King Kong debt meets middle-class life
In a generational shift, Americans have come to accept big credit-card
balances as inevitable. By Stacy A. Teicher
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0816/p14s01-wmgn.html?s=hns

"Debt may not be as widespread a problem as smoking or overeating, but it's gaining attention as perhaps a form of addiction. Yes, overspending is largely a matter of personal choice, but many observers say an increasingly materialistic culture conspires against people's desire or ability to act wisely. Still others call for reform of certain practices in the credit-card industry that make it easier for people to build up balances to the point where they are trapped"