Defining standard of living

Father and son David and Benjamin Crumm spent August circling (litarally!) the country talking to people they met about what they think of America. I've been reading their reports, though am only about halfway through. In Berkeley, Calif. they met Rafael Jesus Gonzales, a poet who writes in both English and Spanish. Gonzales disputes the claim that America has the highest standard of living in the world. He thinks we are basing that claim on all the wrong things and we actually have the lowest. His reasoning:

Our culture measures worth in dollars and consumption. That also means our culture is based on anxiety. One reason for that is the absence of universal health care which means a comfortably middle-class family is one catastrophic illness away from poverty.

When a culture is based on consumption it is also based on competition. We're not a kind culture and the culture itself is abusive to many. A culture of consumption is not a culture of wellbeing. We don't have national celebrations that have so much meaning people are dancing in the streets. We don't even sing in the streets. Everybody has their private music. We don't teach love.

We've screwed up paradise. The way back is to cherish the arts, stress the importance of love, and celebrate our joy together.