A lot of folks are missing the big picture—the average American’s getting hammered, and it’s looking like a Silent Depression whether they call it that or not. Adjusting for how much money’s floating out there, people’s real income and buying power keep sliding down a hole that never ends. Suicide rates are climbing—highest since the Great Depression hit—12.2 per 100,000 now—and it’s no shock when you see wages crumbling since China joined the WTO back in 2001.
That WTO move—December 11, 2001—was the high mark for inflation-adjusted earnings, and it’s been a brutal drop ever since. American workers peaked then—median real hourly wages hit $23.50 in today’s bucks, now down to $22.88—and it’s not some fluke; it’s a steady grind lower year after year. X chatter’s hot—folks saying it’s a Silent Depression, and the numbers back it—relentless decline, no bottom in sight. This ain’t just a dip—it’s a slow bleed, and people are breaking under it.
Jeff Snider’s been hammering this for years—something snapped in the 2008 crash, and the charts don’t lie. Personal income’s off—missed $6 trillion a year since then, that’s $35,000 per person gone. Go back to pre-1990 trends—before jobs started bleeding overseas—and it’s wilder: $79 trillion a year short, or $475,000 per working adult. Boomers yap about “work harder,” but those jobs ain’t there—manufacturing’s gutted, wages flat. This is a collapse hiding in plain sight—folks can’t earn what they used to, and the old-timers don’t get it.
The consumer’s been fading since 2000—personal income, disposable cash, money velocity—all peaked then, no question. So where’s this “growth” coming from? Government spending’s ballooned—$7 trillion deficit last year—corporate profits are fat, asset markets like stocks and homes are puffed up—S&P’s CAPE at 36.9, third highest ever. Real folks? Flat—velocity’s 1.3, lowest since the ‘70s. Growth’s a mirage—propped by suits and paper, not paychecks, and it’s crumbling underneath.
Tariffs, DOGE cuts, labor drying up—they’re piling on, and it’s not pretty. Tariffs jack costs—25% on Canada and Mexico hit imports, squeeze wallets more. DOGE slashing government jobs—70% of payroll gains now—means less padding when private gigs fade. Labor’s tight—3.6% unemployment, but participation’s stuck at 62.6%, down from 67% in 2000. This ain’t helping—it’s a squeeze on a squeeze, and debt’s the ticking bomb waiting to blow.
Here’s the straight scoop—this Silent Depression’s real, call it what you want. Real wages down since 2001—$22.88 from $23.50—suicides up to 12.2 per 100,000, $6 trillion a year lost since ‘08, $475,000 per worker if you stretch it back. Government spending and fat-cat profits mask it—velocity’s 1.3 says cash ain’t moving—but folks feel it. This is a slow crash—debt’s piling, growth’s fake, and the average guy’s sinking. Tariffs and cuts might spark deleveraging—inflation or bust—and it’s coming either way.
Sources:
https://x.com/infraa_/status/1895260101797425182
https://x.com/infraa_/status/1895824732878168152
https://x.com/infraa_/status/1895907141422350433