Kinda weird? That's a nice way to say "total bogus". It strikes me that the CPI is practically propaganda at this point, a way to placate the citizens by saying "oh look inflation is fine", distracting them from the mega-hyper asset price inflation that has been happening over the past 40 years.

Suppose it kind of makes sense, since the rich control the country, and they are the ones directly benefitting from the asset price inflation.

I was thinking along similar lines. Overall cost of living as certainly increased by more than 200% during that timeframe.