Not so rich. Most of us are wage slaves being exploited by mega rich entities. Being entrapped into living from day to day, few have the luxury of upward mobility through education. The average American is no doubt considered a happy little capitalist compared to poor countries. The reality of it is, as you say, that our American lives are fraught with micro traumas, hyper vigilance, micro and macro aggressions etc. Just the fear of a stranger’s knock at the door sets the nerves jangling. There is simply no respite from being exploited.