Are they just insane? Why do the American People overwhelmingly think the economy is doing poorly?

[Sympthsical]

44. Do people want an answer?

Or do we just want to call anyone who doesn't agree with a narrative a bunch of idiot racists?

In discussing the economy - particularly the current numbers - people keep pretending like Covid just didn't happen. I've never understood this. "We've created the most jobs ever!" Well, the numbers certainly look great if you pretend your starting point isn't from an economic shithole that resulted from a once in a lifetime pandemic when the economy was shut down.

If I start with 5 apples, then 3 of them get smashed, I have 2 apples. But then I gain 2 more apples. Sure, that's a 100% increase in apples! The apple market is amazing!

But I'm still down 20% on apples than I was before. But people want to pretend the 100% apple increase started from 5 apples. It did not. This is a dishonest framing, and if it's the framing you're constantly using for narrative purposes, then yeah, I see your confusion. Why aren't people thrilled about this 100% increase in apples? Are they ingrates?

No, they're just ordinarily observant and know despite that 100% increase statistic you keep throwing in their faces, they're still down an apple.

Unemployment is low, because people left the labor force in droves during Covid. Either voluntarily or involuntarily. We're still not where we were. A lot of people just tapped out permanently. A lot of Boomers looked at the employment landscape and thought, "Nah, I'm good. I'ma head out."

At the end of 2019, America had 157.5 million jobs. You know how many we have right now? 158.3 million. That's not that millions upon millions upon bajillions number that keeps getting thrown around.

We can look at wage growth. "Wages are up 5%!" Have you looked at data for wages vs. inflation? Guess what hasn't been going well for people? Mix in increased housing costs, increase in borrowing rates, food costs which haven't really come down.

It all adds up, especially with people who are already living on margins that are sensitive to slight changes. People can either acknowledge the reality of what life is like for Americans, or we can yank out massaged statistics using a pandemic to make them look inflated as hell, and then scream at people when they're not joining us in the narrative fantasy we've constructed for political purposes.

Oh. I see what's been picked.

Well, fortunately Republicans are a disaster at the moment. Otherwise I feel like I'd be watching a crazy out of touch campaign season lose it for us. Small blessings. As long as Trump and DeSantis are rolling trainwrecks, we can keep calling everyone stupid, insane, and racist.

Everyone wins!

Meanwhile, down at the food bank (people should get off the internet and visit once in awhile) things have been fun since the end of emergency benefits. Have we tried yelling at these people? Could be a rousing feel good activity for those who want to get a good look at all the ingrates.

https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/press-room/latest-food-bank-survey-finds-majority-food-banks-reporting-increased-demand

For the month of March, nearly two-thirds of responding food banks reported an increase in demand for food assistance, according to Feeding America’s latest food bank pulse survey, a marked jump from the previous survey. In the latest survey, fielded between April 17 and May 1, around 95% of responding food banks reported seeing demand for food assistance increase or stay the same in March compared to February, with around 65% reporting an increase in the number of people seeking charitable food assistance. This is the first food bank survey gauging demand since the nationwide end of a critical pandemic-era food benefit.

Supplemental benefits and programs due to Covid covered up a lot of problems for awhile. Well, those are over now. And problems can be papered over with cherry-picked statistics and name-calling for only so long before people get tired of it. You do you. I'ma live in the world we live in.