Why are Americans such lazy deadbeats? They are increasingly failing to pay what they owe on loans. Student, credit card, auto, etc. Why?

Those are EV buyers. Depreciation on those is 90% in 4 weeks. You buy a $100.000 porsche taycan, mercedes EQS or Audi E-tron you are $90.000 under water in a month. This is not hyperbole. I work in cars. We don't even take EVs, for any price. Like you can be willing to eat the 90% depreciation, no shop will take it even for that.

>>513581391 (OP)
Most americans were living paycheck to paycheck already. Less than $2000 in the bank.
Things got more expensive, inflation went up and wages didn't. There was never a huge amount of wiggle room for them to soak these extra expenses. So when they have to drop something, they pick whatever they think they can afford to miss. You NEED food and a place to live. Not having a car royally fucks up your options, especially if its how you get to work in which case you sort of just death spiral, but there are not a lot of good options of things to miss payments on.

>>513581391 (OP)
>deadbeats
their most intimate bonds with wife and child are torn apart by the government, and you want them to care about a loan?

>>513582572
If you chose to sign a contract and give your word of honor to fulfill your debt, you have an obligation as a man to live up to your promises. That's about your basic honor as a man, not just money.