I generally love your stuff, but I disagree with a lot of what you've said based on my own personal experience and based on history.

I was a broke grad student living on about $600 a month at one point. I had to use $400 for a one room studio. I lived on rice and beans. I couldn't afford a phone, a car, internet, or TV.

And I never felt angry at friends who were better off.

It's not like they were trying to screw me. In fact, several well-off friends would often help me.

Second, if you look at historical records from the Great Depression - American crime rates were very low. People had self-respect and pride and the government also provided assistance as did civic groups, churches, neighbors, etc.

A friend of mine was 8 years old when the Great Depression hit. Her parents couldn't afford to care for her so they put her in an orphanage. The children, she told me, were well cared for and after a few years her parents were able to bring her home. I used to have conversations with her about what it was like. People went through a lot but they did not prey on each other.