APowers, that is a valid concern. My only caveat with such thinking is that the reason many people feel like they are working harder for less is because they are spending way more than their parents did...smartphones, cable tv, take-out are a few examples. That said, wages have stagnated in the past few decades and that is a real concern.
I think that's the disconnect between mustachians and the rest of the world.
Rest of the world: "wages have stagnated, expenses keep going up, that's the whole problem!"
Mustachians: "people aren't taking responsibility for their finances and spending decisions, that's the whole problem!"
IMO: both are right. Wages ARE stagnating, and expenses DO keep rising, and that IS a larger societal issue. At the same time, people are ALSO not taking personal responsibility for their finances.
Personal responsibility will not fix broad societal issues, but it does mean that you'll wind up making the best of a possibly messed-up situation, and you'll be better off than you would otherwise.
That said, I'm pretty sure no one ever suffered from making responsible financial choices...