I am not convinced we have, but most assuredly it seems Washington is working in that direction.
My opinion on some of it is the government has put way too much emphasis on the entitlement of the masses.
Much has been said on this forum and others about the days gone by when, if one could not afford something....they simply just did not get it and did without.
That problem was magnified to a point of ruination is the recent greed fest called the housing market. The thresh hold qualifier was having a pulse. The continuous aspect of something for everybody whether they could avoid it or not was/is still, just wrong.
Allowing banks, builders, investors and speculators to prostitute the system for monetary gain with no accountability or proof of ability to pay has proven to be criminal in practice. Hence overloading the system with junk financing.

The other entitlement group(s) in the USA that have contributed to erosion of the system are the illegal aliens. There is a distorted prejudice by our government to supply these people benefits the average American are not entitled.

Where is it written that the have nots are entitled to any more than they can earn or accumulate on their own? Most of us grew up under that economic scenario.

The completely stupid approach by our financial institutions to give credit (other than mortgages) to people who in no way possible could afford to have it. Why?

There is no real mystery to how we got to where we are and are still heading.
The government has been and is now at full throttle to provide not only the have nots with benefits for no cost, they have mindlessly moved into the mode of handing out billions to the businesses that have knowingly raped the system. Cheating CEOs, CFOs, permissive irresponsible boards of directors rewarding the executives of tanking companies....cheating, lying, stealing, prostituting the system politicians continuously elected, re-elected while scamming for personal gain...only to be allowed to remain in office by such a tainted ethic body known as Congress/Senate/Governors/Mayors/Judges....too many of which not only are not qualified to be in office but are law breakers to boot....condoned by we the people.

The ongoing erosion of this countries core values, continuously compromised by the minorities, the illegals, the special interest groups, the permissive pacifist, don't make anybody made, spineless non decision making politically correct idiots....and more than I can list....

This has been in the works for years....those who try to compartmentalize blame to one party or another or one administration or another are unrealistic.

As stated by me in many previous posts....I am in favor of a revolution (which will never happen)....re-introduce the core values of old...if you didn't earn it you don't get it...reinstate the performers get the goods, all others doing little or nothing get what they earn, squat.

As our generation parts with life and the upcoming entitlement generations prevail, how could there be any hope for improvement.

Just think of life today as being as good as it will ever be from here on in.
Our time with it is short. I feel badly for what we the people have left for our children/grandchildren/et al.

With the help of the media, we the people are not so slowly becoming more lemming like every day. The stand up and be counted....America love it or leave crowd are too quickly being displaced...we are rapidly becoming the minority as proven by statistics...

No mystery here except denial that it has been in play for years!!!!

BTK