> That’s a normal-ish bourgeois white-collar HCoL salary that people make fresh out of school? Hold on, that’s basically a starting salary in that world? WHAT?

Some people. That's very field-specific and won't last forever. Basically FAANG programmers and finance bros.

Yeah, in that world. You realize this, and the next thing you realize is that you’re at the tail end of it and have about a year to escape the permanent yadda yadda yadda…