Thread by @honzacern1

1/
US consumers just did it again:
Retail sales blew past expectations in August.
Headline: +0.6% (est. +0.2%)
Ex-autos: +0.7% (est. +0.4%)

Control group: +0.7% (est. +0.4%)

But here’s the truth: this isn’t strength, it’s denial. 🧵👇

2/
Why are Americans still spending when:
Inflation erodes real wages

Credit card APRs >20%

Savings rates at historic lows

Because reality hurts — and swiping the card is easier than facing it.

3/
Drivers of the binge:
Credit card debt at record highs ($1.3T+)

“We survived Covid, we’ll survive this” psychology

Jobs still available, so fear feels far away

Stock market at highs → fake sense of wealth

Inflation mindset: better buy today than tomorrow

4/
This is not resilience.
It’s recklessness dressed up as resilience.
Living on debt, pretending it’s income.

5/
The cruel irony?
Every extra dollar spent today adds fuel to inflation tomorrow.
It’s like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.

6/
And when the bill comes due — rates, inflation, defaults — who’s really prepared?
Not the spender chasing dopamine at Walmart.

7/
The only winners will be those who kept discipline.
Those who said:
❌ No to credit illusions
✅ Yes to stacking real assets

8/
Because in the end, it’s not the consumer binge that builds wealth.
It’s the saver’s patience.
And stackers have already chosen their side.

#RetailSales #DebtCrisis #Inflation #Silver #Stacking

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