Here at The Sounding Line we have been documenting the declining financial well-being of average Americans for some time (most recently here). To further drive the point home, we present the following chart, which shows the compensation of employees as a percentage of the US GDP. As can be clearly seen, the pay employees receive in relation to the value they create (the economy itself…) has declined relentlessly since 1970.

For those struggling to understand the so-called ‘populist’ movements in America and Europe, the economic facts speak pretty clear. The plurality of working people have been left behind by an establishment that has prioritized every special interest, seemingly in the entire world, above them.