This is a complex issue (deterioration of work ethic, and deterioration of hope for future, et al), created by a confluence of many things.
this list is hardly comprehensive, just listing a few contributing factors off the top of my head.
1) population has increased, diluting the scarcity of labor, driving down wages.
2) both spouces work, diluting the labor market, diluting the value of money in general, and reducing home buying power to time spent working ratio.
3) Older generations living longer than expected, throwing off plans in economic development upon which further retirement planning is based. (social security, et.)
4) Corporations being obstinate about the myth of purpetual growth, scraping the bottom of the barrel for lost profits, making life hell for everyone. (coupled with regulatory capture, politics for hire, and other social ills)
5) Younger generations ceasing to "give a fuck" about "big picture" items, due to loss/erosion of political power of the electorate (see point 4 above. Money over all!)
6) Younger people starting careers with 3 figures of non-dischargable debt being considered "not qualified" for jobs they paid dearly to be educated for, because of 4) above, being disillusioned quickly when they find that thier best career choice is STILL working at walmart, and living hand to mouth.
7) politicians either in outright denial of these factors, or simply not caring. (the corporations they work for simply dont care at all.) No relief or reform to correct these imbalances are in sight.
the general sense of apathy created by 4) through 7) above make the notion of "populist revolution" (in any form, including non-violent) absurd to even consider as a problem.
9) Corporations and the government see
as a blank cheque to do whatever the hell they want, becuse the plebs wont do anything about it anyway.
and so much more.
American workers have poor work ethic, because they get shafted weather they do good work or bad work. There are no true incentives for good work, because the planning methods used by major corporations these days are not quality based, but bulk aggregate sales based. The only people getting perks are sales people selling ice machines to Eskimos, CEOs, and board members. The actual people that include quality into products are treated as interchangably replacable cogs, and treated like shit as a cost center, and corporate is always looking for ways to reduce that "cost."
The lie that purpetual financial growth is not only possible, but ideal, needs to die in a fire.