I literally had this exact exchange with someone last year, when they tried to cast doubt on global warming by comparing it to the ozone. Another person did the same , using acid rain, and I pointed out that the northeast sued the shit out of the Midwest until they cut that shit with the coal fire power plants.

This is a muddled message. Are we caught up chasing an illusion, or are we just more acutely aware of our poor condition?

It reads like it is saying the former, but then quotes statistics that reflect real loss of buying power. On the coasts 100k is no longer a large income. People really do live paycheck to paycheck while carefully managing their spending.

I’m inclined to at least partially acknowledge the gaslighting comment as plausible.