Numbers Crunching Working PeopleFrances Moore Lappé and Bruce T. BoccardyOriginally publishedon Common DreamsOctober 3, 2019Striking United Auto Workers Union (UAW) members and supporters picket the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, Sept. 25, 2019, in Detroit. (Jim West/ZUMA Wire)Though arecentpoll suggeststhe majorityof Americans disapprove ofPresident Trump’s “overall performance,” they supporthis “handling of the economy” morethan other issuessurveyed.”The prosperity cycle we have entered into is continuing, it is strong,” White House National Economic Council Director Lawrence Kudlow celebratedlastApril. “This is the new Trump economy,” and “I’ll tell you it’s working.”Whoo-hoo!
But wait. Do the numbers justify celebration? To understand our worldwe need numbers, for sure, and we also need to keep in mind the oldrefrain“numbers can lie”—even accurate ones. So let’s dig into thosemost pundits rely on to judge our economy’shealth.First,let’s look at what gets measured