Being middle class in the US today is better than being middle class and in many cases upper class anywhere else in the world today - something else to be thankful for....
Hm...I may have to quibble with you on that one. While true in most cases, the standard of living of the middle class in (for instance) Switzerland is certainly on par with the US.
Not quite true. Most rich persons in the third world has a chauffeur, a butler, a gardener, a maid etc working full time for him/her. Very few in USA can boast such cadre of household workers.