Now looking back, I believe in school, we are not being taught the real subjects especially in Ghana. I studied economics all through high school into my final year. It was a class I actually enjoyed and did well in. After high school, I actually contemplated studying economics in college. But again, looking back almost two decades later, I have come to the realization that we were never taught the real thing, economics.
Today, I live in the United States, home to what many consider the model economy of the world. People obsess over GDP, CPI, interest rates, and the stock market, some of the most advanced financial systems globally call this country home. But I ask: where is the economy in all of that?
Because the real economy is something different. It’s young people, walking around with degrees in their hands, who can’t afford a home, a decent car, or even a modest vacation. It’s the thousands with no jobs, or working jobs that pay enough to cover the cost of living in cities like NYC and elsewhere in America. But you won’t find any economist brave or honest enough to say this plainly when they have been offered a platform. They always sound scripted and dishonest when given these platforms. That’s a tragedy.
The main trigger of this article is from what happened this week in New York City. There was a political upset in the NYC mayoral campaign that’s worth paying attention to. A Democratic Socialist, Mr. Zohran Mamdani, defeated the corrupt establishment, politician and former governor of New York State , Mr. Andrew Cuomo, shaking up the city’s political landscape. This wasn’t just politics as usual, this was economics in motion.
Mr. Mamdani wasn't that known just a few weeks ago. His campaign wasn't that funded, in fact it was mostly grassroots. Young people in New York are catching hell economically and for me, that’s what sparked the reflection and writing of this piece. It’s all about economics. The cost of living, student debt, job insecurity, these aren’t abstract ideas. They’re daily realities. And when people are pushed far enough, they respond at the ballot box. The election is coming im November when he will face the incumbent mayor, Mr. Eric Adam, who has his fair share of scandals in office. Politicians and scandals are like salt and water.
Meanwhile, those who are well-off financially have their own interests, and they will do just about anything to see their preferred candidates win. But this time, their grip slipped, at least at the primaries level and the outcry in the wake of this election is real.
New York City isn’t just any city. It's a cultural and economic powerhouse, a place where national trends often begin. What happens here matters. And this upset might just be the sign of something bigger brewing beneath the surface.
Most young people today graduate into a life of debt—neck deep. They carry burdens so heavy that it becomes nearly impossible to live what we once called a “decent life” or the “American Dream”. Many are forced to live with their parents, not by choice, but by necessity. They can’t start families, can’t plan a future. That, my friends, is the real economy.
I used to be fooled by how corporate media would pontificate about how well the economy was doing. Then I looked around. I drove through major cities and saw the tent encampments, people living under bridges, others begging on street corners. I thought, maybe this is just America, —the hyper-capitalist America. But then I visited Toronto with a friend two years ago. The same thing was true. People unhoused, struggling. I was disappointed. After a night or two, we were back in the U.S.
So, yeah, my understanding of economics today might be different. Not a textbook like we all know. Not academic and abstract. But it's real. Lived. Felt. Seen.
Aren’t you glad I’m not the guy in charge of the economy? I would have made drastic decisions that the establishment would want me gone yesterday.
I remain your pal,
Ronnie
My friend, this is great 👍 keep it up
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