If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?

America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the American humorist Kin Hubbard, “It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.” It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor. Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than  anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by the American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters. The meanest eating and drinking establishment, owned by a man who himself is poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking the cruel question: "If you are so smart, why ain't you rich?” 
(Kurt Vonnegut, "Slaughterhouse-Five")