The economy is doing great.

[FreshStart1]

Rent is high right now, and expect to pay over $1,000/mo for the smallest house, or $600 a month for the smallest apartment.

Going to college is high right now, and in a few years 1 in 4 students will have over $100k in debt.

Used cars are expensive. Expect to pay at least $5,000 for a halfway decent used car, compared to $2,000 about 6-7 years ago.

New cars are also expensive. The average new payment is over $500/mo.

Bank rates have gone up, loans are now more expensive as a result.

Yes, the economy is doing great if your a rich, greedy person who is part of the groups who separate the rich from the poor, and make the rich poorer and the poor unable to even function anymore.

I'm not even 30 and can see how well the economy has been ruined. It happens every time we get a Republican as potus, saw it with Bush II and Trump.

How anyone who doesn't make $200,000 a year vote Republican is beyond me. They are the dumbest bunch of people to walk the planet.

[Iliyah]

1. The false information regarding the economy

from corporate run media and the GOP are lies (what else is new).

Same sh*t was done during the Bush years until they could not hide the truth anymore. Pres. O came into office and pulled us out of the recession that the previous administration left us.

Although I'm one to say that the 2016 election was downright stolen, but here we go again with the downfall of the economy.

[DownriverDem]

32. Those repub voters

are not voting the economy. They are voting for their hate, for guns and to force us to live their religion.

[olegramps]

49. I believe that government should work to provide a level playing field for equal opportunity.

It is unfortunate that wealth provides for greater opportunity for advancement. The number of kids that get into the most prestigious universities and lucrative careers are the product of top rate educations in expensive schools from preschool to prep schools. The tuitions at preschools for a semester can exceed what a person making a modest living earns in a year. We are talking tuitions of 50,000 for elementary education to over 100,000 per year at prep schools. This doesn't include large expenditures for maintenance, i.e. travel, clothing, books, spending money etc. These kids have tutors, testing coaches, travel companions for extended trips throughout the world. The connections they make throughout their education opens doors not available to common folks.

Yes, people can succeed on their own merits and must be congratulated and take pride in their achievements, but the fact remains that for many the odds are stacked against them ever becoming top executives and earning multimillion dollar compensations let alone 200,000 per year. Look across the land and for every mansion there are thousands living in abject poverty and fair game for criminals. The vast majority of so-called middle class Americans are living from paycheck to paycheck. Middle class people have virtually no savings and one paycheck away from disaster.

[wasupaloopa]

2. You are young. You know that prices and cost go up on into the future. You have time to do

some thing about it.

You need a marketable skill that an employer wants. That way you make more money.

I know that people here will poo poo that idea and that I should go to Free Republic. My answer is that we can hope that we elect people who will make life better for us. That takes more risk, by waiting around for something to happen, than taking things into our own hands.

The only way to deal with rising prices is to have more income. Your elected politicians will not put more money in your pocket. Nor will they stop the costs of living from going up.

I realized this back in 1975 when I was in my 30's. Every manager in my company who got promoted had a college degree. I knew because I was the lowest type of manager and I got a notice when ever a manager moved up. I figured out that I will never move up without a college degree.

So I went to junior college and on to a university. I got a BA and became an accountant.


To day I am 72 and get a pension (because I worked for local government who still have defined benefit plans, my choice) and social security. Next Monday I will start a temp job that pays $30 per hour. With that and my retirement income I will be earning at a rate of over $100,000 per year.

People here say that old people can't find work. Those with a marketable skills can.

I will get poo pooed here I am sure.

But my advice is when it comes to your future don't worry so much what the government is doing but worry about what you are doing.

Government is not going to give you the kind of life you want to live. Even if it were all Democratic.

[George II]

6. Not poo pooed from here. I have a very similar story. After struggling for over 20 years...

...or more in my career, things fell into place (not "lucky", through hard work) Work hard and most will turn out okay.

I'm 71, was able to retire at 65 with two small pensions and Social Security, along with a decent sized 401-k. My wife retired 3 years ago and has a decent pension (worked for 45 years at the same organization) and SS. Between us we make about $80,000 a year, with annual expenses of about $30,000 - we don't scrimp but we don't live a flashy life, either.

She works 8 hours a week at a local vet for $11 an hour, not for the money but she likes working around animals. At 70 years old she's the hardest working and most reliable person there.

BUT, for both of us we struggled financially (not poor, but had to watch our spending) until we were in our 40s. That's the way it is for most people other than the top of the top.

[Hoyt]

7. Won't get bashed by me. Fact is, most people with marketable skills are doing relatively well now.

It's not trump's doing, that's for sure. Note: "Most people" does need to be broadened to include more people.

We definitely have to do something about education costs (necessitating big loans), healthcare costs that bankrupt people, affordable housing, maybe even tax incentives for companies training people for new jobs, etc. But anyone who thinks merely graduating from high school, finding a job and floating through life, is enough nowadays, is fooling themselves. Don't have the answers, but more education opens more alternatives.

[PeeJ52]

10. It was differenent for us wasupaloopa. I'm about the same age as you, but we were very poor.

I had to get a laborer position out of high school, but that didn't stop me from getting into the apprentice program at my union shop to become a millwright (which was where the money was) after a few years. Working as a millwright to support my family, didn't stop me from becoming fascinated with these personal computer things that were coming out and learning everything I could on my own about their physical workings and use in business. This helped me move into the IT field (where the money was) in the early stages when the manufacturing and heavy industry jobs started going away.

Those opportunities aren't there anymore. There aren't many unions left with apprentice programs for skilled trades. Instead it seems most skilled trade schools are these rip-off "technical" schools charging as much as colleges. The IT field is saturated with H1 or H2 Visa workers driving down wages to that of a fast food worker. We've become a service economy where we have to beg for a minimum living wage from the top 1% to survive.

Unless we start making or building things again in the country, I don't see how anyone can envision the future we had to look forward to.

[wasupaloopa]

20. I believe when you are born you get a hand to play. It is mostly unfair but that is how it is.

Last edited Sat Mar 23, 2019, 12:36 PM - Edit history (2)

Yes things are different now. But if you are recently born into now you have to learn how to live in now.

So much of what I read on this board is negative thinking about the future, about trump, about just about everything.

That is why we talk about socialism. We want the government to improve our lives. There are an equal number of people who don't want government to improve your life.

Mostly those people don't need government to improve their lives. They have the means to live without government help. So they feel they should not have to pay for government to improve your life.

I don't agree completely with them but some of what they think I see as a plus in our lives. If you have the were with all to live without government assistance you should go about doing it. That leaves money for those who can't.

So instead of hating capitalism and praying for socialism, regulate capitalism. Try to make more opportunity for ourselves. That is what government should do in my way of thinking.

Wanting socialism seems to me as a way to get even with the one percent. That will never happen.

I know young people who are working to improve their lives no matter that it is harder than we had it. But this is all they know so they can't relate to what you are saying. And when it comes right down to it that it doesn't really matter.


I know if I were young I would be trying things to make my life better. There is no guarantee that what I try will work, but there is a guarantee that things won't get better if I didn't try. I would just have to try something else.

I learned that some 30 years ago when I stopped drinking. I am amazed that it took almost half of my life to realize that what was happening to me was the result of choices I made or things I did.

The point of all this is that I realize that I had it easier than some people today but that really does not effect the choices young people have to make today. They still have to make good choices or not improve.

[KPN]

27. Most of the young people I know are trying

to make things better. Most of the young people I know are working hard. Yet many are struggling and becoming jaded about our economic and political systems. Some have told me they see no opportunity ever to retire. Some have told me that our generation, baby boomers, fucked things up and are leaving them holding the bag.

There is no comparison. Advising them to work harder to improve their skill set and secure their future isn’t going to fix things and doesn’t resonate with them. At the same time, most of the young people I know are realistic and understand this. None of them tell me they are giving up, but they are taking a different approach than you and I did — probably because of vastly different circumstances. None of them (the ones I know) are fans of our political system (the two party system, the big money/corporate influence — which they see as corruption) or our economic system as it is.

We are not the future. They are.

[wasupaloopa]

35. "We are not the future they are" I wonder if any of them think the future could be bright.

Negative thinkers are not going to fix it.

I'll bet AOC believes things will get batter. She isn't sitting around adding up all the negatives in life.

About boomers fucking things up, maybe they (we) did, but they still have to deal with it no matter if we did or didn't.

[KPN]

40. I don't see them as negative thinkers myself.

In fact, some of them are remarkably optimistic. AOC actually reminds me of some of them. They are realistic and critical thinkers.

To be honest, it sounds to me like you are thinking negatively about them. It also sounds to me like you do not support government as a solution.

[wasupaloopa]

50. Yes I am thinking negatively about them and no I do not support a socialism.

Government can assist but it is not the solution. People should use the government as little as possible.

People here think in simplistic terms. they say "I am for socialism" yet they really don't know what life would be like here under socialism

We never discuss that. Some how our socialism would be better than any other county's socialism

I am for "Medicare for all". No one has ever explained what Medicare for all is. If we were to begin to write a Medicare for all bill it would take as much deliberation as Hillary's plan and ACA.

I think if we left it up to DUers to fix things based on what they are for and what they understand about what it takes and the outcomes, it would never get done.

What I think socialism does is reduce everyone to the lowest possible denominator. People who could, on their own, live a higher life style would be prevented from doing so.

Socialism would not be a utopia as every country on earth who has tried it shows.

Government is funded by taxes. It does not print money and hand it out. The money has to be earned by someone to be available to tax.

But no matter what your talents are or your what ambitions are they would not make any difference in your life since we all would get the same amount in government support. I haven't thought it all through and neither has anybody else.

I believe life under socialism could improve some lives but would have the effect of inhibiting other people.

Our present system is not perfect and part of the reason is that we all don't understand or take part in our democracy. Some people are denied the vote but the majority do not bother to vote. If all of us who think the way we do voted in 2016, there would be no trump in the White House.

No I do not support socialism because potentially we have a democracy, or representative republic what ever you want to call it.

The framers of the Constitution had the right answer as to what kind of government we should have and what government responsibilities are. I am not in favor of trading it for what DUers can dream up on this board.

[KPN]

56. What you describe sounds like communism to me.

Socialism is very close to communism in the classical sense. But I don’t think i’ve seen many people here at DU propose outright socialism in the classical sense. Under Marx’s socialism, for example,the government controls the means of production. That means the government controls the physical resources and the infrastructure required for production as well as the labor. Nobody here is talking about that.

That is the problem with labels. They are essentially meaningless because we as individuals define and perceive them as we want. In my view, government by nature IS socialism. Why would I be against government, especially if it works for and benefits everyone. The government we have today does not.

[wasupaloopa]

53. You are talking about some young people. They are not all homogenized. I think who we were and

what we do has a lot to do with how we are raised.

I think that kids brought up in a more wealthy and professional environment feel more positive about their future possibilities than most of us. Sure they have more money but they also have successful role models.

For example, my dad was a factory worker, he never inspired us to be any better than he was. He told me life was about getting a job on the line, getting married, buying a house and getting a new car every three years, and maybe a boat if you are lucky.

I was sent to NCR to learn how to be a computer operator when I was in high school. That was in 1964.. My dad worked there. I did not understand what binary numbers. Nobody I knew in my sphere did either.

I was never encouraged to take advantage of that opportunity. Had I had the kind of parents who realized then that computers wer the future I may have been in on the ground floor.

[WinstonSmith4740]

46. I think a lot of us tend to agree.

But you said it yourself, "regulate capitalism". There's nothing inheritantly evil about capitalism, but what we have now is completely unfettered, and to a large part, untaxed corporatocracy. And they rail against any and all regulation. "Deregulate" has been the rallying cry of every Republican since Reagan. Those under 35 today never experienced an economic boom, inexpensive college, or livable wages. This is an interesting look at what minimum wage would get you from the 50's through to 2012. It was ugly in 2012, so I doubt it's any better today.
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Media/Slideshow/2012/04/04/Minimum-Wage-and-What-It-Buys-You-1950s-to-Now?page=6

Income inequality is killing the world economy. You simply can't continue to concentrate more and more wealth into the hands of fewer and fewer people, and not expect the vast majority to get pissed off. This, again, is from a few years ago, but it's no better today. If people are rattling swords for socialism, this is the reason.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/the-pitchforks-are-coming-for-us-plutocrats-108014?o=2

[c-rational]

48. I agree with your sentiment that when you are born you get a hand to play. That to me

is the meaning of existentialism, at the end of your life, your portrait so to speak, was painted only by you Yet, I do not completely agree with this philosophy as there are many factors beyond your control which also influence that portrait. I am not too far behind you and work for myself. I am lucky, I could hang my own shingle - I am an engineer. However, government seems to get in the way more and more, and I hear this often from other professionals and contractors. Conversations as recently as yesterday had us agreeing that the system of increased regulatory oversight hurts the small guy while benefitting the larger corporation. A friend, the local gardener reminded me recently that the last stage of capitalism is state monopoly capitalism, where the state exists to protect the corporation. Seems like we are getting awfully close.

I also agree with your sentiment of self sufficiency, yet in our too unregulated (read unfairly taxed) capitalistic society too many are left behind, and those not left behind live in gated communities. My thoughts turn to Finland and Scandinavian countries which are the happiest in the world.

I do believe we had more opportunities growing up. I for one got a great education courtesy of my parents and scholarships. Kids today have less opportunity, even to travel or relocate. I had many friends who thought nothing of moving cross country to start their lives. I see very little movement today.

As a society we need to spend less on our military and more on social equality starting with public education. This does not detract from personal responsibility, but would go a long way to reduce the anxiety I see in this world today.

On a final note of choices, I agree many forget that what sow is what you reap, and the importance of personal choice and self sufficiency, but that should not be skewed by an unfair playing field. I am happy for the choices you made. Peace.

[MichMan]

43. The skilled trades are begging for young motivated people around here

People looked down on the skilled trades for many years as they all wanted their kids to have college degrees and office jobs. With the older workers reaching retirement, they are all looking for young motivated ambitious new people to fill those needs.

I have worked in manufacturing plants my entire life. I hear many people dismiss it as undesirable "factory" work, yet all of manufacturing is trying to find skilled labor. Guess what, as automation increases, there will be even more demand for those who can program, repair and maintain automated robots etc.

[Boomerproud]

13. My brothers are about your age and both doing fine.

I'm happy for you.

[KPN]

17. I'm 68. While the part about taking personal

responsibility and not counting on government to give you the kind of life you want are good advice, young people today live in a vastly different economic environment. It is not as simple as working harder and developing marketable skills. Not everyone can be an accountant (to use your example), and if they were the market would be saturated and accountants’ pay would be minimized. Likewise, not everyone can be a doctor, nurse, engineer, computer programmer, systems manager, etc.

And we have far more people in the workforce today than when you and I were young. Again, saturation.

Compared to our early days, costs are extremely high, opportunity and wages are low. The system is going to break if we (the government) don’t fix it. So with due respect, please don’t simplify these young people’s plight.

[wasupaloopa]

39. I don't simplify their plight. They have to live in the future no matter what is going on now.

I know it is harder, but those who make it make do so it in spite of it. And people are making it.

I know my thinking isn't popular here. Describe it anyway you want but. People have to deal with reality, so after a while lamenting, spend as much time trying.

Government is not the answer. It is an ally if we make it that way, but most of the work to be done is outside of the government.

[KPN]

42. I feel like what you are saying is socialism is

not the answer. I understand and agree about being realistic and taking personal responsibility within the current reality, working hard for your own betterment, etc. But I don’t understand what you are saying about government aside from maybe socialism isn’t the answer.

So to help me understand, what role do you see for government in bettering young peoples’ future and how do you see government doing that?

[wasupaloopa]

45. Government can spend money making education

available. Government can encourage research into
new technologies like green new deal.
Government can offer infrastructure banks making money for infastructure repairs.

Government can help design a health care system so that everyone has health care .

My idea of government in the domestic area is to help make opportunity available. Also removing barriers to opportunity and regulating corporations and other organizations to make a level playing field.

I can go on.

Basically government’s job is not to insure a good life, but to help make it available.

No I do not support socialism.

[KPN]

55. All of those things are good. Some would label

them all socialism. By some, I mean the radical right — the GOP.

So let’s get more specific so we’re talking about the same thing and clearly understanding one another. When I attended college, my parents could not afford to help me financially at all because I was one of nine kids and my dad was a local truck driver. I was able to pay tuition, room and board pretty much based on money I made during the summer. By the time I finished my Masters degree in 1981 (I was a peace corps volunteer for 3 years between undergrad and grad school and worked about 8 months between the two as well) I owed a grand total of $1000 at a 3% interest rate, I attended public universities. I believe every American should have that same opportunity at the same cost (comparatively in present dollar value). Do you agree with that? Or is that socialism?

Growing up in an eastern MA blue collar community, I did not know or was unaware of anyone who could not afford needed health OR dental care. I think every American should have that same ability today. Do you agree or is that socialism?

[ck4829]

60. Yet the government is FULL of people who have never had to take personal responsibility for anything

I think it's time to start questioning the legitimacy of the government if that continues to be the case.

[democratisphere]

3. Your last sentence sums it up nicely.

Prices continue to rise while wages are flat lined. But I'm sure this will have a good outcome.

[keithbvadu2]

4. If the top 10% can keep the middle 45% afraid of the bottom 45%, they have 55% to vote for them.

If the top 10% can keep the middle 45% afraid of the bottom 45%, they have 55% to vote for them.

[KPN]

15. Sorta what Romney said at that

fund raiser in Florida in 2012. Not exactly, but the ultimate effect is the same.

[keithbvadu2]

18. There is a cartoon of a middle 45 guy ranting about the bottom 45 keeping him down while the top 10%

There is a cartoon of a middle 45 guy ranting about the bottom 45 keeping him down while the top 10% guy is gloating that he is the one keeping the dumb middle 45 guy down but does not realize it.

edit.... post #9 is the cartoon.

[PeeJ52]

5. The economy is great to a Republican if the "middle class" have enough jobs to make their payments.

no more, no less. Just enough to keep their nose above water and those automobile leases going.

[IronLionZion]

8. Yeah but those damn immigrants are ruining our lives!

[Perseus]

29. That is funny

Thank you for the laugh...

[mr_lebowski]

41. DEY DERK ER JERBS!!!

I love that South Park, one of the all-time classics ...

The 'solution' they come up with is freaking hilarious ...

[IronLionZion]

9. Derp Derp Derp

[INdemo]

11. For many,voting Republican is in their genes. The Republican

hate Democrats philosophy was/is drilled into their minds through out their child hood.
For most Republicans I know you could point up to a clear blue sky and they would swear that the sky is a total grey overcast, and there's no way you can convince them that they are wrong.

[Johnny2X2X]

12. A storm is brewing

The economy is always built from the bottom up. Obama knew this and fought hard for working people. That pulled us out of a deep recession and lead to the economy we’ve seen the last several years.

Well that is all ending now. The last jobs report was a disaster. The yield curve going negative signals a recession is most assuredly on the way. The Fed quietly revised its 2019 growth forecast down and unemployment forecast up. The 2020 election will be about the economy.

[wasupaloopa]

28. The yield curve going negetive is good news to us. It means mortgage rates are going lower along

with it.

Mortgage rates trend the same direction of the long bond yields.

It only matters to long term investors not those who live paycheck to paycheck.

I get the below mortgage up date every day.


Read this

by: Matthew Graham
Mortgage Rates Down 0.25% This Week

Mar 22 2019, 5:30PM

At the end of last week, the average top-tier 30yr fixed mortgage rate quote was 4.375%. As of today, the exact same scenario would be at 4.125%--a quarter of a percentage point lower. That's an uncommonly big move for a single week, but it's one we've been tracking eagerly in recent days.

snip

In the middle of the night (in the US, anyway), economic data for Europe was released that showed a serious slowdown in German and French manufacturing. The Fed has repeatedly cited European growth concerns as a reason for its aggressive policy changes, so the news was all the more meaningful. European bonds tanked by the time US markets opened ("tanked" in this context refers to rates moving lower). Early in the domestic trading session, US economic data was similarly weak, thus reinforcing another warning from the Fed about European weakness spilling over to the US.

With that, bond yields fell rapidly at home and abroad--to the point where there was a bit of a frenzied rush to buy (when traders buy bonds, rates move lower).

http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/consumer_rates/905433.aspx

[Johnny2X2X]

31. In in of itself it's just a graph

Good for some, bad for others. But it is looked at as a recession sign every time. A recession is bad for working people.

The only good that will come of it is that Trump will be less likely to get reelected in a recession.

[wasupaloopa]

52. The inversion is a result of economies slowing around the world and our reaction to it.

If enough people predict a recession is coming, people will begin to act like it will. So a self fulfilling prophecy happens.

Right now people are feeling good about the economy. let's see if those shouting "the sky is falling" have much effect.

[KPN]

33. Exactly.

[RadicalProgressive]

14. This isn't new

This has been going on since Reagan. Trickle down economics is the most widely disproven economic theory of all time.

[kimbutgar]

16. My long time friend called me and asked for money to help pay her rent

She is struggling so much in this so called great economy. Another friend told me she got another job, now she works 3 jobs to make ends meet. I see children who get free lunches at school get anxious near the end of the month and take the extra lunches other kids don’t eat and put them in their backpacks to take home because money is short and so is a decent meal.

People are suffering and a mad man is in the White House shouting bullshit to gullible people who don’t want to admit they are also suffering.

[wasupaloopa]

23. Yes that is true. But it is not the truth for everybody. I care about those people that is why I

am liberal but I still have to live in this world so do you.

Make government work for all people but don't make government your path to security.


My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. JFK

[kimbutgar]

24. +1

It seems we lost that message eons ago.

[JAD]

19. Only added 17,000 jobs last month

Holiday retail numbers were down to 2009 levels. Euro (German) economy is going down the tubes and the stock market was down over 400 points on Friday.

[wasupaloopa]

21. Yes but 17,000 people got those jobs. And I bet they don't pay much attention to the job figures.

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain.

I know people think that is just stupid. But those who don't think it is stupid got those 17,000 jobs.

[JAD]

57. The month before the job numbers were over a 100,000

Perhaps you need bread crumbs to follow this trail.

[Perseus]

22. Hey...credit where credit is due

You forgot to mention Bush I, Reagan, and others from the republican party, leave no lousy repub behind.

Mad magazine had a "Don Martin" cartoon of two boxers, imagine one the economy, and his corner the Democrats, the other one the repubs. When the round begins they both look like new, then the "Economy" gets beat-up, goes back to the corner and looks new again for the next round, so this happens over and over, then he wins a round but goes to the wrong corner, and when he comes out he looks beat-up again.

Every time repubs take on government everything goes to crap, and I continue to break my head how some people can be so obtuse, so stupid not to see that they have been had by the repubs, and continue to vote for them, its a brain breaker.

I want to hear the farmers when 2020 comes around and they 1/2 of them are bankrupt thanks to the repubs...lets see if they learn.

[Texin]

38. Their hatred of the OTHERS overrules their checkbooks. They'll never change.

I know someone who's drawing Social Security and Medicare and has a full time sales job to make ends meet. He votes rethug every goddamned time and rails against the commie Dems because that's all he hears on Fux Spews. The rethugs headed by their K-GOP president* could scuttle Social Security and Medicare this afternoon and he'd be perfectly fine with that. He'd just blame it on the Dems. The rethugs could turn him upside down, shake him down and turn his pockets inside out and he ask what more he could do for them.

[Hawaii Hiker]

25. Reminds me of the "New Rules" segment on Maher's show few weeks ago

"And finally, new rule, if this economy is so good, why is everyone so damn broke"...

[Texin]

26. Boy! I'd like to know where I can find a house for $1000 or an apartment for $600.

Try to find something like that here in Dallas these days.

[guillaumeb]

30. Welcome to DU. The economy IS doing very well...

for the people that count. The US corporate, conservative media serves the interests of the rich. And the rich, as always, are doing very well at the expense of the bottom 90%.

[Cicada]

34. February had highest monthly deficit ever, $234 billion in just one month

That deficit is like dropping 234 billion in cash from helicopters. Free money. Shouldn’t the economy be better? For now it helps the economy.But later we will have to give the money back. Young people, say 30 year olds, are getting screwed big time. We need policies to help that generation.

[allgood33]

36. I show this old video of Trump claiming that the economy does better under Democrats to Trumpians

Good time to show it to the farmers who still support this scumbag.

[Jon King]

37. Us over 55's can not really relate...

I am 56 and notice several posts from folks my age or older who are lecturing the younger folks. We had it totally different than they do. College costs are much higher, we were able to buy houses for a much lower multiple of our salaries than they will, SS likely won't be there when they need it, most companies offered pensions and better benefits back in the day, which are pretty much gone now.

Any of us who are over 55, I doubt if we were 18 today that we could duplicate our financial success. I doubt even an 18 year old Warren Buffett could duplicate his success. The playing field has changed. Our population is older than ever, more retirees to support per active worker than ever before, escalating costs of dealing with climate change, etc.

I would not want to be 18 and just out of high school today and try to replicate what I was able to do in order to retire at 55. Too many headwinds against the young folks these days.

[rzemanfl]

44. I hafta wash socks. n/t

[Drunken Irishman]

47. Problem is, to a lot of Americans, the economy is doing okay enough.

The economy today is not much different than the economy that we saw in the final years of Obama's second term.

For a good bulk of this country, the economic reality is that they're going okay. Maybe not great but just okay. Those Americans vote and vote consistently at that.

Many middle class Americans see that their 401K has surged since Trump took office. Many Americans hear him boast about how great the economy is whenever they turn on the TV. Most these peopld have a job and feel qt least somewhat secure.

The economy only doesn't appear to be well when we start going into a recession and many of those same people start feeling the impact. But unfortunately, those who are hurt the most by economic realities also are the least likely to even vote.

In 2016, Hillary won the voters who made less than $50,000 a year (by about nine points) but those voters also only made up 36% of the voting electorate.

Trump won voters who made between $50,000-$199,000. Those voters made up 54% of the electorate in 2016. I hate to say it but that's where elections are won and lost.

For a vast majority of that demographic, the group who's generally considered middle class, the economy is doing okay enough. They've got a job, a house and they're able to live somewhat comfortably even if they're one missed paycheck or lost job from being screwed. That's the group Democrats need to get back.

That's my concern about the economy. If it's as "great" as it is today, Democrats are going to have a tough time winning in 2020.

[blueinredohio]

51. My son in law just hot let go from his job.

He's been there over twenty years. He wasn't laid off, he was let go. He gets severance pay but that means he won't be going back to work there. But the economy is booming.

[AncientGeezer]

54. " Used cars are expensive. Expect to pay at least $5,000 for a halfway decent used car,.."

I've been flipping used cars/trucks since the early '80s...as a sideline.
Cash for Clunkers decimated the market...for affordable used vehicles.

I get that won't be a popular view....but the purchase of new vehicles and them becoming the used car market....costs went up. You had to go really deep to find a 15yr/old car or truck...$1500-3000 deal.
I get why it was implemented....but it didn't help the kid wanting to buy his 1st $2000 run it into the ground for 2yrs car.

[ooky]

58. They damn sure are the dumbest people on the planet.

You got that right.

[ck4829]

59. K&R