[dahwolf]

The mythical "middle class on easy mode" of boomers isn't coming back, it should be considered a historical anomaly. A vacuum in time where post-WW2 all but the US was in ruins, giving it economic free reign for a few decades.

That being said, I admit it's not as simple as international competition only. Quite a few life supporting institutes (healthcare, education, housing) are downright dysfunctional for various other reasons.

[willis936]

I'm not sure the "various other reasons" are unrelated. Give people a comfortable, secure life and they will be happy and productive. Chip away at that and you start to unravel every other part of society.

[dahwolf]

I agree, the economic contract is broken.

It's bad enough that we have to work for most of our waking hours for ~45 years, but this used to achieve a middle class existence and relative security, an essential basis to form a family.

Now you can be a working couple (twice as much labor as before) and struggle to achieve middle class basics. And even if you do, the world is so volatile that it can be taken away from you on any given day.