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Tim Mannello
Williamsport
Not a day goes by that Republicans don't ask the question: "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" Without explanation or evidence, they invariably answer their own question by saying: "Of course not."
Asking "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" is ambiguous.
What does "better off" mean? Financially? Emotionally? Educationally? Physically? Relationally? Environmentally? "Whateverly?"
And who is the "you" they are asking? All Americans? Some Americans? Which Americans?
It is misleading to compare measures of well-being today and four years ago. In fairness, one has to give an incoming president, in this case, President Biden. At least a year to deal with the state of our country handed over to him by Trump.
So, let's compare Sept. 30, 2024, with Sept. 30, 2020 on two key indicators that affect the nation as a whole: the economy and COVID-19.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, every economic indicator but one is better today than on Sept. 30, 2020. The exception: inflation. Inflation was slightly (0.008%) lower then. Inflation today is at pre-pandemic levels.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is not a single COVID-related measure that was better on Sept. 30, 2020 than on Sept. 30, 2024. There were no COVID vaccines in Sept., 2020. COVID infections, hospitalizations and deaths were still increasing rapidly.
Many morgues throughout the country were overfilled with COVID victims on Sept. 30, 2020. By that date, 206,494 Americans died of COVID. About 1,000 died that day while Donald Trump still gave himself an A+ on his management of the pandemic.
And what? You were better off because you lived in an area where toilet paper was not in short supply on that day? I'm 85 and my memory is better than that.
To those of you who do not get their "facts" from the likes of Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld and his panelists, a suggestion: when asking for a comparison of relative well-being on two different dates, be clear about the persons and the criteria you are contrasting as well as the circumstances that may affect various measures regardless of who is president.
For the rest of you MAGA conformists out there: "For how much longer will you try our patience?" My guess: "As long as old men sit and talk about the weather. As long as old women sit and talk about old men…you're gonna do it forever, forever and ever. Amen." Thank God I'm 85!