I remember the Oil Bust in Houston late 80’s. It was really difficult for the unemployed. The employed never missed a beat, they went to work and never looked up. Still today many have no thoughts on state of the economy. As long as the checks arrived it was business as usual. I am reminded of the expression....Its only a depression when you lose your job.
I’d imagine that things hadn’t changed much for the people still working in Houston at the time, so they could carry on as though it was business as usual. This situation we’re in now is different in the sense that the inflation makes it impossible for even those holding onto their jobs to ignore the rising prices of groceries, and especially gasoline. The last people who remained untouched by this depression (civil servants) are now feeling the bite as well; when cities like Camden, NJ lay off 1/3 of their police officers (CAMDEN!), nobody can ignore this. Here in northern NJ the NY Giants went through a 30 year waiting list for season tickets for their new stadium in SIX MONTHS, and still haven’t sold out as they had in their old stadium. Our public school teachers were the last to feel the bite, but they are now; even the Dems they had in their pockets “sold them out” (in their eyes).
If people can still carry on as though nothing is wrong, they are delusional or extremely self-centered.