The last time prices were increasing this quickly was in 1981 when Ronald Reagan was president, interest rates were near record highs, and the United States was embroiled in the Cold War.

The country has changed significantly since the Great Inflation of the 1970s and 1980s, and today’s inflationary bout is much different — but there are some similarities between now and 1981, the last time inflation hit 8.5%.

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