So I've spent probably too much time swatting flies on MMM's washingtonpost article. I've read far too many comments, yet gathered some insight on how people think.
Here is the life of the average person in the US, according to the commenters, starting with college.
First is college. It is very, VERY expensive, and you will have to get loans for all of it. This debt will keep you poor for the rest of your life. Your degree also probably sucks and you won't be able to get a job unless you're lucky.
You get your first job, but life already sucks because of your huge student loan that is hopeless. Everything is extremely expensive because everyone in the country lives in an expensive place and housing prices are through the roof.
You get better jobs, but healthcare and insurance is so expensive you don't have any money left to save.
You try to save, but there's nothing to save, even though you live "frugal".
You have kids, which are also extremely expensive and you must begin immediately saving for the entire college education that will be just as expensive as the one you're currently paying for. There is no other way for kids to get an education than to pay for all of it yourself. So now you're paying for several complete college educations, including yours, your spouse's and all your children's.
You eventually retire at the respectable age of 60, because if you retire any earlier, you're being unproductive, selfish and lazy.
But unfortunately, as soon as you retire or perhaps even in your mid-life, you are cursed with chronic heart problems, cancer of Everything and several other catastrophic diseases and accidents, and you must now pay millions in healthcare.
You aren't allowed to do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, otherwise you aren't actually retired.
You die.
In addition, MMM is:
-not actually retired
-still Canadian and using their healthcare system
-lying about things to the IRS
-will suffer greatly when he's caught by our government
-running a meth lab
-lazy, selfish and unproductive
-a hypocrite
-not telling the whole story
-is hiding something
-is lying
-isn't paying taxes
-doesn't have health insurance
-will come crashing down because of a catastrophic illness or accident
-will run out of money because he doesn't have enough
-could never have paid for his homes
-could never be earning that much from the rental
-living a miserable life
-sacrificing a lot
Whew... had to get that off my chest. Thanks for letting me vent. :-)