Since the COVID-19 pandemic and the calamitous year of 2020, things have been awful for the United States. The overall quality of life in the country has severely declined. Since the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing black lives matter riots that followed, progressive activists and politicians started a movement to “defund” the police. Law enforcement agencies were demonized around the country, and various pieces of legislation was passed in major cities and Democrat run states that significantly handicapped police officers and limited their abilities to effectively do their jobs.
Internationally, the world appears to be closer to world war three than in any time in several decades (or maybe even since the end of the cold war and the fall of the Soviet Union). In early 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in eastern Europe, bringing armed conflict back to the continent for the first time since the end of the second world war in 1945. In late 2021, the United States government oversaw a poorly executed withdrawal from Afghanistan in the middle east and billions of dollars in military equipment was lost and 13 soldiers perished. In October 2022 the Islamic terrorist group Hamas invaded Israel and killed 1,000 innocent civilians and war is now raging in the middle east.
But perhaps the most troubling development for ordinary Americans has been the severe economic problems that have crushed working families. Rampant inflation peaked in late 2022 at levels not seen in 40 years; housing costs have skyrocketed and many making around the median income simply cannot afford home ownership. In a recent report, Americans are estimated to spending upwards of $11,000 dollars more per year just to purchase key basic necessities and maintain their quality of life in comparison to just a few short years ago. Despite these financial realities, a recent report shows that unemployment levels have dropped, showing that the labor market remains strong during this time.