The exploding economy: What your new $1,500 leather cooler says about you - By Mark Morford

[madokie]

Plentiful are the signs that America is, by and large and once again, drowning in wealth.

Sure, there are big exceptions, but by most every major economic indicator we know, prosperity abounds like few times in modern history. The economy, thanks to that hateful commie Obama, hasn’t just recovered from its Bush-era decimation, it’s exploded. Unemployment is way down, investment is way up, corporate profits are completely obscene, the Dow soaks in a diamond-crusted Jacuzzi of record highs as entirely useless companies like SnapChat and Pintarest are valued higher than the GDP of greater Europe.

Here in SF, the skyline is being fast transformed by gleaming new (or newly renovated) buildings owned by the likes of LinkedIn, SalesForce, Uber, Facebook and Google and who the hell cares who else. The median monthly rent just hit a stupid, gut-punching $4,225, for which you get a scabby one-bedroom in the Sunset with bad lighting and no parking between here and somewhere north of Seattle.

Luxury goods? Roaring. Sports cars, jewelry, bling, artisan, boutique, specialized, customized. Apple has a $17,000 watch. Lamborghini and Bentley (and even Rolls-Royce) are building super-luxury SUVs, already sold out before they even finish designing them. Every whim and service and imaginable is available via app and click, from booze to pot, haircut to shoe shine to hiring some schlub to stand in line for Beyoncé tickets for you. It’s an entitled douchebag economy, bro.

The rest: http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2015/06/03/leather-cooler-for-the-damned/

[newfie11]

1. How many of those things are bought on a credit card

Buying is easy, paying on time can be a disaster.
If the economy takes a turn, layoffs, injuries and unable to work make this not as attractive to me.

For all the well to do folks out there I would bet there's more struggling to get by.