Other threads over there attempted to pose the question again. Because they were not Earl's thread, there was slightly more candor. Try posting this on X, DUmmies, and see what happens.
Also, what they're trying to do is to take a specific point in time, say, April 2020 with all the uncertainties, lockdowns, shortages, etc. and compare it with right now, when you can actually purchase toilet paper. But people are going to be thinking 2017-2020 vs. 2020-2024.