Embarrassing as it is to say, I and the people I work with are what you'd call "moderately well-to-do". We're not in that wildly (and despicably) wealthy class, but we're doing better than a lot of people. (Don't hate me yet!)
My lunch-buddy and I were just talking...
I mentioned that the Japanese economy was doing kinda poorly. And we got to the point of talking about the current Japanese situation, he made a remark about how the Japanese ethic is work, work, work, and that the "younger generation" seemed less willing to work so hard.
I pointed out that probably the "younger generation" was just better informed. That people of our generation (we're in our lower 50s) are working so hard, we don't look around and see that, pretty much every other 1st world country doesn't in fact require so much work to get by as America does.
He reiterated that those young (Japanese) people didn't want to work.
I said "that's not it. Those young people are looking around at how other countries live, and aren't satisfied with the deal that they're getting. And it's the same in our own country. Work, work, work. And it's that people our age don't allow ourselves to look around and notice that all other western countries provide their citizens with healthcare, pensions, maternity/paternity leave, a month of vacation every year... Those young people are noticing that our way of working is bad for us".
He said "I would like to spend more time with my children. They grow up SO fast."
I said "Most other countries give their people better lives than ours".
And today, my country decided to make our lives and the lives of millions of our compatriots worse.
And if ever we say "Geez, look at Germany or Denmark, how much better their lives are than ours", then somehow we're evil. And they are evil too (socialists!).
Y'know, if I thought I'd have adequate healthcare & 4 to 6 weeks off every year, I'd be a happy socialist, just like the Danes. Why can't we be more like the Danes?