Perhaps, although spending on health care is also a variable that can be controlled: We spend a lot of money in situations where 50 years ago the people would simply have died. And it is hard to voluntarily live in a house comparable to a 1950s house because few people will deal with one bathroom and 1000 square feet while raising three kids. Back in the good old days, we rarely went out to eat. My parents only had one car until about 1960. My upper middle class grandparents went to Europe exactly once, for three weeks, by ship, in about 1955.

People have completely lost track of the way people lived 50 years ago. If there is really a lot of concern, budget yourself to a 1950 standard of living for a few years and save the difference.

I do agree that the Democrats are missing a big opportunity, but I gave up on them a long time ago...