirm for [Lindsay Etxeberria](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-ugzqy34) her understanding of the most fundamental principles of Economics: the Laws of [Supply and Demand](https://inleo.io/@leoglossary/leoglossary-supply-and-demand). These laws have always existed, and will always exist until [the heat death of the universe](https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-big-freeze-how-the-universe-will-die/). All economists of the last few centuries (especially Adam Smith) have done is discover these laws. When these natural laws are replaced by man-made laws, the result will be-- and has always been-- misery for the people and the ultimate downfall of the regime. Look no further than price controls and the taxing of unrealized [capital gains](https://inleo.io/@leoglossary/leoglossary-capital-gain-loss).

🏍️ [Hank](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-2sv6svqeh) calls Lindsay "[Fonzie](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-3cnpjpwvb)". That's the Felix Legion name [David Guardia](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-leothreads-xiqrq) assigned to her as a result of being the first rider to jump over the mob of environmental protesters blocking the road with her [Victory](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-ahj4h42d) motorcycle. This zapfic entry indicates that Lindsay has been referred to as "Fonzie" occasionally since that the [daring display of theatricality](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-z7rkm4wr) in [Santa Fe, New Mexico](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-2qgcdug2k), US.

5️⃣6️⃣3️⃣ 2024-September-02 18:47:30

"Now that we set up the situation," continued Frank, "this is what ended up happening, Lindsay."

"Go on."

"Between oil extraction & payment at the register, oil is bought & sold several times. At each step, costs are added."

https://inleo.io/threads/view/magnacarta/re-magnacarta-9b3gxlpd

🏍️ This zapfic entry can be considered a brief description of how prices respond in a domino effect to changes in both the money supply as well as changes to levels of supply and demand. At each step in this cascade, everyone still needs to make money after accounting for increased costs and overhead required to compensate for inflation. At each level, the profit made was minimal. While that's no consolation to the end consumer or retail customer, it would be far worse if anyone at any point of that cascade goes out of business.

5️⃣6️⃣4️⃣ 2024-September-03 00:12:57

"Even if the oil companies make mad stacks of cash," continued Hank, "it's not like they're buying Cuban cigar fields. Whatever profits they make come at a high cost. By the time we get it, we're hosed every which way today."

https://inleo.io/threads/view/magnacarta/re-magnacarta-acxirppt

🏍️ This zapfic entry validates the commentary for the previous zapfic entry. People ignorant of basic economics think that [profits](https://inleo.io/@leoglossary/leoglossary-profit) are a bad thing, but they are mistaken. Profits make it posible for [businesses](https://inleo.io/@leoglossary/leoglossary-business) to exist. Profits are the foundation for virtuous behaviors such as thrift and charity. When sufficient profits are made, business expansion takes place, and that requires people to make it happen. If people want to argue that profits were made using more distasteful methods (such as government subsidies or outright [fraud](https://inleo.io/@leoglossary/leoglossary-fraud)), that's a different discussion. Profits themselves are a positive; anyone saying they are a negative either lacks an understanding of economics and business or is wedded to an ideology opposed to free enterprise.

5️⃣6️⃣5️⃣ 2024-September-04 18:12:54

"That's just only the oil we're talkng about," resumed Frank. "Cost increases are passed on at every step of the way until a good reaches the consumer. No one escapes-- not the refiners, the truckers, the wholesalers-- no one."

https://inleo.io/threads/view/magnacarta/re-magnacarta-3ffxmd4h

🏍️ Everyone involved in getting a good to market (from the people gathering raw materials to those who refine them into more usable goods, to those transporting the goods, to those selling the goods) has to earn something for their time and effort. Once everyone gets their cut, overhead costs have to be paid (rent for landlords, gas and electricity charges to the utilities companies, etc.). In the case of truckers, not only do they transport goods, but they also pay for the fuel used by their trucks. They also pay for any tolls they encounter on certain roads. Truckers, like everyone else in the chain, have their own overhead costs they need to pay or else give up their livelihoods.

5️⃣6️⃣6️⃣ 2024-September-05 18:01:12

"Truckers?" asked Lindsay. "Like Rhonda?"

"She has her own horror stories concerning high prices," said Hank. "Costs are like snowballs and poop: they all roll downhill."

"Gee, Hank, thanks."

Frank shook his head at Hank.

https://inleo.io/threads/view/magnacarta/re-magnacarta-37lkg9bnq

🏍️ Hank Marchenko ended the discussion he and twin brother Frank were having with Lindsay Etxeberria with a graphic and nearly off-color visual. The mention of truckers also hit home for Lindsay because of her associative relationship with David Guardia's wife, the former [Rhonda Bella](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-2cyfm6wqo). As an independent trucker, [Rhonda Bella Guardia](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-2aptrmldp) was also a business owner. Left unsaid in the discussion between [The Twins](https://inleo.io/@magnacarta/re-magnacarta-ersijtxm) and Lindsay was the regulatory burden imposed by various levels of government. It's been a while since this detail was mentioned, but David himself is also a business owner.

5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣ 2024-September-06 18:32:06

"Rhonda can confirm all we discussed tonight, too," Frank told Lindsay. "While The Fed caused inflation, it was restrictive energy policy which set off a vicious cascade of price increases we're dealing with even today in 2028."

https://inleo.io/threads/view/magnacarta/re-magnacarta-2abryc6g9

🏍️ As with someone in good health, we don't notice all that's involved when an economy is firing on all cylinders. We only notice these things when economic difficulty exists. That's when we notice the various layers needed for an economy to operate. That's when we notice the chain starting from idea and then extraction and ending with inventory and final sale. We think of the pinky toe as being useless until that pinky toe is harmed or damaged or even removed; then we miss that pinky toe. An economy is the same way.

5️⃣6️⃣8️⃣ 2024-September-07 18:38:30

"Anything else, Lindsay?" asked Hank. Lindsay needed a moment to process all she heard The Twins say before she could reply.

"I think I'm good here."

"Once you know what to look for," said Frank, "you'll know what'll happen."

https://inleo.io/threads/view/magnacarta/re-magnacarta-2d7mymbsz

🏍️ This zapfic entry concludes the discussion around inflation and price increases. Inflation doesn't happen on its own; it's the result of policies put in place. Whether these policies were put in place out of ignorance or due to more sinister reasons is also another discussion. Everything else is a consequence of those policies. Many people are ignorant of how goods go from thought to final sale, so they aren't aware of why prices are what they are. Included among the ignorant are people we consider to be highly educated. While it's OK for people to stay ignorant, they cannot propose faulty ideas once they know correct ideas.

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Story Arc So Far

Felix Legion arrives in the major league city of St. Louis, Missouri, US. This is the beginning of a series of zapfic entries which not only develop the characters further but also provide breadcrumbs for later scenes through The GHAWG Universe; so far it's regarding Lindsay Etxeberria and The Twins. This Weekly Summary post features the remainder of a discussion around inflation and price increases begun last week between the Brothers Marchenko and Lindsay Etxeberria.

NOW AVAILABLE! -- GHAWG, Uninterrupted for those who want to binge-read the daily zapfic serial one Act (or Interlude) at a time. Act 7 is in progress, so GHAWG-U proceeds through Interlude 3.

ALSO AVAILABLE! -- The GHAWG Diaries for those who want to witness the formation of The GHAWG Universe and how it's taking place. Published on Mondays when there is no GHAWG, Uninterrupted post (or, for that matter, any other post).

PLUS! -- GHAWG Behind the Scenes to see how elements of The GHAWG Universe take shape, from graphics to spreadsheets and other research. Included is a subseries called "Fun with Maps" showing the interesting things I find as I map out the David Guardia's ride. "Fun with Maps" is at South Bend, Indiana, US.

Catch the latest zapfic entries for GHAWG at LeoThreads. Get caught up with GHAWG with these weekly summaries at InLeo.

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GHAWG Navigation

To find other weekly summary posts such as this one-- or to read the serial without annotated commentary-- use the post GHAWGnav: Navigating The GHAWG Universe.

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That's it for this Weekly Summary. I'm ^[!!]
Thanks for your time and for reading #GHAWG, LeoThreads at InLeo's first daily zapfic serial. Give the post an upvote or a reblog if you liked it. Feedback is welcome. Until next time!

[!!] -- signature graphic was made by @ahmadmanga

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