Capitalism wins again.

[SomeStupidName]

Over dramatic but it's a start. Your expert has a 50% chance of being accurate in what he thinks he is seeing. We could be headed to financial disaster to usher in digital currency and the crazy that entails that. I think we will make a recovery. Time will tell.

[Sky727]

[Sky727]

hahahhaa

[SomeStupidName]

But the sky is still falling because of bad man orange you guys this is super serious. Wow gdp is up, inflation is still cooling maybe even getting on target within the next year if our own people would stop trying to sabotage the process. If we could get the housing price bubble to burst and lower mortgage rates I think we'll see progress for new home buyers. We've identified a shit ton of fraud that can be cut off and those funds used for actual citizens who need it. Sale's are up but someone tried to say that was for healthcare plan purchases and not Christmas shopping, remember when health insurance was optional and medical and pharmaceutical companies actually had to price things realistically, sure it was expensive but not the price of a small moon. You know it's crazy how much more money I have at the end of a week when gas is half the cost it used to be it's almost like I can afford to pay a little extra for a few things that aren't produced locally and still stack a few dollars for a rainy day. I haven't been able to do that in over 2 years and for a minute there under Biden I was eating into savings just to get by....

[quintessentone]

I'll listen to every day people any day, all day instead of the lies coming from your government.

"Americans are increasingly expressing their inability to afford various aspects of life due to rising prices and economic challenges. Here are some key points highlighting the affordability crisis:

• 70% of Americans feel their cost of living is not very affordable or not affordable at all. 
  
  Coffee prices have risen nearly 19% from the previous year, and beef prices have increased around 15%. 
  
• Housing costs have risen over 14% between September 2023 and September 2025, and medical costs are up nearly 7% over the same period. 
  
  
• Consumer sentiment has dropped 29% from 2024, with nearly half of Americans saying their financial situation is worse than a year ago. 
  
  
• Health care costs are a significant concern, with about 44% of adults saying it is difficult to afford their health care costs. 
  
  These sentiments reflect a broader economic struggle, where many Americans are facing increased costs for essential goods and services, leading to financial strain and a desire for change."
  

----

"The majority — 70% — of Americans surveyed in a Marist poll of over 1,400 adults taken in December, say that the cost of living in their area is not very affordable, or not affordable at all, for the average family."

How Americans are responding to the 'affordability crisis'

Is the Marist poll accurate? (AI)

"MaristPolls are generally considered reliable and accurate, with a strong historical performance and adherence to rigorous polling methodologies."

[UltraBudgie]

"The majority — 70% — of Americans surveyed in a Marist poll of over 1,400 adults taken in December, say that the cost of living in their area is not very affordable, or not affordable at all, for the average family."

How Americans are responding to the 'affordability crisis'

Is the Marist poll accurate? (AI)

"MaristPolls are generally considered reliable and accurate, with a strong historical performance and adherence to rigorous polling methodologies."

Lol I read that as "Marxist poll" at first glance.

If you'll notice, "affordability" is the new framing being used, because it relies on measures of how people "feel" rather than any specific actual numbers, and they can simply run polls that are cherry-picked to reflect the sentiment they want to pretend is how everyone feels.

That said, I think there is something to the feeling; many of the younger generation seem to feel they won't ever be able to afford a house, for example.

[quintessentone]

Lol I read that as "Marxist poll" at first glance.

If you'll notice, "affordability" is the new framing being used, because it relies on measures of how people "feel" rather than any specific actual numbers, and they can simply run polls that are cherry-picked to reflect the sentiment they want to pretend is how everyone feels.

That said, I think there is something to the feeling; many of the younger generation seem to feel they won't ever be able to afford a house, for example.

Assign pre-judgement and labels in your mind to responses before reading the context much?

The people were stating their experience, not feelz. Bubo falls out of the tree.

[DBCowboy]

Communists gotta commie and they'll do everything they can to keep doing it.

[quintessentone]

The real facts:

"Corporate bankruptcies in the U.S. have surged to a 15-year high in 2025, driven by persistent economic challenges such as inflation, high interest rates, and shifting tariff policies.Key Statistics

• As of October 2025, 655 large U.S. companies have filed for bankruptcy, marking the highest number of filings since 2010. This figure is already close to surpassing the total for the entire year of 2024, which saw 687 filings"
  

"Contributing Factors

1. Economic Strain: The increase in bankruptcies is attributed to a combination of factors, including persistent inflation, a tight labor market, and the cumulative impact of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes initiated in 2022. These economic pressures have significantly increased debt service costs for many companies. 
   
   
2. Tariff Policies: Uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariff policies has also played a role, particularly affecting sectors reliant on global supply chains. The shifting tariffs have disrupted operations and raised costs for many businesses, contributing to their financial distress. 
   
   
3. Sector Impact: The Industrials and Consumer Discretionary sectors have been particularly hard hit, with the Industrials sector leading in bankruptcy claims. This reflects its vulnerability to supply chain disruptions and rising costs, while the Consumer Discretionary sector is facing challenges due to diminished purchasing power among consumers. 
   
   
   
4. 4 Sources"
   

Business Insider, The Independent etc.

[UltraBudgie]

The people were stating their experience, not feelz. Bubo falls out of the tree.

Bzzt, wrong. Look at the actual source data methodology for the poll you cited: https://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content...1052-1.pdf

...rather than relying on summaries. Yes, there were questions in that poll about people's personal finances and household experience. But the summary you cited claims: "70% of Americans feel their cost of living is not very affordable or not affordable at all."

That's an inaccurate representation. The actual poll question was: "Overall, would you describe the cost of living in the area where you live for the average family as:" = Very affordable/Affordable:30% Not very affordable/Not affordable at all: 70%

That's asking for perception of affordability for people beyond the scope of whom they know personally. A perception that is, as all things political, biased by what the news is pushing as the narrative and what people are being led to believe. It's not personal first-hand experience based on actual numbers. It's what they've been told the "average family" is experiencing.

I'm no paid expert but the methodology itself looks fairly decent (although they did oversample under-45-age and under-50k-income by 4% vs the national average, which I'm not sure they normalized for; that may affect the trendlines they're trying to show).

As I've said, I don't really disagree with the poll: I do think things are more expensive for people now that 10 years ago. But I also think that this issue is being used as a political football and skewed by summary and agenda that improperly make conclusions based on a (possibly deliberate) misinterpretation of data.

I loved that owl from Clash of the Titans! Saw a functioning replica of it at a scifi con once. It was cool!