"That is a very responsible and logical response from the American people, when faced with rising costs in areas where they are essentially powerless." I think

"That is a very responsible and logical response from the American people, when faced with rising costs in areas where they are essentially powerless." I think the core problem with the presumptive "conclusion" is that it leaves out the whole issue of one of the biggest parts of "miscellaneous" or "entertainment" expense. Many Americans spend over $100/month on media consumption, most of it cable bills. That's pretty much sending money to the government...not the fake elected one but the one that's really in charge, multinational corporations with absolute power and no term limits (which shape pretty much all of our policy on everything, including health care and education). So are Americans really spending all that wisely? After all, these are the organizations directly responsible for the rising costs and dwindling quality of both those services.