We “all” knew it this happen. We knew that the selection of ol’ Joey B would be the thing that pushed us over the precipice as a nation. Just for fun and to benefit my blood pressure, here’s my take on the State of the Union. (This would be a bullet point list, but WordPress isn’t cooperating with that at the moment. I love computers some days.)
The 2020 election steal: I don’t know how much evidence is required to convince some people that not only was the 2020 Presidential election was stolen, but so were numerous other national, state and local races. The “pandemic” was used to enable electoral cheating on a massive scale, and they will cheat again if not stopped.
Energy production and transportation: Emperor Poopy Pants I led off his Inauguration Day Executive Order blitz with the cancellation of Keystone XL pipeline. That has expanded to a large number of other pipeline projects that were under construction. Then it was the cancellation of oil and gas leases, constraining supplies further. We’ve went from ~$1.79/gallon gas to $3.65/gallon gas. Diesel is $4.10/gallon. Natural gas and propane have spiked. Electric rates are rising. Everything in our economy depends on energy, so these costs add to the inflation rate, now ~16% as it was measured in 1980 (per ShadowStats). And it’s going to get worse.
Employment: Who wants to work when the government gives you free money, free services and has said (in many places) that you can stiff the landlord for the rent, and they can’t throw you out? This has lead to higher government deficits (although the size may not matter any longer; I know I’ve stopped being concerned), short business hours and closed businesses because no one can hire enough employees.
Expansion of the police state: Yes Virginia, the US is now well on it’s way to becoming a police state. Why call out the National Guard and every cop they can lay hands on to guard Washington for the *President’s State of Union speech if you aren’t scared shitless of the people you’ve put yourselves over? Honestly, that’s one of the few happy things I’ve seen-they are scared of us unwashed masses, even now.
Housing prices: Rent and the purchase price of houses have reached insane levels. Our house has, in theory, doubled in value since we moved in almost 15 years ago. Daughter and Son-In_Law’s home has risen about 30% in 3 years, again theoretically. In Son’s apartment complex, a 1 BR apartment, about 700 ft2, now rents to newcomers for just shy of $1000/month. As a “long term resident”, his recent new 1 year lease is for 20% less, so call it $800. How is someone making, say, $40,000/year supposed to live? Oh yeah, in those RVs that just keep popping up in people’s yards. *snort*
Other inflation: Been to the grocery store lately? A home improvement place? Tried to buy a vehicle? Prices for everything are going up like they’re on an escalator-or up a conveyor belt to a spoils pile.
Wokeness: What can I say, except the lunatics are running the asylum. Our cities and institutions are failing. We have a generation of young people who can’t think logically. They emote rather than think, because that’s all they were ever taught how to do. It’s even sadder that their parents are pretty much the same.
Foreign Policy: Great Bleeding Ghu, can our foreign policy be much more of a train wreck without getting us invaded or irradiated? I’m just waiting for the sequel to Wag The Dog, which I hear is filming now in Eastern Europe, to hit the theaters. It ought to be great! Never mind all those extras who got killed making it.
The Uniparty Kleptocracy and March of the Oligarchs: There isn’t a nation on the face of the planet that isn’t being stolen blind by kleptocratic politicians and oligarchs who are absolutely convinced that they are smarter than us and have the inalienable right to rule us because we are just dumb beasts.
So that’s my take on the State of the Union. We have, in effect, spent years watching our country go to seed. I hope a few of those seeds are viable and breed true. Maybe in a couple of generations they’ll land in fertile soil and grow again.