text: Individual anecdotes about better or worse off are irrelevant.  Important are more general results.  We find ourselves faced with massive health care costs.  Wages have stagnated.  Ever more manufacturing jobs flee to Asia.  Our savings earn zero interest meaning they lose value every year.  The national infrastructure is said to be in decay.  So many goods in our stores come from China that we truly are slaves to it.  Imagine a conflict where they applied sanctions.  Our store shelves would be empty.  
  
  Better or worse requires detailed evaluation of the average American's situation.