I think the poster above is talking about the trends, not the absolute level of wealth. The standard of living in the US has been stagnant (even declining, for

I think the poster above is talking about the trends, not the absolute level of wealth. The standard of living in the US has been stagnant (even declining, for the lower-middle class) since 2000. Japan has been stagnant since the real-estate bubble burst in the 80s.