>why are you then owed money? Why is that a fair expectation?
Essentially everybody in the US is continually trying to make their fortune by picking a winner instead of adding productivity and value.
Have your house appreciate.
Pick the right stocks.
Invest in the right company.
Become a landlord in the right neighborhoods.
Everyone wants to be a genius speculator instead of doing work.
I mean, agreed. And I don't think you can disentangle that from the fact that working is less beneficial to workers than it's ever been.