Canada's recent strong GDP and jobs reports are misleading. A deeper look reveals GDP growth was driven by net exports while domestic consumption fell. Likewise, the job gains were exclusively part-time, with full-time employment declining, signaling a fragile underlying economy.

Senator Warren highlights a major flaw in how economic stress is measured: the cost of servicing debt from credit cards and student loans is often excluded from calculations. This omission masks a huge financial burden on families, making their economic situation appear healthier than it actually is.

Despite official CPI averaging under 2% from 2010-2020, the actual cost of major assets like homes and stocks exploded. This disconnect shows that government inflation data fails to reflect the reality of eroding purchasing power, which is a key driver of public frustration.

Despite a still-growing labor market, real wage growth has slowed to "stall speed." This lagged effect on middle and lower-income households is the primary driver for the projected 2-percentage-point drop in real consumption growth for Q4 and Q1.

Despite strong export-led growth in Asia, the benefits did not trickle down to households. Weak household income and consumption prompted governments and central banks to implement fiscal support and monetary easing. This disconnect between headline GDP and domestic demand is a critical factor for understanding Asian economic policy.

While repeating a lie can be a powerful political tool, it fails against the undeniable reality of personal economic experience. Issues like grocery and gas prices are 'BS-proofed' because voters experience them directly. No amount of political messaging can convince people their financial situation is improving if their daily costs prove otherwise.

Instead of focusing on abstract metrics like GDP or stock market performance, the true measure of a successful economic policy is its impact on the average citizen. A large, thriving middle class, represented by a clear bell curve distribution of wealth, should be the primary goal for lawmakers.

Restricting immigration halts a key source of labor for essential sectors like agriculture and construction. This drives up consumer costs and could cut GDP by 4-7%, creating a direct path to higher inflation and slower economic growth.

Including government employment in GDP calculations is a form of double-counting tax revenue that masks the true health of the private sector. A major reduction in federal workers would reveal a startlingly low real growth rate, exposing decades of underlying economic stagnation.