[trueconservative]

I agree that today's consumer has significantly more possessions than 50-60 years ago. Some of that is due to the power of television advertising, convincing people to want well in excess of their needs. Some are purchases that have brought true utility to consumers.

However, there is a significant difference vs. 50-60 years ago. Almost no one bought on credit then, today the average consumer is deeply in debt and digging themselves deeper every day. In addition,many people are buying these goods with other people's money, coerced out by an income redistribution tax scheme. Today over 50% of people receive more in government benefits/subsidies/tax rebates of various sorts than they pay in taxes - believe it or not this is true. Part of this is clearly Marxism at work in our government. But pressure for this redistribution increases due to job exportation in so many categories of jobs. Those who still maintain good incomes because their jobs have not yet been exported are increasingly subsidizing those who do not.
Standards of living based on high debt and transfer payments from one income group to another, are not sustainable in the long term and looking at an income chart is overly simplistic because it does not reflect cost burdens such as taxes placed upon that income.

[Torie]

Since 1950 the total tax burden has increased from about 25% to 30%, and that increase is entirely driven by the states and localities. And that increase is mostly paid for by the top 20% of earners, who on and after tax basis are just exponentially richer than they were in 1950.