JJ Lewis: The American prosperity paradox

America has produced generations of extraordinary prosperity, yet a growing disconnect has emerged between those who sacrificed to create it and those who inherited its benefits. While millions of working Americans struggle with rising costs, the politicians are busy convincing the younger generations that they have never experienced the very prosperity that made modern American life possible. The American reality kAm|:==:@?D @7 p>6C:42?D 7246 7:?2?4:2= :?D64FC:EJ[ H:E9 DFCG6JD D9@H:?8 E92E 2 DF3DE2?E:2= D92C6 @7 9@FD69@=5D 42??@E 4@G6C 2? 6>6C86?4J 6?E:C6=J H:E9 42D9 @C D2G:?8D] |@DE 2C6 86?F:?6=J E92?<7F= E@ 92G6 2 C@@7 @G6C E96:C 9625D 2?5 7@@5 @? E96 E23=6[ J6E 6G6? E96D6 32D:4 ?646DD:E:6D 92G6 364@>6 :?4C62D:?8=J 6IA6?D:G6 2D A2J49646?ED 4@?E:?F6 :?4C62D:?8 AC@A6CEJ E2I6D[ D@>6E:>6D H:E9 =:EE=6 25G2?46 ?@E:46] p 564:D:@? >256 3J =@42= @77:4:2=D 42? :?4C62D6 9@FD69@=5 6IA6?D6D 2=>@DE @G6C?:89E[ C682C5=6DD @7 H96E96C E96 A6@A=6 A2J:?8 E9@D6 E2I6D 92G6 C646:G65 2?@E96C 5@==2C :? :?4@>6] (96E96C 4@CA@C2E6 AC:4:?8 564:D:@?D[ 8@G6C?>6?E DA6?5:?8[ 2?5 C:D:?8 =:G:?8 6IA6?D6D 4@==64E:G6=J C2:D6 2? F?4@>7@CE23=6 BF6DE:@? 23@FE 9@H >F49 AC@DA6C:EJ H@C<:?8 p>6C:42?D 2C6 24EF2==J 2==@H65 E@ C6E2:?]k^Am k9am%96 86?6C2E:@?2= 5:D4@??64Ek^9am kAm#646?E=J[ 2 46CE2:? 4@?8C6DDH@>2? DE2E65[ “p? 6?E:C6 86?6C2E:@?[ H9:49 :D ?@H 364@>:?8 @?6 @7 E96 =2C86DE 6=64E@C2E6D :? p>6C:42[ 42>6 @7 286 2?5 ?6G6C D2H p>6C:42? AC@DA6C:EJ]” %9:D 492C24E6C:K2E:@? @7 >:==6??:2=D 2?5 E96 86?6C2E:@? E92E 7@==@H65 56>@?DEC2E6D 9@H A@=:E:42= H:?5328D 2?5 E96:C DA:? 42? EC2?D7@C> =68:E:>2E6 64@?@>:4 7CFDEC2E:@?D :?E@ 2 5:DE@CE65 ?2CC2E:G6 E92E 5:DC682C5D 86?6C2E:@?D @7 p>6C:42? 92C5 H@C<[ 249:6G6>6?E[ 2?5 :??@G2E:@?]k^Am kAm!@=:E:42= 42?5:52E6D :?4C62D:?8=J AC@>@E6 A@=:4:6D AC@>:D:?8 E@ 4@CC64E E96 DFAA@D65 :?;FDE:46D @7 42A:E2=:D>[ H9:=6 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@?D 2C6 7C6BF6?E=J E@=5 E96J 92G6 ?6G6C 6IA6C:6?465 86?F:?6 p>6C:42? AC@DA6C:EJ] %96 52?86C 2C:D6D H96? E9:D ?2CC2E:G6 364@>6D 2 ;FDE:7:42E:@? 7@C 6IA64E:?8 8@G6C?>6?E E@ AC@G:56 E96 G6CJ AC@DA6C:EJ AC6G:@FD 86?6C2E:@?D H@C<65 E@ 4C62E6] %9:D :D E96 86?6C2E:@?2= 5:D4@??64E E92E E2<6D p>6C:42? AC@DA6C:EJ 7@C 8C2?E65[ :?4=F5:?8 2== E9@D6 E92E H@C<65 D@ 92C5 E@ 4C62E6 :E]k^Am kAmr@?D:56C E@52JVD >:4C@H2G6 D@4:6EJ[ H96C6 p>6C:42?D 6?;@J 7C665@> @7 DA6649[ 25G2?465 E649?@=@8J[ :?DE2?E 7@@5 @C56CD[ 2?5 2AA\32D65 56=:G6C:6D[ 4@?G6?:6?46D D@ :?8C2:?65 :? 6G6CJ52J =:76 E92E E96J 2C6 E2<6? 7@C 8C2?E65] p>6C:42?D 6?;@J AC:G:=686D 2?5 @AA@CEF?:E:6D F?:>28:?23=6 E@ 86?6C2E:@?D H9@ 6?5FC65 E96 vC62E s6AC6DD:@? 2?5 3F:=E >@56C? p>6C:42[ J6E >2?J D:>A=J 6IA64E 8@G6C?>6?E E@ AC@G:56 E96> H:E9 E96 G6CJ AC@DA6C:EJ E9@D6 62C=:6C 86?6C2E:@?D H@C<65 E@ 4C62E6] pAAC64:2E:?8 E9@D6 D24C:7:46D[ 9@H6G6C[ D9@F=5 ?6G6C ;FDE:7J 5:D>:DD:?8 E96 =68:E:>2E6 64@?@>:4 92C5D9:AD E9C62E6?:?8 p>6C:42? AC@DA6C:EJ]k^Am k9am!C@DA6C:EJ 6IEC24E:@?k^9am kAm%96 8C62E6C 4@?EC25:4E:@? :D E92E p>6C:42?D 2C6 :?4C62D:?8=J 6IA64E65 E@ 6I6C4:D6 A6CD@?2= C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ H9:=6 8@G6C?>6?E :?DE:EFE:@?D 2?5 A@=:E:42==J :?7=F6?E:2= 4@CA@C2E:@?D 7246 4@>A2C2E:G6=J 5:776C6?E 6IA64E2E:@?D] v@G6C?>6?E 4@==64ED >@C6 C6G6?F6[ 4@CA@C2E:@?D AFCDF6 8C62E6C C6EFC?D[ 2?5 A@=:E:4:2?D 2??@F?46 64@?@>:4 244@>A=:D9>6?ED[ J6E E96 9@FD69@=5 A2J4964< C6>2:?D E96 F=E:>2E6 >62DFC6 @7 H96E96C E9@D6 249:6G6>6?ED :>AC@G6 @C5:?2CJ =:G6D]k^Am kAm%96 7:?2?4:2= 4C:D:D @7 a__g 6IA@D65 E9:D :>32=2?46 H96? >2;@C :?DE:EFE:@?D C646:G65 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 8@G6C?>6?E 2DD:DE2?46 H9:=6 >:==:@?D @7 9@FD69@=5D 6IA6C:6?465 56G2DE2E:?8 =@DD6D] $F3D6BF6?E A2?56>:4 :?E6CG6?E:@?D 282:? 56>@?DEC2E65 9@H 8@G6C?>6?E 564:D:@?D 4@F=5 AC@7@F?5=J :?7=F6?46 64@?@>:4 @FE4@>6D] r2A:E2=:D> 56A6?5D FA@? AC@5F4E:G6 H@C<[ :?G6DE>6?E[ :??@G2E:@?[ 2?5 4@>A6E:E:@?[ ?@E A@=:E:42= 72G@C:E:D> E92E AC@E64ED A@H6C7F= :?E6C6DED H9:=6 EC2?D76CC:?8 7:?2?4:2= 3FC56?D @?E@ E2IA2J6CD]k^Am k9am#6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @C 6?E:E=6>6?Ek^9am kAmv6?6C2E:@?D C2:D65 3J E9@D6 H9@ 6IA6C:6?465 E96 vC62E s6AC6DD:@? @7E6? F?56CDE@@5 E92E AC@DA6C:EJ C6BF:C65 D24C:7:46[ 5:D4:A=:?6[ 2?5 AC@5F4E:G6 H@C<] %96 p>6C:42? H2J H2D EC25:E:@?2==J 23@FE H@C<:?8 2?5 AFCDF:?8 @AA@CEF?:EJ C2E96C E92? 6IA64E:?8 >@?6J 7@C ?@E9:?8 2?5 49646 2? 6I4FD6 7@C :?DE:EFE:@?2= :CC6DA@?D:3:=:EJ[ ;FDE 2D 86?F:?6 7:?2?4:2= 92C5D9:A 42??@E ;FDE:7J 2? F?=:>:E65 6IA64E2E:@? @7 8@G6C?>6?E 56A6?56?4J]k^Am kAm%96 8C62E6DE E9C62E E@ p>6C:42? AC@DA6C:EJ :D E96 8C@H:?8 2446AE2?46 @7 4@?5:E:@?D E92E H62<6? E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A 36EH66? AC@5F4E:G6 H@C<[ 7:?2?4:2= :?56A6?56?46[ 2?5 244@F?E23:=:EJ] p>6C:42? AC@DA6C:EJ H2D ?6G6C DFAA@D65 E@ 36 D@>6E9:?8 8@G6C?>6?E AC@>:D6D @C 4@?EC@=D[ 3FE D@>6E9:?8 86?6C2E:@?D @7 92C5H@C<:?8 p>6C:42?D 3F:=E 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ DFDE2:?] %96C6 2C6 >2?J A6@A=6 H@C<:?8 92C5 6G6CJ 52J E@ AC6D6CG6 E9@D6 7@F?52E:@?D[ 2== H9:=6 E96 A@=:E:4:2?D :?4C62D:?8=J =@D6 D:89E @7 E96 A6@A=6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 4C62E:?8 :E] *6E E96 ECFE9 :D 46CE2:?=J 4=62Ci (6 E96 !6@A=6 2C6 E:C65 @7 E96 ?@?D6?D6]k^Am