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Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

nytimes.com

51–60 of 107 posts

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#51

I'm in my 30s, male and ostensibly white by American standards and I've been watching these sorts of trends for a while. Distrust in our certain brand of capitalism has led me to regard America with a wary eye. It has influenced a lot of my life decisions, i.e. stack cash, stay mobile/agile, no spouse, no children, etc. so that I can continually pursue the best jobs no matter when/where they appear. I luckily was abl…

I guess you haven't looked to carefully into how the EU economies are doing.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#52

"Visit some formerly middle class suburbs of cities in the Midwest and you can see exactly why this is happening. No decent jobs, no social clubs, no children playing outside, sports tickets out of the budget of anyone but the 1%, no decent restaurants and obesity everywhere. Add decayed infrastructure and empty malls. You should see it. Horrific. " "These sad statistics should come as no surprise given the pummeling…

It's a sad state of affairs made worse by undereducated, lazy people who blame the government and simultaneously elect politicians who promise to solve the problem for them by handing out a gift-wrapped "american dream" that everyone feels they deserve. I see this kind of self-destructive philosophy/behavior every day, and I'm getting tired of it. It's always someone else's fault, yet it seems the "progressives" in our country keep shouting that the solution lies in more government involvement, forgetting that the only way we get decent jobs and favorable social and family conditions is by letting people fulfill their own dreams through hard work and less government intervention. The american dream isn't a gift - it's the idea that through blood, sweat, and tears, we can shape our own lives.

From my perspective, the problem is a manifestation of a shift in popular ideals and a growing sense of entitlement.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#53
post #11

Speaking from experience Im 43 years old but been rejected by women my entire life in LA for being a "white guy" its certainly depressing that no matter how well you do you have to spend your entire life alone have to be ignorant of sexuality because its cut off from you , theres never any reward for my efforts no matter how well i do only puniahment for being born the wrong ethnicity.

This is probably one of the most bizarre comments I've ever read.

Nobody owes you anything, and based on your comment, it's clear you need an attitude adjustment and a new perspective.

You should probably work on yourself before pointing the finger at others when it comes to your problems.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#54
post #26
post #11

Speaking from experience Im 43 years old but been rejected by women my entire life in LA for being a "white guy" its certainly depressing that no matter how well you do you have to spend your entire life alone have to be ignorant of sexuality because its cut off from you , theres never any reward for my efforts no matter how well i do only puniahment for being born the wrong ethnicity.

> for being a "white guy" I am 100% certain that you have not only been rejected for being a white guy. White people are the most sought-after race in the United States[1], partially because most people seek partners of the same race. Furthermore, the language you're using is deeply concerning. Women aren't a "reward" for your efforts. Failing to find a sexual partner is not a "punishment". No one owes you sex, and t…

http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/08/31/radicalizing-the-romanc...

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#55
post #11

Speaking from experience Im 43 years old but been rejected by women my entire life in LA for being a "white guy" its certainly depressing that no matter how well you do you have to spend your entire life alone have to be ignorant of sexuality because its cut off from you , theres never any reward for my efforts no matter how well i do only puniahment for being born the wrong ethnicity.

I strongly feel that your lack of success with the ladies does not come from your lack of melanin, but from your lack of balls.

Also troll. I hope.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#56
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's indeed very similar to the description of the contemporary rural Russia (excluding the suburbs of Moscow, and few other large cities). There's one important difference: there's no free public health care in the US. Not that it's great in Russia, but the US has none. :(

That's not entirely true. Hospitals here are not allowed to turn away those in need, even if they have no insurance. The stays usually turn into uncollectible debts for the hospitals. With obamacare (Affordable Healthcare Act), the free options have been expanded quite a bit. In CA, the medi-cal is basically universally available to low income ($16,105 or under for 1 person, $21k or under for 2 person housefolds). Fo…

"free public health" also means preventative healthcare, not just ER visits.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#57
post #4

The mortality rate for whites 45 to 54 years old with no more than a high school education increased by 134 deaths per 100,000 people from 1999 to 2014. This should surprise no one. These are the people who work marginal jobs and they have been the most affected by so much manufacturing moving offshore, the resultant shift to service sector employment, and the downward push on service wages created by massive immigra…

I don't think you can tie this to economics alone. After all, blacks and hispanics have been feeling the economic pressures as well. Suicide, drug use, and alcoholism have deeper cultural ties. I have no idea what those ties are, but it likely won't be fixed by a 4% annual increase in wages. I can't help but wonder if perhaps this increase in self destructive behavior is due to an increase in secularism. Blacks and H…

I don't know about recent trends, but I've been looking at mortality trends from the 19th century onward, and one point I _did_ key on was that from about 1960-1970 onward, white males and females saw relatively little increase in life expectancy, though black and minority experiences improved. These had lagged whites by 10-15 years, so there was a lot to make up for.

One possibility is that we're seeing a confluence of trends: continued improvements in minority life expectency due to better service and access, but still making up for past deficiencies. While whites are being hit by the leading edge of both decreased access and falling economic opportunity.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#58
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As soon as I saw this comment, my first thought was "Holy crap. That sounds like Russia."

It's indeed very similar to the description of the contemporary rural Russia (excluding the suburbs of Moscow, and few other large cities). There's one important difference: there's no free public health care in the US. Not that it's great in Russia, but the US has none. :(

Medicaid provides care for the poor. Thus the myth 'there is no free public healthcare' is false. Although technically, no care is free-- someone pays.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#59
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's indeed very similar to the description of the contemporary rural Russia (excluding the suburbs of Moscow, and few other large cities). There's one important difference: there's no free public health care in the US. Not that it's great in Russia, but the US has none. :(

That's not entirely true. Hospitals here are not allowed to turn away those in need, even if they have no insurance. The stays usually turn into uncollectible debts for the hospitals. With obamacare (Affordable Healthcare Act), the free options have been expanded quite a bit. In CA, the medi-cal is basically universally available to low income ($16,105 or under for 1 person, $21k or under for 2 person housefolds). Fo…

Emergency rooms must stabilize patients regardless of ability to pay; outside of that, outside of ERs doing stabilization, hospitals are not obligated to serve without reference to ability to pay.

And the ACA Medicaid expansion is something States can opt out of (for to a Supreme Court ruling) and several states have.

Re: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans

#60

Naked capitalism has found a way to thin the herd more efficiently than the Jonathan Swift ever imagined. A modest proposal indeed. Unrelated: the top NYT comments are better than HN. Sad day.

What is naked capitalism as against, for instance, naked socialism? And how germane is all to this to the topic? Or is it just hand waving according to predilection?
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