If there were a booming economy, total indebtedness would not be so incredibly high, and wages would not have remained essentially stagnant since 1980.

I was in college and the economy sucked....no Summer jobs anywhere. I wrote a nice, long letter asking him what he was going to do about it. I got back a form letter of BS which I promptly threw out.

My whole life I have been comparing my salaries and various jobs with the wonderful economies and benefits before the 70s. I am aware of the difference but most people my age are clueless. They have been thoroughly brainwashed since the 80s.

Trump is on result of that normalization of the abnormal.

It depends on which world you live in, so to speak.

I have asked people in the "average" category how the economy is booming for them by comparison to the past. While it is anecdotal, they lament about how much more they are hanging on a thread or losing ground. They also report that its the same for most people they know. I also have the same results.

The boom is being generalized, (as if a rising tide lifts all boats) and that is disingenuous and economic propaganda, to say the least. While some folks may be doing a little better here and there, the boom, (as in growth, better, more income, etc.) is really evident for those who are the recipients of its impact, and that is the upper-percentile, of course.

It might translate into being able to pay the rent AND buy food for some, but I suspect it also helps to detract from how much worse things are financially for the struggling masses. It also helps keep them quiet, as in, what are you complaining about, the economy is booming, you must be doing something wrong. That is management of the malcontents.