The real question is why aren't (Northern) Europeans constantly getting into these jams? Or getting into them as regularly and catastrophically as USA.

How come you can speak to a German or Dane or a Swede or an Austrian and even a Dutchman or Frenchman and they will have no idea about or concern with the capital markets.

The reason for this is that their societies, including their companies listed on markets, think about what is best for everyone. They all have mostly funded retirements, no student debt, no medical debt or threat of it and they all go for 4-6 paid vacations every year, paternity leave, maternity leave, etc.

Yes, if you're an American you're in a winner-take-all society. And the inequality makes gamblers of everyone. Since Americans are not and probably could not be properly educated to invest intelligently, they understand that they have only the chance of hitting the jackpot somehow. We're quickly arriving at the point that there will be a casino on every street corner, proliferating groups of stock manipulators on Reddit and elsewhere and, of course, throwing money into crypto. Crypto, however, has a political/social systemic threat in that it is operated almost entirely by China, Inc and could be a lever to destabilize things.

STOP TRYING TO BEAT THE SYSTEM. CHANGE IT INSTEAD. Your chances are way better.