Since 1980, the percentage of American workers owning stock has increased from 25% to 56%. More than 70% of American households own their own home (an all time record) and the average American household has about 57% equity in their home. Since Bush was elected, household net worth has gone from about $41 trillion to more than $50 trillion today.
In the past 30 years, the average size of a home has increased from 1,550 square feet to 2,200. In 1975, only about 40% of all homes had air condiditoning. Today, it's more than 80%. Thirty years ago, only about 40% of American households had color T.V's; now it almost 100%. Back then, less than 2% of households even had microwaves. In '75 only about 5 million had cable. Today, 85% of all American households have cable. In the 70's we were stuck with Formica, shag carpet and manual garage door openers. Now we get hardwood floors, granite counters, automatic door openers, hot tubs and home theaters.
In 1975, American's owned about 9 million recreational boats. Now it's more than 23 million. In '75, only about 55% of the population finished high school. Today it's more than 80%. Only about 15% of Americans finished four years of college in 1975 while today it's more than 25%. In 1975, there were less than 100,00 people with computers. Today, just about everyone has a computer and a cellular telephone.
Life expectancy has increased from about 71 years to almost 78 years during the past 30 years.
In the past 30 years this country has never rejected a free trade agreement and has dramatically reduced tariffs and eliminated regulations hampering trade. You can claim that the powerless are a growing segment of our society.You can also try to sell the idea that wealth only gravitates to those already holding the wealth. Unfortunately, you just can't prove it.
All C-R-A-P.
And those McMansions you speak of, are mass-produced plastic-looking disneyesque eyesores.