Yo, Nick, you aren't a "preeminent authority on life". You're a privileged guy without a clue.

Try walking in the shoes of someone living on Social Security who can't afford a smartphone, cable TV, or shopping at Whole Paycheck without someone having given her a gift card. This is a friend of mine.

She literally told me to never again allow an ambulance to take her to the for-profit hospital nearest her apartment because she'll never be able to pay the bills.

Try living on $150 a month in food stamps. Basically, try actually living like an actual low-income person for a couple of months. Experience what it's like to have cortisol surging through your body due to constant stress worrying about becoming homeless.

In short, take off the blinders.