Why I think this is so interesting is because compared to many first world nations American's aren't getting the treatment they deserve. We have some of the highest illiteracy rates and infant mortality rates for an economically developed nation. We have the highest percentage of the population in prison.
One of the disturbing aspects of this is how we do seem to focus more on the faults of the individual and not how the culture of rugged individualism could lead them to that path. It's incredibly easy for Americans to fall through the cracks, especially after the collapse of the Midwestern Rust Belt taking away so many of our jobs and the 2008 recession being the final knife the back of most of the working class families I know. I wonder why all these articles are fixated on how culture creates entitled individuals, and not so much on how large institutions use this rugged individualism narration as it justifies the top down way it exploits people.
Why do we focus on personal, consumer debt when we should be focusing on how people are having trouble maintaining healthy lifestyles? I'm not a communist (although there's nothing wrong with that ) and I believe different levels of work should deserve different awards. What I don't understand is why in out culture of plenty and gluttony, anyone has to go hungry or do without the basics, which thousands do. I think our surrounding culture, the university, often forgets this because the people here either have escaped financial desperation, left it temporarily in their home towns, or most often, have never experienced it to a severe degree.
However, I think that consumer debt is driven by the culture. I think we need to stop thinking about 'this individual with too little moeny needs to learn to control themselves', and more about 'These people with too much money needs to learn to stop increasing the companies profit margin and start offering comprehensive health care.'
