I'm sorry but I just don't see the same America that you see. I see people who are happy and content with what they have. I see people who don't give up when they are down. Of course I don't live in a big city. But I do see a lot of people who feed off the government trough. Its a fact of life and its more than a few.
I see a lot of the opposite, but that could be because of the demographic differences in where we live, respectively. I live in a HUGE suburb and while I also don't see people giving up, I am seeing them become overwhelmed in many respects. These people work full-time jobs, and many have second "side" jobs. They have children, and are totally at a loss as to how they can send them to college not because they're deadbeats, but because they simply can't eke out enough extra $$ on a monthly basis to put aside. I don't see them asking for handouts, but I seem them quite frustrated and sliding somewhat towards despair.