The Oil Drum

Indeed -  things have not even gotten that bad for the average American. There's an underlying, very unspoken, tension but that's it. Americans won't admit that there's something funny going on with college depending on 8+% loans, cars cost a year's income, people are working 60 hours, and their parents are markedly healthier and happier than they are (and calling them slackers) and things seem to be "tightening up" in all areas, from law enforcement to social class stratification (a lot still believe in the idiotic dream of social mobility and can't understand why it does not seem to be happening).

Things are going to get very interesting when things get actually bad. And we'll elect our Hitler or Mussolini, and people will natter on about how this has never happened before, first time in history, etc.