[SandyB]

Not really, we just want so much more. If you lived as a family in the 1950s did, you'd be surprised at just how cheaply you could live. Look at: Square footage of housing. They lived in cracker boxes back then. Appliances owned Vehicles owned and annual mileage Clothing owned Extras like gym memberships Eating out I think you'd find we could all squirrel away fortunes if we lived as spartan a lifestyle as they lived then.

average Federal personal income tax: $100.00

maximum annual social security tax: $45.00

average state personal income tax: $ 0

property tax: $40.00

sales tax: 2%

medicare tax: $ 0

credit card debt: 0

total federal debt: $257 billion

gasoline tax: 2 cents a gallon

cigarette tax: 5 cents a pack

Number of personal bankruptcies in 1950: 25,040

Those houses from the 1950's are still here, still around, and some of them are for sale - people still want to live in them. What you call a "cracker jack house", bought for $6 - 8000 in the 1950's, is now currently selling for $200,000 - $400,000. They also have real plaster on the walls, fancy woodwork, glass doorknobs, wood floors, etc.

[Melas]

They aren't selling for near that here. Here, $200,000 through $400,000 buys you a McMansion the size of a small bank.