A front-page headline on February 28 read: “Economy is strong, but immigration is the main reason.” These two provisions are a hint at President Biden’s low approval rating.
Does “roar” bring silence? “Recent extraordinary growth” in the labor market has boosted gross domestic product, which is “projected to grow by an additional $7 trillion over the next decade.” Why doesn’t everyone support the government?
However, I was reminded of what Sen. Cory Booker (New Jersey) said at the Democratic presidential primary debate a few years ago: “GDP doesn’t speak to voters.” Booker was pushing back against President Donald Trump’s obsession with growth.
Most people don’t care about GDP. Especially for those in his MAGA group, what they thought was great is going the way of the dodo. They are getting lost in all of that “growth”.
It’s not just the MAGA crowd that’s worried about where we’ll lose. I’m an independent, but I’m appalled by the proliferation of noise, traffic, housing development, red lights, and congestion in general. I love seeing people from all over the world come together, but the recent abnormal growth scares me. Let me tell you, it’s not an individual. That’s a huge number.
The U.S. has little to do with “more than $7 trillion,” more than its current bloated economy that threatens our countryside, our way of life, and even the climate we fundamentally depend on. It’s impossible. What we need is a political cure for conservation ethics, ecological economics, and the obsession with GDP growth.