> But it has occurred. People were originally calling it "short term" but its clear that the 6-7% inflation seen at the tail end of 2021 was very real.

I'm not sure those are related. I bet that was just one of the unintended consequences of stimulus checks in the US economy.

Keep in mind that poverty in the US is increasing like wildfire. In 2019, about 69% of Americans reported having less than $1000 in a savings accounts.

https://www.yahoo.com/now/survey-69-americans-less-1-1719272...

That falls well within living paycheck-to-paycheck territory, if not even below. This means the vast majority of Americans cannot afford luxuries or even basic necessities. Things haven't got better for the average Joe since 2019, too.

Then all of a sudden the whole country received a comparatively huge check in the mail to freely spend however they feel like it.

Expectedly, this sudden increase in disposable income and purchasing power will reflect in a hike in demand for the things being tracked by inflation índices. Increases in consumer demand lead to higher consumer prices, and thus inflation indicators go up.