According to data collected by major city police departments, crime has been declining since the early 1990's. There was a slight uptick during the covid lockdown, but that has ebbed also. Likewise, by every metric, the economy has improved over the last two years and inflation has fallen to withing the Federal Reserve's target. Then, why do pluralities of my fellow Americans perceive crime as rampant and the economy as failing despite opining that their own local area is safe and they are doing just fine economically?
Paul Krugman in today's NYT makes the polite excuse. People have lives to live, children to raise, etc. They depend for information on crime and the economy on unreliable sources who lie to them. I say poppycock. If you feel safe and empowered, why should you think people in other areas of the country don't feel the same? Tuning into Fox News or youtube or Tik Tok is a choice. So is believing the toxic stew of misinformation these outlets serve up on a daily basis. "Doing your own research" by listening to Joe Rogan is stupidity, plain and simple. I'm guessing the conspiracy theories we are exposed to every day satisfy some craving of our lizard brain.
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