Reclaim Your Economic Dignity

The signs are all around us, yet we're told everything is fine.

More young people are living at home today than during the Great Depression. That’s not a sign of economic strength—it’s a glaring red flag. Homelessness is at record levels, and prices for everything, especially housing, have skyrocketed. What people can afford today is just a fraction of what was possible a decade ago.

Meanwhile, debt is at an all-time high. Credit cards, student loans, car loans, even the national debt—all breaking records. Savings? At their lowest point in history. And still, we’re being told the economy is “strong.”

Let’s be clear:

• A handful of the wealthiest 20% buying whatever they want is NOT a strong economy.
• Middle- and lower-income people doom-spending just to feel something is NOT a strong economy.
• Inflated stock values manipulated by artificially low interest rates are NOT a strong economy.
• An abundance of jobs that don’t pay a living wage is NOT a strong economy.

The official inflation numbers? Cooked. If the CPI used its original formula, inflation would be nearly double what’s reported.

The truth is, we’ve lost touch with reality. Telling people they’re better off than ever while they struggle to make ends meet isn’t just tone-deaf—it’s insulting. It’s gaslighting an entire generation into thinking their struggles are personal failures instead of systemic flaws.

This is why people are angry. This is why they’re willing to believe anyone who validates their lived experiences. If you’re worse off than you were 10 years ago, no amount of spin will convince you otherwise.

The economy isn’t strong. We’ve lost our economic dignity.

It’s time to reclaim ownership of our money, our decisions, and our future. Question the narrative. Demand better.

Reclaim your ownership at the weekend.network

This is my fourth thought note from the Reclaim Collection, introducing the Weekend Network and exploring the journey toward reclaiming ownership in our digital lives.