In the United States of America, there are currently around 40 million people living under the poverty line officially, and another 120 million that are living directly on it and are considered "poor" by most metrics. In only two years, this total number has more than doubled. Though if you were to judge America's economy based on the stories that the mainstream media are running, Americans are doing better than ever before. Then again, if you judged America's economy based on how much things cost, its housing market, and the amount of debt the average person is taking on, America seems to be spiraling toward a depression. Speaking of the mainstream media, there was a barrage of articles released earlier this week that claimed America has one of its strongest economies in history, and that SNAP benefits prove that Joe Biden is doing great. CNN, Bangor Daily News, Bloomberg, and other outlets all ran a very similar piece suggesting that Biden's government assistance programs have saved Americans.

Do you feel saved? Maybe you do, and maybe things like SNAP benefits increases have really helped you to feed your family. Though for most Americans who are hovering on that line and terrified about slipping into permanent poverty, food is only one of the many things they have to worry about. They're also worried about fuel costs that are very likely going to rise again, but this time a lot higher than they were at their peak levels. Experts claim that as soon as Biden depletes the national oil reserves, fuel is going to adjust and the prices are going to be astronomically high, to the point people may be paying $8 per gallon even in rural areas in red states. With an ongoing international conflict, and China owning a very large proportion of America's meat and produce plants, there's also fear that food prices could double by the middle of 2023. That alone could cause SNAP to essentially collapse. That's not even mentioning the housing market or the insane costs of insurance plans in today's America.

The mainstream media are singing Joe Biden's praises, and that's to be expected. It's really hard to hold it against them at this point. Most of the mainstream media is owned by the same few corporations, and those corporations are all huge Democrat donors and lobbyists. Since it's midterm season, they're doing what they can to ensure that their candidates are elected. This is just the status quo in America. What should really be troubling is that the polls aren't reflecting reality as much as they should be. That isn't to say that Republicans would do any better; but historically speaking, the party in power would normally be down by over 20 points in this sort of economy. That isn't the case. Perhaps this is because the mainstream media has a lot more power than people want to believe.
 

Don't Believe Your Bellies

In essence, the mainstream media is telling you that government assistance programs are keeping you afloat in America. That's awfully odd on its face. Just think about propping a sitting administration up as doing well, when the suggestion is that they're only doing well because they're spending more money on welfare than ever before. That would be downright frightening for people from countries that have experienced their entire economy collapsing before. For Americans, most people have hope. Though even if you are hungry and suffering, you're basically ignored and told that you don't matter. What's even worse is that you're gaslit into believing that you're not actually suffering. Don't believe your belly; believe the mainstream media's spin as it tells you that you're doing better than ever before. It has to be frustrating for Americans, as millions of them wait in lines at food banks and are in danger of losing their homes.

The silver lining here is that SNAP is doing well to keep more people fed. HUD and Section 8 are failing in a big way to keep roofs over people's heads. Government grants have all but dried up. Federal disaster assistance is being handed out based on people's skin tone and not their level of need. Overall, government assistance programs have really taken a brutal hit. But for SNAP benefits in particular and EBT cards, the FDA seems to be doing a good job at helping people afford to eat.

If you need government assistance, don't wait around. Visit your local government's site and apply immediately.