National Debt as a percentage of GDP went from ~35% to 55% under Reagan. About a 60% increase relative to itself (35/55)
Has nothing to do with the population getting poor. Does not even denote any disaster either.
The minimum wage for the same period went up about 20%. Viewing national debt vs minimum wage, the 99% of people who make less than 10x minimum wage, saw their real wealth and purchasing power vanish relative to the previous generation.
And this was happening long before Reagan got into office. Inflation was a bitch under Carter and there were more unemployed.
Whatever faults you may, rightly or wrongly, saddle Carter with, he got F-ed by OPEC and the malaise from Vietnam, neither of which were his fault. The pattern is that Repubs break stuff, the Dems clean it up and then The Repubs campaign on "stop cleaning! Things are clean enough? Let's party!"
Stop sugar coating it. Carter couldn't even get a democrat controlled congress to pass his crap most of the time. The rest of your rubbish is just that- likely formed from your lack of or inability to see the world for what it is. Now note, I am not saying republicans are any better or worse. I'm not even going to tread into those waters. I'm just saying Carter screwed the pooch so much worse than Reagan ever did.
As for Mr. Bean below, genuinely poor urbanites often don't have access to an oven or full size refridgerator, much less a store that sells 25# bags of rice or beans for less than a buck a pound. I do, but every place I can reasonably walk home from without milk spoiling on a hot day confines itself to 4 serving portions. The closet don't even carry gallons of milk, just quarts or maybe half gallons at times. For $7 a half gallon. Not everyone has access to direct bus routes, much less a car and Amex for Costco runs. Your reality is not the same as theirs.
Something I completely agree with. Sometimes a bus isn't even an option because there are no regular bus lanes in the area.
I'm lucky in that where I live now, you can get a gallon of milk for $3.50 to $5 in a gas station convenience store. You can also find 1 pound bags of beans and sometimes rice in them too. But I have been in those spots you describe and if it isn't a candy bar, some sort of prepared sandwich, or a boxed meal item with an expiration date a year past, it likely isn't in the store as far as food goes for several miles of highway walking.