I am old enough to remember when Joe Biden gave us the Best Economy Ever™. It seems like just yesterday, but to be honest, the claims ended sometime around November 5th, 2024, or 191 days ago. 

Now I am expected to believe that under Donald Trump, six out of 10 Americans cannot afford the basics necessary to live a decent life. 

The bottom 60% of U.S. households don't make enough money to afford a "minimal quality of life," according to a new analysis. https://t.co/Kc8peRJPUi

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 14, 2025

If I took these guys seriously, I would get whiplash. As it is, my neck hurts from shaking my head. 

The gap between what Americans earn and how much they need to bring in to achieve a basic standard of living is growing, according to a new report.

The analysis, from the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP), looks beyond whether people can afford daily necessities like food and shelter to consider whether they have the means to pay for things like the technology tools necessary for work, higher education, and health and child care costs.

In tracking costs associated with what the group calls a "basket of American dream essentials," LISEP says its Minimal Quality of Life index provides a truer picture of how Americans are faring than standard economic data, such as the nation's gross domestic product and jobless rate. The index captures the annual change in the typical costs facing low- and moderate-income households who are looking to maintain a basic quality of life. 

"We analyze these components not just in terms of financial figures but as crucial elements that shape a family's capability to achieve a desirable standard of living," the group explains in a paper describing its approach. 

The findings? For the bottom 60% of U.S. households, a "minimal quality of life" is out of reach, according to the group, a research organization focused on improving lower earners' economic well-being. 

Now, to be fair to CBS, they are indeed reporting on "a new analysis," just as they do indeed report civilian casualty figures from the "Gaza Health Ministry." This gives them the cover they need to take one step away from criticisms that they are actual propagandists. 

"We are merely CONDUITS for propaganda," one could imagine them saying. 

Jake Tapper, who co-authored a new book about “the cover-up” of Joe Biden’s decline, is denying vociferously that he, as a senior member of the Washington media establishment, participated in the cover-up himself. “He’s saying he didn't know because there was a cover up that was… pic.twitter.com/nOmOQY1a9v

— 2WAY (@2waytvapp) May 15, 2025

Jake Tapper, who co-authored a new book about “the cover-up” of Joe Biden’s decline, is denying vociferously that he, as a senior member of the Washington media establishment, participated in the cover-up himself. “He’s saying he didn't know because there was a cover up that was so deliciously effective that he couldn't break the story until now,” says 

@MarkHalperin

. Hogan Gidley just laughs. “What was covered up? He's the president of the United States. He can’t get through sentences, he can't get upstairs, he can’t get downstairs.” 

Which is, of course, total crap. The Pravda Media decides who they find "credible" and what "news" they believe is worth reporting, and using Hamas casualty numbers or a radical-left think tank as authoritative doesn't just shape what people think, it is intended to. It is propaganda disguised as journalism. 

Of course, it is conceivable that "journalists" whose salaries start in the six figures and end in the 8-figure range probably do think that most Americans are poor. Heck, it wasn't long ago that Whoopi Goldberg said she is working-class and can't retire because she needs to make millions to survive. 

Talk about out of touch.
Multi-millionaire Whoopi Goldberg claims to be part of the working-class because she has a job on The View:
"I appreciate that people are having a hard time. Me too. I work for a living. If I had all the money in the world, I would not be here." pic.twitter.com/g98M4BCFf4

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) November 12, 2024

It is true that America has an affordability crisis, and many middle-class families struggle to get ahead. But that is a long way from not being able to afford a "basic standard of living." If that were true, the average person in Germany, France, or England would be downright poor. You are not poor if you can afford a $1000 phone and a 75-inch TV. 

It should be easier to get ahead and achieve the American Dream, and we can do many things to reinvigorate the American economy. 

But following the advice of the laptop class on how to get there from here is a grave mistake. They are the ones who exported American jobs, imported millions of foreign laborers to take away working-class jobs, and imposed crushing regulations that made building businesses in America that much harder. 

No doubt, if a Democrat wins the presidency in 2028, by June 2029 we will have the Best Economy Ever™ once again.