Are we really just chattel, meant to serve the elite and die with nothing but dreams and bills?
Now you're on to something.
America is, and has always been, about individual exceptionalism being used as a proof of America's excellence. Who cares how poorly America fares on any number of social-based metrics - as long as we have the richest billionaires, and can convince even the poorest of fools to aspire to be rich some day, America will always be exactly the way it is right now. Socialism is only valuable to those who don't care about the fantasy of getting rich at someone else's expense.