Why is the standard of living decling in the United States ?

Question

Or is American on the rise and with little effort we can own a home with pretty flowers and a white picket fence ?

Answer 1

Could it be that the government takes around a third of our income for taxes and gives it away to whoever? Naw that couldn't be it........Not to mention the taxes taken by the state and local governments.........

Answer 2

The "standard" is a relative term, though you can buy cheap food and clothing does not mean you are not a paycheck or two away from homelessness.
Most have to get by on the credit card, negative money, and the cost of living is through the roof for no good reason.--except for the obvious reason that the banking and energy industries are a criminal cartel.

You should be able to have a living wage job with benefits, living costs should only be 30-40% of your pay, not 70-85%,
you should be able to buy a home and property from the bank.

Answer 3

I guess when an economy doesn't make more money and spend more, gets weaker same as a person,
lots of expenses specially military budget and less export and more import makes this situation.
You see lots of Chinese, Japanese and other products in the market and this means fewer jobs for Americans and less income for the economy. How can American products compete when the labour is much more expensive? I guess by improving technology and research, management, capital intensive industries, negotiation with the unions and ...
Also by making unity in the market of the American continent and by free economic zones can use cheaper labour and compete with others.

Answer 4

Hmm. Sounds like the words of a high school drop-out.

The standard of living has been increasing dramatically for quite some time now. The only people who have not been experiencing those gains are the people who have refused to take advantage of the incredible opportunities given to them for free. Every person in the country is offered a high school education at no cost, with the option of attending a low cost university as well.

If you want to make more money, go to school. It's that simple.

Answer 5

26 years of Conservative political principles and economic theories at work--7 years of an illegitimate presidency by the few, for the few, with Omerta (Code of Silence) at all costs to protect the Corporate Fascist Machine. The repealment of Tariffs and institution of horrific Trade Policies. I gotta crack up at the Socialism response--The only socialistic giveaways under this Administration go to the Corporations and Bushies---Show me one social program created by this Administration other than the gargantuan giveaway to the Pharmacueticals in the Medicare Bill--you can't. Prior to the Bush Administration there were around 350 registered lobbyists--that number has swelled tremendously since then.

Take the Children's health care act passed by Congress that Ole' W plans on Vetoing. What he is spending in one month in Iraq will fund the program for 5 years!! Oh but that fetus--can't mess with that---but once it's a child, who gives a hoot? I guess Republican's think that it's a much better philosophy to let our children get so sick that they must be brought into an emergency room and the costs that are unpayable by the parents are passed on to the policy holders in the form of higher premiums. Blue Cross/Blue Shield's Administrative staff in the State of Massachusetts alone has just as many workers as the entire Canadian National Health Care Program--Hmmnnnn.

Change is on the horizon.

Answer 6

The living standard is declining--because real waes have gone down under the Bush/GOP regime.

Why isn't hard to figure out: they export jobs-good ones--to India and China, refuse to regulate immigration (which forces down wages because the illegals can be forced to work cheaply--and being illegal, have no protection). They gut the right s of Americans to join unions, don't enforce wrkplace laws, allow companies to cancel pension contracts they and the empoloyees signed.

But let someone complain about the $100 millionstock options of a thrid-rate executive, and they're quick to come to the defense of the "free market."

Need I go on? This isn't capitalism--that's a system in which people--rich and poor alike--get paid what they earn. This is exploitation of the workers by greed.

Answer 7

Considering that it is always cheaper to own than it is to rent (if that were not true, how do you think your landlord can afford to rent to you?), home ownership is doable for more people than realize it.

Plant your own flowers, and anyone can put up a picket fence with help from Home Depot.

Answer 8

Socialism. It reduces competition in things like medicine, the prices go up (no reason to reduce them) and we pay more for something that now not only pays for everyone (including illegal immigrants) but is also much higher in cost due to the knowledge by medical suppliers that regardless, THEY WILL GET PAID!

Get rid of the socialism, the rich, the people who are successful will WANT to live here, will produce jobs, businesses, etc. and the standard of living will go up.

What successful person would stay in a country that thinks it is their right to take their money and pass it around?

They don't. They leave. The standard of living goes down with their exit as that money and those jobs leave.

No socialism.

Answer 9

People need to focus on increasing their own standard of living instead of worrying about general trends that are impossible to define.

This is the land of opportunity, not guarantees.

Answer 10

I see no decline in the standard of living. I set in front of a 47in. LCD 1080P HD TV and enjoy images that take your breath away, while I pick away at the keyboard on this laptop with wireless high speed Internet and enjoying an ice cold bourbon and coke. I can only imagine how good my grand kids are going to have it. life is good and there is no turning back in the foreseeable future.

Answer 11

The standard of living is rising, just as it always has. As far as the house goes, if that's what you want, then you can get it, just like you said.