TED JENKIN: Europe is burning because people can't pay their bills. America should pay attention

In 1789, angry French citizens didn't have Facebook, Instagram or TikTok to complain about the cost of living. They had pitchforks. And torches.

When bread prices became unbearable, thousands of women marched on the Palace of Versailles, demanding answers from King Louis XVI. They weren't marching because the stock market was down.

They were marching because they couldn't afford to feed their families.

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More than 230 years later, is once again witnessing angry crowds in the streets. Italy has seen tens of thousands of workers and students protesting over wages, housing and living costs.

The circumstances are different. The frustration sounds remarkably familiar. People are working, collecting paychecks and wondering why they still can't afford their lives.

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And America had better pay attention.

Politicians love talking about economic growth, unemployment rates and inflation statistics. But here's a little secret. Most Americans don't wake up in the morning wondering what happened to GDP.

They wonder whether they can afford groceries, pay the electric bill and make their mortgage payment. And there's an enormous difference between what economists call a healthy economy and what families experience at their kitchen tables.

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might fall from 8% to 3%. Wonderful. That doesn't mean your $200 grocery bill goes back to $150. It means prices are generally rising more slowly. Your paycheck may have increased, but so have your insurance premiums, property taxes, utilities and rent.

The result? You can earn more money and still feel poorer.

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France has experienced protests over living costs, public services and government finances. Italy has seen workers and students march over wages, housing affordability and their economic futures. Not every protest is about household bills, and most demonstrators aren't rioters.

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But the financial frustration deserves attention.

When people believe working hard no longer guarantees a reasonable standard of living, something changes. They stop believing the economic promises. They stop trusting the statistics.