Heard This Before

Here's a gloomy op-ed from Robert Samuelson from today's edition of The Washington Post. First, lets forget the fact that he's addressing only one portion of the economy. There are numerous other factors that determine the quality of life beyond the health-care system. I hate to say it, but the "our children will have a lower standard of living than we do" is what people were saying in the late 1970s, early 1980s, early 1990s, and early 2000s. I suppose eventually it will be right, but recent history seems to be against it. What do you and your students think? Does everything ride on one sector?