The American consumer society is dead. We can no longer afford to buy more than we can pay for, we can no longer assume our children will live as well as we (we can guarantee that own't happen, as a matter of fact) and we will need to learn to live less material lives. Within our limited means. Even our advertising is designed to keep us unhappy with what we have.
The giant ego trip is over. Globalization has won, the middle class is history, and the country will be bankrupt before it's all over.

You might be encouraged to know that I've been hearing this from leftists since I was in college. Almost in these exact words.

If the country is going bankrupt, take it up with the people dumping the Treasury out on the ground.