The joke around Johnstown used to be we were 10 years behind the times when compared to the more cutting edge portions of the country.
This was good in some ways, as in the rising crime rate was slow to reach us.
It was bad in other ways, such as our inability to wean ourselves from relying on steel mills and coal mines for employment, until both industries had declined severely, thus sentencing us to the never-ending economic problems we still endure.
In many ways, the United States has become Johnstown, years behind Europe and other parts of the world in many socio-economic and governmental areas – not always a bad thing. You want to see our dystopian future, look elsewhere.
Raging socialism, bureaucratic over-reach and general tyranny of the vocal Woke minorities have turned average European citizens into modern day serfs.
Today, there are reports of small businesses around the United Kingdom facing daunting utility bills, such as one small coffee shop getting a bill the equivalent of nearly $10,000 for two months’ of utility service.
Pubs and other small business have taken to social media to tell their tales of economic woe due to skyrocketing utility costs, and their likely closures due to them.
Residences are facing similar soaring utility costs, and are at a loss as to how to pay the bills.
Lest you feel insulated (energy pun intended), know that a recent report said more than 20 million U.S. families are behind in paying their utility bills and facing shutoffs.
Might we soon be reading tales similar to recent stories of people in Poland waiting days to get loads of coal?
Formerly, there were stories of the government encouraging Poles to forage for downed wood in the forests to burn for heat.
Europeans are being caught in a pincer movement, largely self-inflicted.
On the one hand, countries have abdicated energy policy to the screaming environmentalist waif from Sweden who rants challenges to authority, but offers no realistic solutions.
Add in the wild card of Russia reacting to increasing economic sanctions against it by refusing to move natural gas to help the enemies stay warm this coming winter.
Imagine that, under the direction of the United States, European countries try to bankrupt Russia, yet these same countries cry foul when Russia punches back by denying energy.
Europe is a mess of failed governments, raging inflation and economic malaise, and the United States is only too eager to follow that lead by electing increasingly socialistic leadership, not to mention having an increasingly large base of bureaucrats who pledge allegiance to Woke philosophy.
Amidst this insanity, a moron from, appropriately enough Germany’s Green Party, is calling for a tax on meat, the approved governmental solution to forcing behavior changes. This would be designed to reduce the need to have animals for food and somehow this would help the planet.
Recall some of Clueless Joe Biden’s socialists lauding higher gasoline costs, presuming they would stampede citizens into relying on electric vehicles.
But there are flickers of hope in Europe, as protests have broken out regarding governmental failures and ridiculous policies such as those in The Netherlands that would bankrupt farmers with arbitrary limits on animal population and fertilizer use.
And some members of Europe’s artificial continental government are making noises about ignoring dictates that punish Russia economically and produce Russian retribution.
Swiss politicians are petitioning for their country to keep nuclear power plants open, because there is no replacement for them.
But developments elsewhere are downright scary. In a societal foreshadowing, South Africa’s Supreme Court has ruled that a song “Kill the Boers,” which includes lyrics that Boers (whites) should be shot, does not constitute “hate speech” and so a left-wing party can continue to play the song at rallies and likely incite violence.
This is, of course, no problem for a country that already has massive problems with crime, particularly rape and murder.
Coming soon, to a town near you.
Sam Ross Jr's site 