Is $4/Gallon the Price For Your Vote Against Democracy?

You’re maybe going to vote for a political class bent on authoritarianism because eggs and gas are expensive?

Really?

Even if Democrats were somehow responsible for inflation – even if they did it on purpose, out of spite – that would still not be a good enough reason to vote for Republicans, who actually purposely try to do things that you hate even more. Or you should, if you’re paying any attention at all.

As far as inflation goes, it’s bad all over the world. In the UK, Italy, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, the inflation rate is worse than here.

So if you’re going to blame Democrats, or any other Americans, for inflation, you’ve got to also blame them for the high price of wienerschnitzel and cannoli. 

The GOP is as likely to fix the inflation in Argentina as in America. Republicans are very bad at fixing anything, anywhere, probably because they’re preoccupied with just trying to keep employed. They don’t have the upper hand on any significant issues, so they long ago got in the business of horrifying everybody about worrisome immigrants, Blacks, sex fiends, women, gays, deficit spending – and inflation.

So forget about seeing GOP economic plans, public health programs, immigration solutions. The best they can come up with is knocking down what somebody else comes up with.

If Republicans cured inflation, it would be the first time. They’re not good at making things cheaper, just making us feel really terrible about how much everything costs.

In June, Canada’s inflation rate was 8.2%, the same as ours is now. Up north, they repeatedly raised interest rates, and inflation dropped to 6.9. That’s the same thing the Fed’s done, and the U.S. inflation rate has dropped about the same amount since June.

While inflation in Canada and the U.S. is going down, it’s going up almost everywhere else. 

Our inflation is a little tougher than in Canada, however, because it took the Fed too long to get moving, there’s more post-pandemic pent-up demand here, and we have a lot of corporations who won’t give us a break. It’s pretty sad that as of August, U.S. corporate profit margins are the highest since 1950. 

Not gross receipts – profits. Way to pitch in, guys.

Congress, chagrined during the pandemic that stay-at-home Americans weren’t supporting the oil companies enough, gave them a total of $8.2 billion in tax breaks. They showed their appreciation by laying off 58,000 employees, more than a sixth of their workforce.

Fossil-fuel companies are now reporting record income, which has led the Europeans to tax excess profits. President Joe Biden wants to do the same here, but the oil lobby told congresscreatures not to go along.

You may know what Republicans will do, if they can, to remedy inflation. Tax cuts. Remember when Ronald Reagan thought that was a great idea? Congrats: A huge increase in the national debt and 10 percent unemployment.

The Fed’s 1980-81 interest rate increases under Paul Volcker were too violent. That’s not what’s going on now. The 2022 hikes are a fraction of those under the Reagan administration. 

Volcker helped Reagan cause the 1981-1982  recession. But 15% inflation was knocked to below 3% in 1983 by the Fed’s actions, not the White House’s. You don’t slow inflation by giving companies cash to buy up their own stock.

Politicians knew that, then and now. Cutting corporate taxes is not about fixing the economy, it’s about raising campaign money. 

“It’s not the economy, stupid,” to correct James Carville, circa 1992. It rarely is. The American economy is huge and, now, protected, and if it falters, it recovers before long.

What may not recover if we vote Tuesday the way most pundits are predicting is, well, everything. 

Republicans are threatening to slash Social Security and Medicare, to advance a national abortion ban, kill the Affordable Care Act and cut off Ukraine.  

They’re actively opposing almost all gun control, transgender rights, fair voting and affordable housing.

They’ve cozied up to dictators in Hungary, Turkey, North Korea and Russia. A lot of our conservatives sound like these guys now, aside from the accents.

Republicans say things that either make you embarrassed to live in America or want to harm innocent people. Or both. 

Do you remember that 147 Republican U.S. Senators and Congress members voted against confirming President Joe Biden’s election? If they were doing the right thing, you’d think that one or two honorable Democrats would have joined them. After all, if you put two Democrats in a room, you get three opinions.

There were no Democrats on board because they all knew a coup when they saw one.

So did the 147.