Fact of the matter is we've been doing the trickle-down economics for 30+ years and it's created a pretty shitty country despite incredible advances in technology.

Trickle down is a strawman version of supply side economics, but nonetheless there are problems with supply side and demand side policy.

There is no reason that the US could not have the quality of life of a Norway or Germany with our incredible wealth. We own most of the third world (well their capital) and thus they produce a massive amount of shit for us and get almost nothing in return (save for their elite).

What we get in return is a lower cost of living through a greater supply of goods and services.

It's only because we have service industries that require local labor that most Americans don't live in filthy hovels and shacks.

The service economy really didn't come to be until the 20th century. There was no minimum wage in the country in 1938.

Besides, fiscal conservatives completely ignore the costs of poverty and inequality in all their calculations

Are we talking relative or absolute poverty?

My examination of inequality has shown there's no definitive evidence that it's inherently good or bad. Afghanistan has a lower Gini coefficient than Denmark, but everyone there is just more equally poor. Singapore has more inequality than the US, but they have lower unemployment, high incomes, and less poverty. They have lower taxes and less subsidized healthcare and welfare in general as well.

We spend a disgusting amount of money on law enforcement, incarceration, security,

Agreed.

welfare (administering it not the aid itself), and healthcare costs because of our massive financial inequality.

While we do spend a lot on them, I don't see how it's due to inequality.

But I wholly reject your faux-libertarian mindset that the US economy is in any way a fair game where people need to be crushed into poverty to encourage innovation from a handful of people, while the old rich simply sit on inherited investments.

For one, most inheritances don't last, and for two I never said it was a fair game.

I want a fair game, but most people advocating for leveling the playing field are really asking for things that are fixing the score at the end of the game.

And speaking of, your self-made millionaire survey is based on self-reported information which I utterly reject. Again, Pinketty's Capital completely eviscerates that argument.

Actually no it doesn't. Capital accumulation is assessed by income categories, not individuals. Who occupies the top 1% varies over time.