[expat_panama]

"I am a bit of a history buff. ...I can see the American standard of living collasping"

Americans are a hell of a lot better off now than we were 50 years ago. 

[RC one]

I absolutely, positively, unequivocally disagree with that. America has gone to hell.

[Igthorn]

50 years ago families were on average larger and it only took one working adult to support them.

Now families are smaller 1-2 kids and two adults working full-time or more to support them and most families are under a heavy debt crunch.