I think that we are somewhere on the upper slope before that Plateau for more most Americans. Many people are satisfied at where they find themselves now, they just can’t see anything else that they need or currently want.
Are you married?
My wife is one of those who although very frugal, always sees something of ours that needs replacing.
But that said, even tho there are people like you and I that have few wants, there are millions of younger people coming along who do not have everything they want.
There are many many opportunities if the government will get out of the way.
We do not need some Harvard grad with a computer and a new briefcase to plan our economy.
We need people like that out of our lives.
The reason free capitalism works has never been properly explained to the public.
The reason it works better than socialism, in addition to the fact that it fosters ambition, is that when a central planner guesses wrong, the whole country goes up in flames.
Even when the planning is done by a group, committee or legislature.
But when the public is left free to go their own way, some guess right and some guess wrong and go broke.
Those who go broke then have the opportunity to go to work for those who guessed right.
In a managed economy, you don't have that opportunity.
Even a little bit of tinkering distorts those opportunities.
Good post and well thought out.