American Dream now a pipe dream

Many Americans used to think the "American Dream" was pretty simple: work hard, and you could have it all: a house in the suburbs, two children, and a cabriolet in the drive. But these days, that dream is getting way too expensive.

The American Dream's cost stood at $4.4 million in 2024, according to Investopedia, up $1 million from the year before.

The White House's tariff wars are sending families on a financial roller-coaster ride. Experts warn these trade moves are rewriting financial security rules, while the classic American Dream fades into a mirage.

Yale's Budget Lab reveals the figures: expect 15 percent leather goods hikes, 14 percent apparel spikes, and 11 percent bedding increases. In the long term, prices will stay 19 percent higher for leather and 16 percent for clothing.

Meanwhile, the real economic sword hanging over the US isn't inflation or layoffs, it is policy uncertainty. Every tariff drives another nail into global trade relations, creating a minefield of instability that is suffocating growth.

While White House officials keep ranting about other nations "stealing" US jobs and "wrecking" the good old American Dream, here's the fact: Their tariffs are becoming a nightmare for their people. Maybe instead of blaming others, Washington should check its policy playbook.