perhaps focusing on the current thing is part of the problem, instead of part of the solutions

You think working at Walmart isn’t boring?

OP explains in the comments. She’s crying because she’s tired of pushing the cart around with her COPD machine and would like to retire instead, but can’t afford to.

You do realize both of those are deep societal problems, right?

This might be propaganda. But it resonates.

And that by itself is indicative and an issue.

However, it is always useful to back it up with some macroeconomic evidence - which was done in the thread.

67% of bankruptcies are apparently due to medical bills.

It's true. There's a lot missing from the presentation. There's a lot of ways to dismiss this particular post. Would it be unfair to ask you to argue against a steelmanned version instead?

Just accuse the poster of lying. You don't need to comment on the need for photographic evidence that somebody is suffering in this context. That's sick - there's neither evidence that the person is or is not crying. The point is that the poster is telling us their observation. You can say it smells fishy and disbelieve them without these bizarre observations of the photo, which obviously does not clearly prove anything either way on its own.

Some outcomes should not be represented by even a single example.

Regardless, the question is not the existence of exemplars, but the frequency.

And something tells me that you story will have less such, while the story as reported will have higher such.

You should ask your wife how she feels about you using her as a token this way.

Don’t count your chickens.

One of my former colleagues had the same thing. When he hit 52 he found out he had prostate cancer. After treatment he could no longer work. After a year of treatment he couldn’t afford health insurance or further treatment.

Fortunately you can buy firearms and shoot yourself in the face. Cost his wife and kids less that way. That’s the American dream.

You miss the point - someone can be living the "American Dream" but do they live anxiety-free, with the confidence / assurance that a medical condition wouldn't make them bankrupt or destitute?

> On the other hand, my wife has lived the American dream. Homeless as a teenager, knows what hunger is, but now, as a 47 year old woman, has a successful career, happy family, and comfortable lifestyle.

I escaped teenage homelessness with help - like the rest of the few who do.

I next did all the bootstrappy things (>20y of long self-employed hours). Finally made just over basic bills servicing auto dealerships when the housing crash ended that.

Pivoted to medical clients and started rebuilding but then the ACA supercharged local medical practice closures so I pivoted to geothermal. But then a wealthy partner cleaned out the company and it shuttered.

Meanwhile spouse's mental health issues steadily worsened. During the above I increasingly became her caregiver and ~sole parent to 5. She needed long-term, inpatient care but it's only available to the wealthy or as state-run hellholes for select incarcerated.

Outcome was hunger level poverty throughout the 2010s, for me + kids. We only escaped it because kids became old enough to work. Just in time for the 4-income economy.

We live together now because that's our single option. Spouse was in the Rockies, last I heard.

Moral of the story, the strongest drivers of success are always factors beyond our control. Will and effort follow somewhere behind that.

How did she end up as a homeless teenager?

Wait; surely we can do better than this?

Just throwing our hands in the air and saying "Lots of different outcomes" - that's the best we've got?

This is pointlessly dismissive. What does the vastness of individual experiences have to do with whether we do or do not believe there is a problem in the US? Or whether we are or are not allowed to express single experiences/observations out loud?

The point is that the American Dream is a husk. Not that nobody experiences it.

The difference between the US and other developed nations is that nobody is safe.

You did not make it. Your wife did not make it. You are one small step away from that homelessness, and we all are. We either live with that reality and take steps to prevent it, or we get lucky.

Let us both hope your wife continues to have good fortune.

Would require taxes - so probably won't happen.