Interesting debate here:
Is The American Dream Alive and Well?
David Leonhardt and Bhaskar Sunkara often get the direction wrong on many of the points that they make. Examples are drug deaths, divorce and lower rates of marriage. Those are more likely the result more wealth and opportunity. Let's face the awful fact that when some people have more ability to get drugs they use more and when women can earn a good living they can be more selective of whom they marry and stay with.