U.S. Public Welfare system is not bad. Actually, it's far better than 75% of rest of the world. Only Japan and China can compete with U.S.A.. If U.S. Government was "really really" bad (budget deficit can be acceptable), this economic crisis would vaporise every high degree officer and elected people within days of its beginning and lead U.S.A. to a trully crappy trouble. Everything is stable and very well for now. Economic packages are too risky for White House and U.S. Capitol.
However, private welfare system (banks and other financial institutions and people) is really bad. Lehman Bros stuff was stinking. Dow Jones' great decline is so weird. To be more clear, economy has grown faster than the physical growth of population. High economic growth and low population growth lead you to spend more even tough you don't make much, to carry out this economic growth. Low economic growth and high population growth lead you to spend more too, Because you have to create an economic growth by spending more. Medium economic growth and medium population growth bring you a good community.
For me, a balloon type of economic growth was created between 2001 and 2008. Oil prices boomed, mortgage loans increased, financial corporations balance sheets got fat, service sector got widespread faster than ever, production sector left J-I-T and created a lot of inventory by working 24/7. But, population has grown realively lower than economic growth.
Who can consume that much of oil since consumption rate rose less than production rate?
Who can get a loan when making money gets harder?
Who made those balance sheets fat by making more bad credits?
Who come and spend money at shops when personal finance gets smaller?
Who created those huge inventories of goods to be sold when market grows less than production?
A lot of jobs were created but finance of these jobs were not thought deeply for any case of economy. If your population grows at 5%, make your economic growth at about 5%.
I think people in U.S.A. don't spend a lot. They are ****** to spend by "growth by consumption" (intense advertising, cheating pricing policies, fake opportunities). Get what you need, not what you want (except special days

).
Everything gets alright soon, i hope.