
The Secret Shame of Middle-Class Americans - infinite8s
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/05/my-secret-shame/476415/?single_page=true
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abalashov
Reading the comments section on the Atlantic site was depressing. Judging
other people's choices without understanding psychology or human nature seems
to be a time-honoured American sport.

The author's whole point is that he belongs to a large category of people with
the same affliction. If the socioeconomic system of a developed and very
wealthy country leads to this outcome for 47% of its people, the proper
response is not to nitpick the author's life choices. I find this sort of
hypocrisy is strongest from the notionally conservative types who claim to be
excellent financial planners and managers of money. I'd like to see them hold
up a mirror to their own financial choices for thirty seconds. It turns out
we're all idiots because we spend on things we find important and subjectively
value--things others don't value and don't find important, and will call you
an idiot for prioritising.

"A decent shot at a good station in life--but only if you've been an
inscrutably perfect angel" is not too different than the promise offered to us
back home in my native USSR. Supposedly, American capitalism is supposed to be
an improvement over that.

Finally, the author did not recommend a specific policy response, such as
taxing the rich and redistributing their wealth his way. If anything, it seems
that his professed ethos would lead him to turn that down. So, I don't know
why the Trumpers are out in full force acting like someone's proposing to tax
them and give their money to this guy.

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robertcorey
I wonder how much financial illiteracy is really a contributor to people's
poor financial situations. I'm much more interested in personal finance than
the average person (I took a class at university, enjoy pf blogs like mr money
mustache) but I still struggle with having the self discipline to adhere to
correct spending behaviors. As an american, you're constantly being assaulted
by marketing to get you to buy stuff, it eventually starts to effect you.

