China News Service, February 9th: The Wall Street Journal of the United States recently pointed out in an article that although the U.S. economy is showing positive signs, many Americans believe that their long-term financial security is vulnerable to a wide range of social and political threats. They are pessimistic about the economic situation in the United States, saying they feel a "contradictory and divided" America.
For example, the article stated that when some people were asked about the state of the U.S. economy, they all showed the same pessimism. Some people used "unstable" to describe the U.S. economy. Another said: "Although I feel okay now, there is always a feeling that everything could disappear in an instant."
The article points out that many people say Americans are pessimistic about the economy because their long-term financial security is fragile and vulnerable to a wide range of social and political threats.
Interviews with Americans across the country reveal the stress of fear of an unpredictable world in which no one in government or business is equipped to lead the country through precarious times.
"You can say the unemployment rate is 3.7%, but in this uncertain situation, who cares?" said restaurateur Agbello. "Because that's how people feel. They don't feel hope. They don't feel this is a country. What they feel is an adversarial, divided America."
Foster, 57, earned her master's degree on GI Bill benefits and worked part-time at a nonprofit while her husband worked full-time in human resources. "Every time I go to the store to buy something, I'm shocked by the prices." She and her husband have a combined annual income of more than $200,000. "I feel like we're in a very fragile situation and there's no theoretical basis for the approach that either political party has come up with to deal with economic problems."
Foster said she is frustrated that the U.S. government continues to spend money but makes repeated mistakes, such as the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021. All this undermines confidence in leaders’ ability to deal with other complex issues. "I feel like no matter how much they talk about the economy, they don't really know because they don't have a coherent plan," she said.
Funk, a nurse from Milford, Ohio, said she saw the country's decline as she cared for patients at a large medical center in Cincinnati, where many uninsured and homeless patients lived. "Politicians seem to be doing fine while everyone else is struggling," said Funk, 52.
She said that after excluding the mortgage, car loan, daily necessities and utility bills, she had little income left. She prioritizes saving for retirement "because I don't expect Social Security to be around and I have to be able to support myself."
The article stated that many Americans pointed out that some structural changes in the economy made them anxious about the future. Reductions in corporate pensions shift more of the risk of retirement funding from employers to employees.
Previously, a survey jointly conducted by the "Wall Street Journal" and NORC found that only 36% of the respondents still believed in the "American Dream" that anyone can get ahead through hard work, which was lower than about 10 years ago. 53%.
Halle, 30, is studying to be a teacher but worries that even if her salary increases, she won't be able to start saving for a down payment on a house. Rising borrowing costs coupled with rising home prices have made buying a home more unaffordable. Hallie said, "I think the American dream is no longer possible. Because you need money to make money, I think now you are either ahead from the beginning or you are always catching up." (End)