Really? I consider $2 million to be a lot of money and I'm 100% certain I could lead a very nice lifestyle, never wanting for anything. But I guess it's a matter of personal preference. One man's poverty is another man's wealth.
you said it yourself, middle class is a thing of the past... the significant segment of the population that don't own homes or retirement portfolios are subsidizing the ones who do via inflation. most of us probably know people all across that spectrum... whether they're middle/upper class households who have realized inflation in their hard assets to offset their costs, kids who haven't established wealth yet and may or may not be priced out, workers on the margin who borrow to keep the status quo, etc so maybe a good question would be, are most americans benefitting or are most americans subsidizing? is the ratio trending against most people?
Poverty in America comes with cable TV, DSL connection, Nike shoes, Motorola Razr phones and Gap shopping experience.
Anyone who had the brains to accumulate $2 million can also earn 15% returns safely for the rest of their lives. That means $300,000 /year to live on every year. Give me a break.
The poor in the US live far better than the average upper middle-class in 90% of the rest of the world. Hints to the astronomical wealth that resides in the US.
If the Amish can get by with little to no money, so can almost everyone else. There are dirt cheap houses out there in this country, once you get out of NYC, Los Angeles, and other overpriced, overhyped, crowded areas of the country. Live off the land and get rid of the car. Use a horse and buggy to get around or a bicycle. Get rid of some of your utilities, like cable and a home phone. Use a cell phone only, if you can. Use a wood burning stove for heat to save on your gas or oil bill. If you're willing to live a life that you've never known before, you can do it with very little money.