“Why do so many Americans think the economy is bad? Because they see it in their own bank accounts.”
Much more than personal bank accounts. They see:
Double digit price increases at the grocery store plus shrinking container sizes..
Ever present begging and panhandling by homeless people in public.
Empty storefronts in malls and strip shopping centers.
Huge cost inflation and declining service in medical care. Plus the hassles of dealing with mountains of paperwork and faceless insurance companies.
Skyrocketing real estate prices, property taxes and insurance costs.
Small starter homes being gobbled up by corporations and rented out to multiple migrant families. Many young adults are priced out of the housing market.
Presence of gangs and organized theft rings in previously safe middle class neighborhoods. Complete indifference of law enforcement and politicians to criminal predators.
Crumbling public infrastructure - roads, bridges, buildings. Meanwhile bankrupt corrupt urban governments spend billions of dollars building sports arenas for professional sports teams owned by billionaires.
A rapid breakdown of key pillars supporting a modern civilized society - military, education, medical care, government at all levels, religion, journalism, the justice system.
Inability to find and hire skilled tradespeople for home repairs, mechanical work and other services, despite 100 million working age people not being in the workforce.
Most recently the highly publicized collapse of commercial aviation.
Constant and shameless lying by politicians, bureaucrats, educators, journalists, corporate leaders on every subject. Truth is no longer a virtue and is no longer expected. Trust in people and institutions is at an all time low.
When everything around you is breaking down, it is impossible to perceive the economy is good.
“..plus shrinking container sizes..“
I opened a pack of Nathan’s hot dogs last night and the size of the dogs therein is almost funny. They are beyond small.