I don't buy it. The iPhone is one of the most expensive devices and it is not due to a "not made in China" premium. It has close to half of the smartphone mark

I don't buy it. The iPhone is one of the most expensive devices and it is not due to a "not made in China" premium. It has close to half of the smartphone market in the US. Homeowners in the US are educated to "buy the most home they can get credit for", not "a home they can pay afford and pay off as quickly as possible." Cars in the US are growing in size. Consumers prefer the (false) safety of SUVs and trucks over the economy and fuel efficiency of smaller vehicles. I could go on. Americans are the richest people in the world, but also the most wasteful and least worried about the consequences of their consumerism.