inflation-2
Explanation
The comic opens with someone noting: "Lately the price of everything but commodities has been skyrocketing." Another person responds: "It sucks, right?" followed by "It's the greatest thing in history." The comic then cuts to "Ten years ago" where the same character couldn't afford a gigantic expensive coffee every morning, couldn't get a mortgage. Now, they describe their life as: "Now I could eat a gigantic expensive coffee every morning for the rest of my life and still have money for a house" -- but only because commodity prices (food, coffee) stayed flat while asset prices (homes) appreciated wildly.
The comic continues with "Long-term investment" where the character declares: "Now that I've made my money, I am free to binge on Supreme-icing or..." with the other person offering: "Here's your caramel blizzard macchiato Supreme-icing, sir." The final panel: "Bless you, my child."
This comic satirizes asset-price inflation and the generational wealth divide. The character is celebrating because the specific pattern of inflation -- where housing and investment assets skyrocket in value while everyday consumer goods remain relatively cheap -- has made them rich on paper. They bought a house when it was affordable, watched its value multiply, and now enjoy cheap consumer luxuries. The joke is that this person frames a deeply inequitable economic situation as "the greatest thing in history" because they happened to be on the winning side of it. For anyone who didn't already own assets, the same inflation pattern is catastrophic -- they can't afford homes, healthcare, or education. The comic captures the obliviousness of those who benefited from asset inflation, who see cheap coffee as proof the economy is fine while an entire generation is locked out of homeownership.