The American Dream

"Seven out of 10 say it is harder to get rich in America today than it used to be, according to the most recent Bankrate.com survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International."


The article goes on with a gem like "Back in the Clinton era, everyone seemed to be getting rich" and lists the respondents self-perceived obstacles to achieving prosperity:


27% - too many bills, not enough income
27% - job loss or income reduction
11% - credit card debt
11% - Health problems or medical bills
8% - A setback in investments due to the market
4% - A family disruption
3% - Negative home equity
9% - Other or don't know


Like any survey there's ambiguity in the question which ultimately causes it's own problems.  For instance, what is rich and how are these people conceive of being rich?  If credit cards, bills, and job losses are on their list then they're not worried about being rich, they're just trying to break even and make ends meat as far as I'm concerned.  True wealth, the kind where you don't actually have to worry about money (though many rich people still do worry plenty) is just as hard to make as it ever has been, which is very.  That's why a very very small minority of people are actually rich by any standard I would hold out.  So if asked again, I wonder if 7 out of 10 people would actually say it's harder today than it was a decade ago just to scrape by, because that I'd believe.