Opinion: Not just inflation: Shoplifting and soft-on-crime policies in the U.S. push prices up, too

Walk into most any drugstore in a U.S. city to buy a tube of toothpaste, a stick of deodorant or a bottle of Aspirin and you may be surprised: They are locked up in cases, like diamond necklaces or Rolex watches, and accessible only by key-bearing employees – if you can find any to help you. The …