What's the bottom line? What's in it for me? What do I get out of it? In a country where profit is King and money is everything how do you survive if you have very little of it?

Some folks work two and three jobs and still barely get by. Seems to me if you work hard  you  should be able to earn a decent living. You used to be able to do so long ago. Will that long ago ever return or is it gone forever?.