The assumption in your view is that Americans have a choice about the debt they take on. Most Americans use their credit cards to buy things they need because they can’t afford it otherwise. Paying it back in monthly installments is cheaper in the short term when living paycheck to paycheck. Long term, of course they’re paying more because of the interest rate.
Pretty much nothing is subsidized for the normal American and everything is at exploitation levels of cost.
at the risk of sounding like an asshole, “things they need” can be extremely malleable, and americans are far from scraping the bottom of the barrel. US has always had a major extreme poverty problem compared to other countries due to no adequate social safety net, but that is certainly not most americans.
What are the “needs” here? A pickup truck or crossover or SUV for every adult? Meat for 2 or 3 meals daily? 800 square feet of housing and 0.1 acres of lawn grass per person? A new wardrobe, car, set of furniture, and set of electronics every 2 years?
America is a “3rd-world country with a Gucci belt”. If the median American worker (~45k/yr.) did not try to keep up with the Joneses, they would have plenty to live on.
The civilization is unstable, yet the masses continue to buy in.
The assumption in your view is that Americans have a choice about the debt they take on. Most Americans use their credit cards to buy things they need because they can’t afford it otherwise. Paying it back in monthly installments is cheaper in the short term when living paycheck to paycheck. Long term, of course they’re paying more because of the interest rate.
Pretty much nothing is subsidized for the normal American and everything is at exploitation levels of cost.
at the risk of sounding like an asshole, “things they need” can be extremely malleable, and americans are far from scraping the bottom of the barrel. US has always had a major extreme poverty problem compared to other countries due to no adequate social safety net, but that is certainly not most americans.
What are the “needs” here? A pickup truck or crossover or SUV for every adult? Meat for 2 or 3 meals daily? 800 square feet of housing and 0.1 acres of lawn grass per person? A new wardrobe, car, set of furniture, and set of electronics every 2 years?
America is a “3rd-world country with a Gucci belt”. If the median American worker (~45k/yr.) did not try to keep up with the Joneses, they would have plenty to live on.
The civilization is unstable, yet the masses continue to buy in.