America is in an economic tailspin. Why does life feel so normal?

[Anonymous]

It feels normal because about 40% of Americans are doing ok. It's the other 60% that we have to worry about. That's why I favor UBI (temporary at first, but later extended) and universal health care.

I was listening to NPR this morning and they were interviewing Senator Lankford from OK. The conservative view on this crisis is that we can't help everyone and we shouldn't try. He pretty much said that. So my best advice is to vote. It's time to renew the New Deal and make it more comprehensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the economic metrics show us at Great Depression levels yet life seems so normal. I know DC is always more insulated from economic downturns but stories from my relatives in other cities bely a sense or normalcy. Why is that? My grandparents had depression era stories of long bread lines, wearing tattered clothes, shantytowns popping up in cities, etc. Are we just too early in this cycle to see the worst effects?

Democrats wants you to believe we are in such a disaster. We were tried to buy another house within last two month, and it is almost impossible, everything is flying out of the market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the economic metrics show us at Great Depression levels yet life seems so normal. I know DC is always more insulated from economic downturns but stories from my relatives in other cities bely a sense or normalcy. Why is that? My grandparents had depression era stories of long bread lines, wearing tattered clothes, shantytowns popping up in cities, etc. Are we just too early in this cycle to see the worst effects?

Get outside your bubble.

The soup kitchen lines where I live in this area have always stretched a block or more. And there are car lines that are hours long.

I can see shantytown in the wooded areas around here. They have been here for years. Once the evictions start next month, you’ll see more families sleeping in cars and on the streets.

I saw a family trying to take clothing out of a donation box last week. They were looking for shoes for a boy a bit younger than my own. The mom said that when Payless closed, shoes became too expensive. I gave her $40 and she started crying. I grew up with too tight shoes due to poverty and it’s something that still breaks my heart.

Honestly, pp doesn't have to go too far outside her bubble to see the impact of the pandemic. I was house hunting not too long ago, and I came upon a long trail of cars waiting to get into a soup kitchen near Briggs Chaney Rd. The traffic to get in was so backed up that they had cops out directing traffic. This was in May.

I volunteer for my church and we pack boxes with groceries and delivery them every day. Yes, people come more than in pre-pandemic times, but at the same time, all these people come in a nice cars (I've handled boxes to BMW, Escalate, hondas, etc.), a lot of ladies comes with their nails done professionally, and holding the latest model of iPhones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the economic metrics show us at Great Depression levels yet life seems so normal. I know DC is always more insulated from economic downturns but stories from my relatives in other cities bely a sense or normalcy. Why is that? My grandparents had depression era stories of long bread lines, wearing tattered clothes, shantytowns popping up in cities, etc. Are we just too early in this cycle to see the worst effects?

Democrats wants you to believe we are in such a disaster. We were tried to buy another house within last two month, and it is almost impossible, everything is flying out of the market.

Because wealthy people have money to buy homes. Meanwhile, other people are waiting to be evicted in August.

[Anonymous]

Just because the current economic downturn isn't manifesting in the exact same way that it did during the Great Depression doesn't mean that things are normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, we live in a desirable neighborhood that has a lot of socio-economic diversity on the border of DC, and the lines for food support at the local schools multiple times per week are massive. Just massive. It's encouraging to see such robust support, but devastating to see the need is so great.

In neighborhoods without socio-economic diversity and homogenous community, you won't see this as much because there is no life raft being thrown out 3x/week, or at least not as visibly or as fully.

More negative effects will surface. And it won't be pretty. What a disgrace of an administration that has perpetuated such an ugly divide, and exacerbated so many negatives. It didn't have to be this way.

At least this administration wants to get people back to work while the Democrats forced through the shutdowns and are led by people hiding in their basements and urging folks to stay home from their fancy $20 million mansion and to order expensive premium grade ice cream. You know, the "party of working people."

I love it when the ugly partisanship of one side blames the other side for perpetuating such an ugly divide

Oh, stop the nonsense. Of course Democrats want citizens back to work but not at the risk of their lives. Look what’s happening in Florida and Georgia.

150,000 Americans have died. 150,000 funerals and countless losses and heartbreak.

650,000 die every year of heart disease. Far more Americans have died of other causes than COVID 19 in the last four months. And your point is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It feels normal because about 40% of Americans are doing ok. It's the other 60% that we have to worry about. That's why I favor UBI (temporary at first, but later extended) and universal health care.

I was listening to NPR this morning and they were interviewing Senator Lankford from OK. The conservative view on this crisis is that we can't help everyone and we shouldn't try. He pretty much said that. So my best advice is to vote. It's time to renew the New Deal and make it more comprehensive.

The Democratic view: destroy the economy, force tens of millions to lose their jobs, all just to try to save an elderly frail person's life.

Is that fair?

You tell me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the economic metrics show us at Great Depression levels yet life seems so normal. I know DC is always more insulated from economic downturns but stories from my relatives in other cities bely a sense or normalcy. Why is that? My grandparents had depression era stories of long bread lines, wearing tattered clothes, shantytowns popping up in cities, etc. Are we just too early in this cycle to see the worst effects?

Get outside your bubble.

The soup kitchen lines where I live in this area have always stretched a block or more. And there are car lines that are hours long.

I can see shantytown in the wooded areas around here. They have been here for years. Once the evictions start next month, you’ll see more families sleeping in cars and on the streets.

I saw a family trying to take clothing out of a donation box last week. They were looking for shoes for a boy a bit younger than my own. The mom said that when Payless closed, shoes became too expensive. I gave her $40 and she started crying. I grew up with too tight shoes due to poverty and it’s something that still breaks my heart.

Honestly, pp doesn't have to go too far outside her bubble to see the impact of the pandemic. I was house hunting not too long ago, and I came upon a long trail of cars waiting to get into a soup kitchen near Briggs Chaney Rd. The traffic to get in was so backed up that they had cops out directing traffic. This was in May.

I volunteer for my church and we pack boxes with groceries and delivery them every day. Yes, people come more than in pre-pandemic times, but at the same time, all these people come in a nice cars (I've handled boxes to BMW, Escalate, hondas, etc.), a lot of ladies comes with their nails done professionally, and holding the latest model of iPhones.

Sometimes a reversal of fortune is swift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the economic metrics show us at Great Depression levels yet life seems so normal. I know DC is always more insulated from economic downturns but stories from my relatives in other cities bely a sense or normalcy. Why is that? My grandparents had depression era stories of long bread lines, wearing tattered clothes, shantytowns popping up in cities, etc. Are we just too early in this cycle to see the worst effects?

Get outside your bubble.

The soup kitchen lines where I live in this area have always stretched a block or more. And there are car lines that are hours long.

I can see shantytown in the wooded areas around here. They have been here for years. Once the evictions start next month, you’ll see more families sleeping in cars and on the streets.

I saw a family trying to take clothing out of a donation box last week. They were looking for shoes for a boy a bit younger than my own. The mom said that when Payless closed, shoes became too expensive. I gave her $40 and she started crying. I grew up with too tight shoes due to poverty and it’s something that still breaks my heart.

Honestly, pp doesn't have to go too far outside her bubble to see the impact of the pandemic. I was house hunting not too long ago, and I came upon a long trail of cars waiting to get into a soup kitchen near Briggs Chaney Rd. The traffic to get in was so backed up that they had cops out directing traffic. This was in May.

I volunteer for my church and we pack boxes with groceries and delivery them every day. Yes, people come more than in pre-pandemic times, but at the same time, all these people come in a nice cars (I've handled boxes to BMW, Escalate, hondas, etc.), a lot of ladies comes with their nails done professionally, and holding the latest model of iPhones.

I can speak to this first hand. A little over a dozen years ago, I had to divorce my abusive H. I had two little kids, including a nursing newborn. I hadn’t gained any weight during pregnancy due to HG and quickly lost 20 lbs just nursing. I had no income as I was on maternity leave and my H refused to pay child support. It would be another six months before the court forced him to.

So I went to the food pantry. In my nice car that was bought before my separation and the only transportation I had in winter with a newborn. And I didn’t have an iPhone, but I had a cellphone that my mom bought me because my H had cut the landlines before and she didn’t want me to be in that position ever again.

Selling the car and the phone would not have netted enough money to put food on my table for the months I waited for the courts to force my H to support DC. But the woman who loaded my car gave me a withering look without knowing my story. She wanted me to feel bad when she was supposed to be helping people like me as a work of corporal mercy.

Really stop and think if Jesus would judge people for cars and phones at a time like this.

[Anonymous]

I live in Indiana and am not seeing it either. None of my friends or neighbors have been laid off but some have had limited furloughs. I'm not seeing much talk of it on social media. Housing prices keep going up and people are still in bidding wars. It must be there, though, somewhere. Small businesses are struggling.

[Anonymous]

We are an education/hospitality family. So far our financial losses have been minimal (bonuses.) We are trying to find the line between putting money into the economy and saving for further upcoming potential losses/layoffs. I think things are going to get much worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the economic metrics show us at Great Depression levels yet life seems so normal. I know DC is always more insulated from economic downturns but stories from my relatives in other cities bely a sense or normalcy. Why is that? My grandparents had depression era stories of long bread lines, wearing tattered clothes, shantytowns popping up in cities, etc. Are we just too early in this cycle to see the worst effects?

Get outside your bubble.

The soup kitchen lines where I live in this area have always stretched a block or more. And there are car lines that are hours long.

I can see shantytown in the wooded areas around here. They have been here for years. Once the evictions start next month, you’ll see more families sleeping in cars and on the streets.

I saw a family trying to take clothing out of a donation box last week. They were looking for shoes for a boy a bit younger than my own. The mom said that when Payless closed, shoes became too expensive. I gave her $40 and she started crying. I grew up with too tight shoes due to poverty and it’s something that still breaks my heart.

Honestly, pp doesn't have to go too far outside her bubble to see the impact of the pandemic. I was house hunting not too long ago, and I came upon a long trail of cars waiting to get into a soup kitchen near Briggs Chaney Rd. The traffic to get in was so backed up that they had cops out directing traffic. This was in May.

I volunteer for my church and we pack boxes with groceries and delivery them every day. Yes, people come more than in pre-pandemic times, but at the same time, all these people come in a nice cars (I've handled boxes to BMW, Escalate, hondas, etc.), a lot of ladies comes with their nails done professionally, and holding the latest model of iPhones.

I can speak to this first hand. A little over a dozen years ago, I had to divorce my abusive H. I had two little kids, including a nursing newborn. I hadn’t gained any weight during pregnancy due to HG and quickly lost 20 lbs just nursing. I had no income as I was on maternity leave and my H refused to pay child support. It would be another six months before the court forced him to.

So I went to the food pantry. In my nice car that was bought before my separation and the only transportation I had in winter with a newborn. And I didn’t have an iPhone, but I had a cellphone that my mom bought me because my H had cut the landlines before and she didn’t want me to be in that position ever again.

Selling the car and the phone would not have netted enough money to put food on my table for the months I waited for the courts to force my H to support DC. But the woman who loaded my car gave me a withering look without knowing my story. She wanted me to feel bad when she was supposed to be helping people like me as a work of corporal mercy.

Really stop and think if Jesus would judge people for cars and phones at a time like this.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. We sold a car to help with a financial issue and honestly it was so hard to buy one again because we didn't have the money or credit to do so. If a situation is temporary it doesn't make sense to give up cars and phones, two things that most people need to find work.

[Anonymous]

It is too early. Last weeks, my kids had a friend over for dinner. I was not home, and friend lives on our street. She is in the circle we are seeing. Another young adult stopped by. How did it happened? So, dd talked to this other young adult and the girl said, that she doesn't' even know if they are having anything for dinner. We live in 600-700K neighborhood. They have no money for food. So far people are able to hide it, there is a serious problem with people living in suburbs and being hungry right now. It will be clear very soon.
Do you remember how the October Revolution started? Well, it was not a revolution at all. It was a coup. Mothers came to the Palace asking the Tsar for food. He ordered them shot, soldiers would not shoot(their own mothers, in some cases) and that is how the coup happened. Communists came a bit later in the vacuum created.
People are also oblivious. FIL told me that before covid economy was doing so well. I tried to tell him that many working poor can't afford to rent a place in many expensive states. He did not believe me, out of sight out of mind. But, it will not be out of sight much longer. Look at what GOP is doing right now. You will see the results soon on your own street now doubt. Who are immigration lawyers going to represent and earn money for their mansions? Who are doctors going to cure when people can't pay for it? All those that think they are safe, are not.

[Anonymous]

All of our shops and restaurants (drive through and carryout) have help wanted signs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It feels normal because about 40% of Americans are doing ok. It's the other 60% that we have to worry about. That's why I favor UBI (temporary at first, but later extended) and universal health care.

I was listening to NPR this morning and they were interviewing Senator Lankford from OK. The conservative view on this crisis is that we can't help everyone and we shouldn't try. He pretty much said that. So my best advice is to vote. It's time to renew the New Deal and make it more comprehensive.

The Democratic view: destroy the economy, force tens of millions to lose their jobs, all just to try to save an elderly frail person's life.

Is that fair?

You tell me.

Heartless idiot. This is not democrats doing. Why don't you get off dcum and go read the witch doctor your orange is praising?