Of course Americans can handle whatever the price is. They are Americans not Dims. They would adjust their budgets, adjust their behavior and cut back where they had to.
The issue as you say is that this will slow the economy. Of course this problems is due to two sources:
1. The entire Dim party in the tanks for the socialist greens.
2. The GOP idiot Senators from Maine among other GOP Senators who blocked drilling in Anwar
B. Hussein will blame the rich people and George Bush for the price of gas. And all his brain dead, kool aid drinking supporters will moan and wail about how they can’t afford food or transportation because of the evil rich.
The hard-working taxpayer will just keep working hard, paying taxes and live a spartan life to try to keep up and pay their bills.
You clearly don’t understand what happens to the entire economy when Americans “adjust their budgets” and “cut back” where they have to. Those “adjustments” and “cut backs” are purchases that are not made to businesses that start to close down and lay more people off.
Meanwhile, inflation is rampant because everything gets much more expensive so we have the perfect storm of fewer people working and food and clothing and heat/cooling costing more.
This is not about “toughness” or “being able to handle it” - it’s about economic reality and no, our economy “cannot handle” 150 dollar oil - which would be probably 5 dollar gas - and it’s not got a damned thing to do with Americans versus Dims or toughness or macho.
It’s economics 101. Live it love it learn it.