I had the same reaction. I don't want to judge anybody too harshly for their choices, but it definitely makes it harder for me to view them as victims of a syst

I had the same reaction. I don't want to judge anybody too harshly for their choices, but it definitely makes it harder for me to view them as victims of a systematic hollowing out when they are making choices like this. A $12k vacation is a luxury by any standard and something I could not justify for myself even with a much more stable financial footing than the article describes for this family.