January 9, 2026
GDP vs groceries: pick your fighter
Do not mistake a resilient global economy for populist success
Booming charts, broke vibes: readers clap back at “populist wins”
TLDR: The Economist says the global economy is holding up and tariffs aren’t reviving factories. Commenters split: some say private markets drive the tech boom, others argue it’s fueled by defense money; many reject GDP cheerleading, insisting real life—prices, paychecks—tells a different story.
The Economist says the global economy is surprisingly sturdy and tariffs aren’t reviving factories, but the comments section went supernova. One early nod—“unusually perceptive lede”—sparked a brawl between GDP bros and the Grocery Cart gang. Some readers cheered the line that America’s private sector, not DC planners, powered the AI boom. Others fired back that the boom runs on government cash, pointing to defense budgets on both sides of the Pacific.
Data drama erupted over the article’s chart: skeptics argued it doesn’t prove much, blaming job drops on automation and reminding everyone that moving production takes time. Then came the big mood check: “Don’t confuse growth with health.” Translation: lower interest rates and government stimulus may lift numbers, but paychecks and prices still sting.
Humor flew fast. One meme dubbed it the “Teflon economy”—“nothing sticks except my rent.” Another joked: “Protectionism is CrossFit for factories: lots of sweat, no gains.” Meanwhile, a link-slinger brought receipts via an archive, fueling fact-check duels. Verdict from the crowd? The economy might look shiny on paper, but voters judge by fridge and fuel, not forecasts. And that’s the fight everyone’s really having. Numbers brag; wallets drag, and the comments made it loud. Very loud.
Key Points
- •Global growth in 2025 was likely about 3%, exceeding earlier pessimistic forecasts.
- •In each year of the 2020s so far, actual growth outperformed the World Bank’s June forecasts (“Teflon economy”).
- •The US economy slowed only slightly in 2025 under Donald Trump after adjusting for reduced immigration.
- •Global interest rates have fallen, easing financial conditions.
- •Fiscal stimulus in the United States, China, and Germany is supporting growth, but the article argues protectionism is not reviving manufacturing.