Leave it to Hollywood to completely rewrite history and try to cover up the failures of former President Joe Biden via blame-shifting. That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday’s episode of NBC’s procedural drama Chicago Fire, “Permanent Damage,” as one character tries to blame the high cost of living on “late-stage capitalism” rather than Biden’s absolute destruction of the economy and record inflation.
I guess we can give them credit for not trying to blame it on Trump? I’m sure they wanted to but probably realized that wouldn’t fly. In the episode, firefighter Lizzy is looking for a place to live that’s affordable after her landlord “doubled the rent overnight,” which she called “extortion.”
As she’s searching for rentals online with her team, she’s shocked to find there’s nothing in her price range since she last searched years ago. When she asks, “Why is everything worse and more expensive?” fellow firefighter Tony answers, “Late-stage capitalism.”
Lizzy: Ok, this one's $1,500 a month. No pictures, though.
Joe: Yeah, you know that's a dump, right?
Lizzy: Ugh. All right. All right. This one is 1,200, newly renovated, can park in the owner's driveway.
Joe: Uh, that's a van. Do you want a shower over your toilet?
Lizzy: Ugh, no. I don't want any of this. Why is everything worse and more expensive?
Tony: It's called late-stage capitalism.
Nothing more ironic than rich celebrities pretending to be blue-collar, middle-class, hardworking Americans complaining about the system that got Hollywood elitists where they are. This isn’t some terminal capitalist fever dream we’re living in. It’s basic math.
Families are scraping by, not because capitalism is “late-stage,” but because Biden could barely form sentences, much less run the economy. Biden’s reckless spending ($1.9 trillion “rescue plans” and green energy schemes, for example) unleashed inflation that hit 9.1 percent in 2022, a 40-year high that's still strangling wallets.
Under his regime, small businesses shut down while millions of illegal immigrants flooded the border for free hotel stays and complimentary meals on the taxpayers’ dime. Gas prices are still high, but are finally starting to come down a bit under Trump. Groceries are a luxury. Wages are still shrinking. And rent? Good luck.
Still, capitalism will survive and continue thriving. It’s why we have self-driving cars, smartphones, and streaming entertainment rather than endless bread lines. “Late-stage” whiners love their iPhones but hate the system that birthed them. They’ll hashtag their rage, ignoring how capitalism’s supply chains fuel their TikTok rants.
Since 1800, global poverty has plummeted from 90 percent to under 10 percent, thanks to markets rewarding innovation. Elon Musk didn’t need a government handout to build Tesla. He outworked the competition.
Inequality will always exist when success is based on effort and innovation. Everyone isn’t equally driven or talented. However, capitalism is the only system that offers a ladder out of poverty to anyone, while bureaucracy is like quicksand. Capitalism is the only system that harnesses human nature's self-interest, creativity, and competition to build wealth and freedom. And capitalism is the only system that gives us a chance to overcome the heavy financial burden most Americans are facing now as Trump works to rebuild our economy and help it recover from Biden’s mismanagement.
No matter how hard Hollywood tried to help Biden avoid accountability, voters knew who was responsible, which is why Trump won. So, Tinseltown isn’t fooling anyone.
