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.