January 19, 2021 to January 19, 2022: One Year Later

JANUARY 19, 2021 to JANUARY 19, 2022: ONE YEAR LATER

— Annual inflation is 8.4 percent.

— Gas prices have shot up 50 percent within the last year.

— Used car prices are up 30 percent.

— Apartments and housing costs in major cities are through the roof.

— Oil companies and giant corporations reap record profits, while the minimum wage ranks 59th in the world.

— Many products are hard to get; there are even empty shelves in stores for some staple items.

— Omnicon infection rates are doubling and there’s confusion within the highest levels of government as to the best response.

Fact: All these things happened in a year’s time.

So, it must be the President’s fault, right? Shouldn’t there be a public outcry to replace him? Certainly, his party should suffer severe consequences, agree?

There’s one catch, however. A big catch. You knew the shell game was coming.

Each of those figures above applies to……drum roll please…..RUSSIA. That’s right, VLADIMIR PUTIN’S RUSSIA.

Hmm. So, where are the public cries to impeach or remove Putin? Why isn’t he considered a failure? The inflation rate is HIGHER in Russia, and the situation is certainly worse over there than here for average people, yet Putin enjoys Teflon-like immunity from criticism. Let’s also point to another fact: Many American conservatives and far-Right extremists even praise Putin. They admire him.

So, what gives?

Of course, Putin enjoys the benefits of authoritarian rule, controls most of the media, and exerts near-total control of the economic and power structure of Russia. Sort of like what Trump was/is attempting to do in the US. Meanwhile, one year ago today, President Joe Biden inherited a national freakin’ shitshow. The nation hopelessly divided, the opposition drunk on Koolaid, he must try to rebuild on the ashes of his predecessor’s appalling corruption, ineptitude, crackpot babblings on science and medical advice, monumental crisis mismanagement, and catastrophic failure of leadership. While Biden (and perhaps Putin, too) have very little to do in the short-term with things like–rates of inflation, gas prices, and housing costs, notice how different the reactions are THERE versus HERE.

Strangely enough, even though Putin in Russia (like Biden here) doesn’t deserve blame for global economic disruptions and shifts, Putin probably does merit far more criticism.  After all, he runs Russia with an iron fist.  Biden is relatively powerless here, by comparison.  Yet, looks who skips away free from any consequences and who ends up with plunging approval ratings.  This is whacked-out insanity.

The graph (above) shows the current inflation rate in Russia (8.4 percent*), not the USA (7 percent). I’ll bet many were fooled. Maybe it’s time for some proper perspective on what is a GLOBAL problem of economies, trade, labor costs — all impacted by a worldwide pandemic that lingers on, thanks in part to the previous Administration’s clumsy incompetence fronted by a stooge.

Cliffnotes:  Supply disruption, rising inflation, and higher gas prices are a GLOBAL FUCKING PROBLEM. Biden (or even Putin) have little to do with it. But Biden gets completely trashed, while virtually every other leader (and certainly Putin) is immune.  This is asinine.

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*correction:  Russian inflation is now 8.6 percent, not 8.4 percent as updated figures were just released.