It's America, you are supposed to be responsible for yourself, maybe if you applied yourself you could create something with your life. Every one I know have had long productive lives, raised families, and now are enjoying their 70s with long vacations and grand children. One of my buddies has been a welder his entire life, his father and uncle came over as immigrants back in the 1920s, but his children went to college and are successful in other professions. He owns an entire city block, but is thinking of changing the building completely. Life changes, even at 72, what was once a thriving business that helped build Indian Point Nuclear Plant and the Tappan Zee bridge must change. America is always changing, it's called adapting to the future.