WTF is Wrong with the Economy?

Experts studying specific historical topics often reach conclusions OPPOSITE to public belief. Today's economy follows this pattern—"great on paper" while visibly failing outside your window. Despite glowing official numbers, real-world indicators tell a different story: household finances, quality of life measures, and cost of living reveal a crumbling reality. This episode exposes how elites manipulate statistics to maintain the façade while everyday Americans struggle beneath mounting evidence that something is fundamentally broken. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Click this link to make some cash for giving your opinion! https://www.inflcr.co/SHKUj Thanks YouGov for sponsoring! -- LINKS: Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj Link to my cancellation insurance: https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my Twitter- https://x.com/whatifalthist Link to my Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlynch/?hl=en -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- Bibliography: The Economics of Discontent by Jean Michel Paul Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell The Great Wave by David Hackett Fischer Secular Cycles by Peter Turchin Ages of Discord by Peter Turchin Capital by Thomas Picketty Why Nations Fail by Robinson and Acemoglu False Economy by Alan Beattie Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber Crashed by Adam Tooze The Road to Serfdom by Hayek The Rise and Fall of Nations by Ruchir Sharma The Growth Delusion by David Pilling The Great Leveler by Walter Scheidel End Times by Peter Turchin The Leviathan and Its Enemies by Sam Francis  The Origins of Woke by Richard Hanania  The Absent Superpower by Peter Zeihan Political Order and Political Decay by Francis Fukuyama The Storm before the Calm by George Friedman The Soul of France pt 1 by Fernand Braudel Lost Connections by Johann Hari The Master and His Emissary by Ian McGhilchrist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices