Dear Editor,
A recent editorial in this newspaper included a line that deserves attention: “Real strength comes from seeing the whole picture.” I agree completely. That is exactly why I was troubled by the editorial itself.
Seeing the whole picture means examining context, causes, and facts. It means looking beyond a single statistic or political talking point before deciding who deserves blame or credit for complex national issues.
One example involved gasoline prices. The editorial correctly noted that the national average price of gasoline reached approximately $5 per gallon in June 2022 during the Biden administration. That statement is true. Why does that matter now but what is missing is why.
Economic research consistently points to multiple causes behind that spike, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, post-pandemic demand, low fuel inventories, and refinery constraints. In other words, the increase was not the result of a single presidential decision as might be consider the current case.
In fact, gas prices peaked around $5 in June 2022 but finished that same year near $3 per gallon. Today, national averages are once again significantly higher, and many economists point to energy market disruptions tied to Iran, Ukraine and broader Middle East tensions as major contributors. Cause and effect matters.
Another claim was that Democrats produced “record-high inflation.” Again, context matters. Inflation did reach its highest level in approximately 40 years during 2022. That statement is supported by the data. However, “highest in 40 years” is not the same thing as “highest ever.”
The United States experienced much higher inflation during periods in the 1910s, 1940s, and late 1970s and early 1980s. The distinction is important because accuracy matters. More importantly, economists generally do not point to one cause of the 2022 inflation spike. Most cite a combination of pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, government stimulus from both Republican and Democratic administrations, historically low interest rates, labor shortages, and the energy shock that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Whether one supports Republicans or Democrats, the evidence simply does not support the claim that one administration alone caused inflation.
The same issue arises when discussing federal spending. Yes, spending under President Biden was historically high in raw dollars. But so was spending before and after his administration. The largest spending surge occurred during the COVID emergency and included legislation approved under both President Trump and President Biden. Any fair assessment should acknowledge that much of the spending growth came from a once-in-a-century pandemic and bipartisan responses to it.
National debt tells a similar story. Politicians in both parties often point fingers at one another, but economists frequently measure debt not only in dollars but also as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product. When viewed that way, the debt burden remained relatively stable during the Biden years and has continued to rise under the current administration. The point is that reality is usually more complicated than political narratives.
For readers who want to verify these issues themselves, I encourage them to use multiple sources. One surprisingly useful resource is the YouTube channel “I Ask AI.” The channel asks identical questions to several artificial intelligence platforms, including systems that often draw on different information sources and viewpoints. Interestingly, even the Truth Social AI often reaches conclusions that are remarkably similar to other major AI systems when asked factual economic questions.
No source should be accepted blindly, including AI. But AI can be a valuable starting point because it forces people to ask direct questions and review the evidence for themselves.
That brings us back to the original statement about seeing the whole picture. I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. Let’s look at inflation, but also examine its causes. Let’s look at gas prices, but also examine global events affecting energy markets and what contributed to the situation. Let’s look at government spending, but also consider the pandemic that drove much of it. Let’s look at debt, but also compare it to the size of the economy.
Most importantly, let’s resist the temptation to accept half of the picture simply because it supports our preferred political viewpoint. A healthy democracy depends on citizens who question claims, verify facts, and follow the evidence wherever it leads. Seeing the whole picture requires nothing less.
E. L. Kemp
