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

Why don't Europeans understand how little we care what they think? Their rights have been systematically eroded and their countries stolen right out from underneath them. That condescending, undeserved attitude of faux superiority means absolutely nothing to red-blooded Americans. They can keep their baguettes, I'll be just fine with my 30.06 and my F-250.

Many comments have this delusion of things being free. Free college, free healthcare, free this/that, etc. In this world of limited resources nothing is free. Either your tax money, someone else's tax money, or your govt through debt is paying for these "free" things.

The author must live in an alternate universe. I'm a dual-citizen (US/France) due to my mother being born in France.

"so they already look half-dead — order coffee and a croissant, both of which are fairly tasteless"

Sorry, but there are plenty of places where croissants don't suck (give Wegmans a try) - and I'd be hard-pressed to believe that those major US cities don't have bakeries run/owned by real frenchmen.

"Everything I consume in the States is of a vastly, abysmally lower quality. Every single thing. The food,"

Really? Everytime I go to europe, the meat tastes like crap in comparison to US-raised meat, it's tough as a shoe-sole and it's overpriced.

"So my quality of life — despite all my privileges..."

There you have it, this guy has homes in London AND New York. Ask the average EU citizen (I'm not talking about techies, I'm talking about the blue-collar workers) how good they have it.

I compare my upbringing in the States (we lived in France for a year when I was young and it just wasn't for me) and life is far easier on the blue-collar worker in the US if you could find a decent job.

An uncle of mine spent 4 years out of work (machinist) before he found a new job in France. My father worked in a factory in the US for 37 years. This is obviously too small a sample to be significant, but other family have had similar outcomes and difficulties. My mom (who still barely speaks english) wouldn't go back to live in France.

This is still the land of opportunity for those who are willing to work their butts off and take risks. The only thing I wish we had in the US is universal healthcare. It's coming, when the republicans manage to lose congress in 2018.

So yeah, if you're rich a rich hipster, Europe might be "better."

I'll keep my guns, my F150, and my 4,000 square foot (372 sq. meter) house, merci beaucoup.

I have had a chance to speak with quite a few people who spent some time living in a country with universal healthcare, and not a single one would give it up or think that the American system is better. Or even acceptable, for that matter. Public healthcare does not mean lack of private healthcare.

I’ve heard Canadians complain about the lack of private options awhile back, but I think even that is solved now.

Ameericans do realize how unhappy they are. There's an epidemic of opiate addiction.

That unhappiness is the result of many things: major changes in the job market leaving millions without opportunities, the collapse of hundreds of small towns and communities, the disintegration of the nuclear family, etc.

Ironically, materially, Americans are much better off than they were decades ago, but all that material prosperity has left people unsatisfied.

In my opinion the problem goes much deeper than this, as Augustine said:

> You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.

But the inadequacy of consumerism is maybe more clear.