A frustrated worker named Nic Sumners expressed his frustration in a TikTok video, claiming that the American dream is dead. Despite making three times the federal minimum wage, he struggles to make ends meet, working multiple jobs just to survive. Sumners questioned why he couldn’t afford to live on his salary of around $22 per hour, which is significantly higher than the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. He criticized the idea of working 90 hours a week as the solution, stating that it should not be the standard for living a decent life.
Sumners called out both the Republican and Democratic parties for their role in creating the current system where working individuals like him are suffering. He pointed out that his parents, at his age, made less than half of what he is making now and were able to live alone. However, he expressed his inability to afford living alone in today’s economy, particularly highlighting the high cost of rent. Sumners mentioned the average rent for one-bedroom apartments in the US, which has been steadily increasing.
In his video, Sumners criticized the federal government for allocating money to other countries in warfare, such as Ukraine and Israel, while American citizens struggle to meet basic needs. He questioned the logic behind sending billions in aid to these countries while many people in the US are facing financial hardships. The passage of a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan by President Biden raised further concerns for Sumners, as he felt that the focus should be on improving the lives of American citizens.
Sumners expressed his disappointment with the current state of the country, questioning where the priorities of the nation have gone. He emphasized that the American dream is dead and forgotten, indicating that the cost of achieving that dream far exceeds what the average American can realistically attain. A study conducted by Investopedia found that the American dream costs over $3 million, while the average American only earns around $2.3 million, regardless of their education level. Sumners’s viral video resonated with many viewers who are also facing similar challenges in today’s economy, shedding light on the struggles of working individuals in the US.
