America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves...It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor.  Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous and therefore more estimable than anyone with power or gold.  No such tales are told by the American poor.  They mock themselves and glorify their betters.

- Kurt Vonnegut