Is the American standard of living artificially inflated and does it need to fall?

All levels of government right down to American families seem to spend way too much money on CRAP. Is the harsh reality that we can no longer enjoy $5 lattes, $40,000 SUVs, TIVO, and all the rest of the electronic crap that we have. Do we have to stop being the world's military superpower, actually let sick people die, and actually make poor people work or else beg in the street?





Thoughts?|||It is but the crazy thing is that all manufacturing and developing countries really want it to stay that way because as long as they have the USA consumers they have someone to sell to.





So the whole World condones the USA outborrowing every other country in the World so it can live beyond its means and its citizens can buy more than they can afford.|||You just wish you could buy 1/10 the crap we buy.





I have a latte machine, and TiVO, in my SUV.|||Inflation lowers our standard of living every year.|||The American standard of living probably is too high. Our materialistic "needs" have outstripped our ability to earn. We take out loans to buy nice houses and cars and max out our credit cards to by laptops and designer clothes and other frivolous crap. But that's easy for me to say; I still don't own a cell phone or MP3 player.|||The American standard of living is not "artificially inflated" we as a whole need to concentrate on living within our means, but our productivity in manufacturing and exported services will generally decide what our standard of living ought to be. So to maintain our standard of living we need to get to work and do something productive.|||For some I suppose. I have none of the above and would never spend $5 on a cup a coffee. I find it hard enough to make ends meet. I have $ in savings and could care less about a 401K.





I guess everyone else will have to come down to my level. On a worldly comparative basis, I am pretty well off and thankful for not having to dodge missiles, bullets, be persecuted for my beliefs, nor any of the other sufferings.





Money is not everything.|||Oh yeah, I completely agree that we live in such a world that instant gratification is actually praised. Everyone not only wants everything right away they just have to have it all. Who cares about debt and our future generations.





It's no longer okay to just keep up with the Jones' we now have to outdo the Jones'.





I think it's quite sad.|||You are right about one thing. Most americans live will beyond their means through the use of Credit Cards, Home Equity Loans, 7 year auto loans, and 15 - 20 year boat loans. (Can you believe that, a 20 year boat loan, and that is for a Bass Boat).





You are wrong about letting sick people die. Whether people want to believe it or not, we already have socialized medicine. You cannot be turned away at a hospital if you are in critical need of care. Federal law prohibits it. With Medicaid, and Medicare, nobody goes without and the fact that the government is involved is what is driving up the cost of health care so much, not the doctors like everybody wants to claim.





If the US wasn't there to protect the small countries from communism, and dictators, who would? Should we let these people just be abused and murdered at the hands of tyrants?





The only real thing other than the liberal getting more liberal, that has changed about this country is that more and more, people are wanting something for nothing, and they want it NOW!!!!!