The market's are different now. Everyone's 401K plans are automatically investing in them each month (my theory on why equities are so expensive now).

Different as in much worse? It's not that you're wrong but, just to be clear, the problem with investing as the only place to keep up with inflation means that markets will detach from value, and become a giant Ponzi scheme.

There is no such thing as "growth detached from value" lasting forever.