The U. S. Economy:

Pundits have been trying to figure out why the average Joe thinks the economy is on the fritz for the past several years. The Feds report a growing economy while Joe keeps moaning about how bad things are. For the best analysis I've seen check out Steven Greenhouse's article in today's New York Times: "Many Entry-Level Workers Feel Pinch of Rough Market."

Greenhouse doesn't just look at the numbers provided by the Feds or some university analysists, he talks to real people and looks at real numbers. Workers today are earning less money and carrying heavier debt loads than they were ten years, even five years, ago. Young people are entering the job market without the expectation that they will become independent adults.