Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

eand.co

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 202 posts

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#71

Post by johndevor »

ceejayoz wrote: post #17
johndevor wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try tyranny of socialism is far, far worse. Nothing is perfect and imagining it can be will get people killed (Russia, Venezuela, China, Cuba, etc.). Individual rights are what makes the West successful compared to the rest of the world.

> Individual rights are what makes the West successful compared to the rest of the world. We're talking about Western-style democratic socialism, as found in Sweden, Norway, Germany, England, etc. here. Terrifying totalitarian hellholes they're not.

What do you think will happen when these countries massive debts come due? I don't think they'll be peaceful then. They are living on the backs of their unborn children right now.

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#72

Post by xyhopguy »

jdlyga wrote: post #20

This really, really depends on where you live. If you live in New York, you can get amazing food everywhere. We have things like paid family leave, free college, universal pre-k, etc that most Americans don't have. Also if you're working at a high pressure finance job, of course you will work long hours. But those are the exception. Working from 10 - 6 is pretty common for most people I know.

i wouldn't call new york an example of a "high quality of living." Subways that barely work? Terrifyingly chaotic traffic? A "me-first" attitude that is visible everywhere from the people complaining about citi-bikes to the advertisements literally EVERYWHERE.

Going from coast-to-coast is like walking into a time machine.

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#73

Post by johndevor »

Koshkin wrote: post #70
ceejayoz wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Individual rights are what makes the West successful compared to the rest of the world. We're talking about Western-style democratic socialism, as found in Sweden, Norway, Germany, England, etc. here. Terrifying totalitarian hellholes they're not.

To be fair, totalitarian regimes are not always socialist, especially the outright fascist ones.

What are some examples?

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#74

Post by spicymaki »

_m8fo wrote: post #7

This is the ultimate question -- which is superior: individualism or collectivism? Personally I think collectivism is far superior -- however the forces that be want people to believe individualism is superior, especially in America. This results in people, individuals, denying their fellow peers access to things. As for the question the title poses, there's no answer, because it depends on who you ask. I don't think…

You need both. We need that tension between individuals and collectives to both innovate and regulate.

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#75

Post by binaryapparatus »

padseeker wrote: post #34

This article starts off terribly. It does not get contain enough real substance till it gets to the point about the differential in life expectancy and discusses the point about 'the myth of exceptionalism in America'. The whole line about the difference in entertainment is utter drivel. Big Brother started in the UK, there is plenty of garbage culture coming from Europe. For the record I've met quite a few Europeans…

Have you been in Greece or Spain? Experienced quality of life is way above statistical or expected.

Proud moment in most of the Europe is being able to take relaxed coffee and think, which is possible in most countries. I am always puzzled when somebody proudly tries to explain to me how having two jobs is great.

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#76

Post by jpea »

swarnie_ wrote: post #3

The article makes a passing mention to the British NHS which is universally loved by everyone in the UK. Why do so many Americans object to universal health care yet complain about insurance premiums? Its something I've never understood as an outside observer.

The Americans that reject it do so because of a lack of education. The educated classes generally don't draw a line in the sand on most things, regardless of where you live in the world. The uneducated have opinions that are distorted because they accept whatever reality is fed to them by the side they prefer to align their views with.

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#77

Post by johndevor »

swarnie_ wrote: post #21
johndevor wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>universally loved by everyone I don't think something can be universally loved. There are many stories of long waiting times and people going overseas for private healthcare. People like private healthcare because it aligns with America's love of freedom - which includes the freedom to fail.

>universally loved by everyone Maybe a little strong on my part. Asked "would you scrap the NHS?" to randoms on the street i bet you would get a very strong no vote.

Is such a system sustainable though? Isn't England in a massive hole of debt? And if that debt comes due, what would happen to the quality of the NHS?

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#78

Post by adamnemecek »

_m8fo wrote: post #69
adamnemecek wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a comment in response to an article comparing Europe and US?

So? I still didn't say the EU is collectivist or mention it at all. Both EU and the US have collectivist and individualist policies.

"I don't think Americans will ever be convinced collectivism is superior until there's some organization or company created within the States that ends up being far superior to everything else."

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#79

Post by _m8fo »

nickpp wrote: post #44
_m8fo wrote: post #7

This is the ultimate question -- which is superior: individualism or collectivism? Personally I think collectivism is far superior -- however the forces that be want people to believe individualism is superior, especially in America. This results in people, individuals, denying their fellow peers access to things. As for the question the title poses, there's no answer, because it depends on who you ask. I don't think…

Depends whether that collectivism is forced or not. Because the forced one has been tried - and it's horrifying. Funny thing about individualists: they just want to be left alone and don't care if you are collectivist or individualists. Kinda like that about them.

What you say about individualists could just as well be said about collectivists.

Re: Why Don’t Americans Understand How Poor Their Lives Are?

#80

Post by rusk »

adamnemecek wrote: post #67
rusk wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who mentioned EU? There's a broad mixture of different political approaches right across the EU. Some of the wealthier states do appear to have a strong social-democratic leaning but maybe that's just 'cause they can afford it? A comprehensive socioeconomic fabric costs a lot to maintain. You have to have a base of taxpayers who are willing to pay it and who feel they get the value for their money.

The article. Also, those European countries don't have tax rates much larger (if at all) than the US. It's just that in the US, it gets wasted.

Oh but they do. You'll pay up to 2/3 of your income in taxes in Germany for instance.
Post reply on HN