The Phantom Depression
By James Quillian,Economist, Political Analyst, Natural Law
Why You Should Look at These Tables
Most people feel poorer today than they did in 2020. They aren’t imagining it. They aren’t failing to budget. They’re living inside a statistical illusion. The official inflation number, CPI, is designed to make the economy look healthier than it is. It measures products, not life. It hides the real cost of living by adjusting away quality improvements, substituting cheaper goods, and averaging essentials with non‑essentials.