If all credit card/mortgage/student debt were magically paid off, everyone was fully employed, and their wages raised to exactly meet their current living standards, so that everyone's slate was wiped clean to perfection, what percentage of Americans do you think would have it all fucked up again within one year? (Canadians too, for that matter--we're worse.) I want to have faith in humanity, but my realistic guess is about 20-30% would be in debt again and/or be unemployed. Give it five years and we'd be back to all the same sob stories of why people can't get ahead. :(