The past days have seen several “political pundits” addressing the 2022 election framed in terms of WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?). It is a good thing for society if we hang important decisions both individually and collectively on some sort of moral standard. We know that a participatory democracy is like two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.
Judeo-Christian ethics is acceptable for those “progressives” who still—in the words of Barack Obama—“cling to religion.” That is, as long as not much is said about the New Testament teachings on adultery, homosexual behavior, and divorce. But those are subjects for another time.
However, perhaps a more critical WWJD for these times should be the feeding of the 5,000. Two situations potentially warrant a “miracle of the five loaves and two fish.”
“How do you know when the government is lying? Its lips are moving.” The other way you know is when government makes fun of or downplays an issue. We must give the government the benefit of the doubt, as they are prone to error like all of us. We cannot forget how that “two weeks to flatten the curve” in March 2020 morphed into two months, then more than a year. But in late February 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci did describe the risk of Covid to the US as “minuscule.”
We ordinary folk do not have the knowledge or the information to know whether government pronouncements are accurate. We must trust for at least a while.
Americans are going to supermarkets only to find essential items missing or in short supply. We saw the same thing happen last year at the fresh meat counters and with certain staples in the grocery sections. US Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that supply shortages were nothing more than “The tragedy of the treadmill that’s delayed.”
“Stores are running out of food, medical supplies, supply driving inflation but Psaki reduces real world problems down to the example of a treadmill for a chuckle,” said one reporter. White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said that US economic issues—including inflation and supply chain delays—are “high class problems,” affecting only the rich. However, carbonated drinks, chicken, coffee, and diapers, among other items, are being rationed by supermarket chains.
One Alabama school district is literally running out of food. “Alexander City Schools have started asking parents to feed their children breakfast at home because the district hasn’t received its normal food deliveries from vendors.” Big problem when “Of the district’s 2,870 students, 65 percent are enrolled in free and reduced-price meals.”
With supply disruptions come higher prices. Psaki tried to make the case that rising prices were good because it meant more people were buying things. US Department of Labor: From a year before, “Americans are paying 42 percent more for gasoline, 10 percent more for eggs, meat, poultry, and fish; 27 percent more for propane, 5 percent more for electricity; and 24 percent more for used cars.”
Psaki said the increase in prices of common goods is due to “transitory effects” of the economy “turning back on.” The problem is that the US may already be in a recession that could be as bad as 2008, according to a study by Dartmouth College professor David Blanchflower who served on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from 2006 to 2009. Every recession since the 1980s has been foreshadowed by 10-point drops in consumer sentiment indices from the Conference Board and University of Michigan.
The Conference Board has measured a 25-point drop in 2021, while UM has recorded an 18-point slump. This compares to a 19-point and a 21-point dip for the indices, respectively, ahead of the 2008 global financial crash. WWJD? More seriously, what are we going to do?
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