In a stunning display of utter disconnect from the struggles average Americans are weathering under the economic strain championed as Bidenomics, MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle has a bone to pick. She’s scolding Americans for fretting over economic hardships, reminding the less privileged of the $3 Wendy’s breakfast offer – apparently, an answer to their financial worries.
Ruhle acknowledged that people are groaning under the burden of inflating prices, a reality mirrored in a recent report from the Fed that unveils Americans still grappling with daily expenses. Hinging on a looming reprieve, she highlighted some big consumer brands like Target slashing prices on essential items and fast food chains like Wendy’s and McDonald’s rolling out budget-friendly meals.
In a conversation with Austan Goolsbee, the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Ruhle touched on the apparent confusion among people regarding their financial states despite robust inflation reports.
Goolsbee, who also served as an economic advisor to President Obama, suggested 2023 saw considerable inflation slow-down. He minimized the sudden increase by focusing on the unusual circumstance of avoiding a recession, despite admitting prices are still steep.
Putting the American consumer under a microscope, Ruhle sought out an evaluation of the nuances in their behavior. Goolsbee, engaged, lamented at the sweeping disparity between public sentiment and the actual economic figures. He seemed perplexed at the paradox where Americans claim to be doing well individually but bear negative sentiments about the national economy.
The singularity of sanity in the conversation was Goolsbee’s blunt acceptance that inflation is indeed, very unpopular, resonating well with Americans feeling the pinch every time they reach for their wallets.
MSNBC’s attempt to brush over the struggles of everyday Americans under the current Bidenomics is painfully evident. A dismissive wave towards lower-priced fast food isn’t a solution, but a simplistic deflection from the underlying issue.
Ruhle’s conversation with Goolsbee is nothing short of an orchestrated attempt to downplay the consequences of rampant inflation. The economic advisors simplification of the problem, focusing not on the high price levels, but the dodged recession, betrays a startling ignorance of American’s daily struggles.
In a reality where luxuries have become necessities and vice-versa, Ruhle’s interview falls woefully short of acknowledging the true breadth of the economic concerns, settling instead for a superficial understanding of the ‘American consumer psyche.’ The stubborn refusal to fully comprehend the issues as presented by the disparity between individual financial wellbeing and views on the national economy is concerning.
Perhaps it’s time we looked deeper than $3 breakfast deals and confronted the true colors of Bidenomics – a crumbling economy masked with placating talks about the feeble decline in inflation. Respect the American pulse in its entirety – understand their struggles and stop condescending to them with fast food economics.
