The American Hangover
Americans have lost their faith in those who, in the boom times, purred, “Trust us.” The new American dream – a flock of chickens and a jar of pickles – represents the insight that the only people whom Americans can trust in a crisis are themselves.
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NEW YORK – As turmoil stalks America’s financial markets and protests fill its streets, Americans’ lifestyle choices are evolving in a telling way: once seen by the rest of the world as an exuberant teenager – the globe’s extrovert, exporter of rock ’n’ roll and flashy Hollywood movies – Americans are now becoming decidedly withdrawn, or at least inward-looking. Trends in leisure activities reflect that change: frugality and making do are in; gaudy consumerism is out.