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Mary Renaud's avatar

For greater accuracy in key government metrics, go to economist John Williams’s website, www.shadowstats.com and click on alternate data. There you will find unemployment, CPI, GDP, MONEY SUPPLY, US Dollar, calculated as it was done in 1980 or 1990, or 1994 for UE, compared to today. Yes, the middle and lower income classes are in terrible trouble at this point.

UE in the alternate Shadow Government Stats (SGS) 1994 based calc is today about 25%, compared to 4.8% per official U3 US Govt. It has been above 20% since about 2009. Highest point was 35% in 2020. This exceeds Great Depression levels of about 25%. This Alternate SGS calc includes long term discouraged workers who cannot find work, pulled out of the official calc in 1994. The Govt UE U6 metric includes short term and part time workers as unemployed and is about a 7% UE rate but we are never told this.

Inflation SGS Calculated as it was in 1990, is a bit below double the official CPI-U in 2023, at about 8% versus 4.8% official US Govt. If you used the 1980 method, inflation is about 12%. So, I ballpark by at least doubling CPI-U to get a more accurate number.

Why is this done? To avoid the massive increases in program benefits tied to inflation, like social security. The longer you are retired, or on disability, the further behind you fall because the payments you receive do not increase at the same pace as food, fuel, and everything else.

They are lying about the true unemployment data to make everyone believe we are not ALREADY IN a new Great Depression. One way to verify what is going on with employment is to compare it to the labor force participation rate, in the working age population age 16 and older. In Mar 2025, this was 62.5%. In April 2005, this was 66 Pct, a drop of 3.5 Pct. If you add 3.5 to 4.8% = 8.3%.

I think Trump’s programs to bring jobs back to America are great, however, we need faster solutions for those who are unhoused or cannot find work. Housing must come first, as you cannot work if you are contending with living in the open or in a tent, or even in a car. A massive housing program must include many options like tiny home communities, affordable senior apartments and more. This must apply to people earning the median income in an area or less.

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FollowsTheWay's avatar

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (Rev 13:16)

Note that there is no middle class, only "rich and poor."

It's coming..

We were given only one way out:

NarrowWayTruth.com

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