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Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

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Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#21

Post by curiousgal »

linkmotif wrote: post #10
curiousgal wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the saddest part, America is mighty but that doesn't translate into the life quality of its citizens at all.

Mighty doesn’t mean everyone gets free stuff via government redistribution programs. And maybe one can see that this is the reason America is “mighty.” We attract and retain the best of the whole world, who come here because they are tired of senseless redistribution campaigns by the have-nots of the world. Not to mention freedom generally, which is why my family came to the US: we were not seeking economic opportuni…

Well, this isn't the 80s anymore, no one talks of Russia anymore. What I meant was based on looking at European countries like Sweden and Finland or even France.

Also, I am not saying the U.S. is a horrible place to live in, I am just saying that it has the potential to be more liveable for all citizens, not just the very "best".

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#22

Post by mhandley »

danielvf wrote: post #14

From the original article and chart (not the current linked site): > "California has a labor force of 19.3 million compared to the labor force in the UK of 33.8 million (World Bank data here). Amazingly, it required a labor force 75% larger (and 14.5 million more people) in the UK to produce the same economic output last year as California! ... Further, California as a separate country would have been the 5th largest…

That shows the power of immigration. I'm not even talking about immigration from outside the US, though that's significant too. California has such high GDP per capita because it draws well educated people from the rest of the US. If it was an independent country, it couldn't do that so easily.

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#23

Post by curiousgal »

pluto9 wrote: post #13
curiousgal wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the saddest part, America is mighty but that doesn't translate into the life quality of its citizens at all.

How do you figure? I've been to both Iraq and Oklahoma, and I can tell you the quality of life in Oklahoma is a hell of a lot better than Iraq, pre- or post-war, in spite of their similar GDPs.

Well I've been to Scandinavia and despite the countries having less GDPs, the quality of life, for the average citizen, is way higher.

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#24

Post by rjsw »

mhandley wrote: post #22
danielvf wrote: post #14

From the original article and chart (not the current linked site): > "California has a labor force of 19.3 million compared to the labor force in the UK of 33.8 million (World Bank data here). Amazingly, it required a labor force 75% larger (and 14.5 million more people) in the UK to produce the same economic output last year as California! ... Further, California as a separate country would have been the 5th largest…

That shows the power of immigration. I'm not even talking about immigration from outside the US, though that's significant too. California has such high GDP per capita because it draws well educated people from the rest of the US. If it was an independent country, it couldn't do that so easily.

The UK has drawn well educated people from the rest of the EU.

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#25

Post by tjr225 »

hood_syntax wrote: post #11
curiousgal wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the saddest part, America is mighty but that doesn't translate into the life quality of its citizens at all.

I disagree. It does, just not at the rate that it could.

This is it right here. A safety net(including healthcare, education, retirement) intended for all would be an awesome way to spend all of this money, but instead it gets squandered elsewhere.

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#26

Post by tjr225 »

linkmotif wrote: post #10
curiousgal wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the saddest part, America is mighty but that doesn't translate into the life quality of its citizens at all.

Mighty doesn’t mean everyone gets free stuff via government redistribution programs. And maybe one can see that this is the reason America is “mighty.” We attract and retain the best of the whole world, who come here because they are tired of senseless redistribution campaigns by the have-nots of the world. Not to mention freedom generally, which is why my family came to the US: we were not seeking economic opportuni…

You're presenting a false dichotomy where the US can't have social welfare programs and be great - this is simply not the case. FDRs social programs and the labor movements of the last century arguably improved our country in its most noticeable way of all time - at least until it was dismantled by the people who benefited from it the most (the baby boomers).

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#27

Post by mhandley »

rjsw wrote: post #24
mhandley wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That shows the power of immigration. I'm not even talking about immigration from outside the US, though that's significant too. California has such high GDP per capita because it draws well educated people from the rest of the US. If it was an independent country, it couldn't do that so easily.

The UK has drawn well educated people from the rest of the EU.

Yes, and it's the main reason our economy hasn't tanked. But there have traditionally been more barriers to movement from the EU, not least language, so the effect is somewhat less, and easy immigration from the EU hasn't been going on for nearly so long. And don't get me started on Brexit...

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#28

Post by rukittenme »

themodelplumber wrote: post #15
fredley wrote: post #5

I had no idea the disparity between the US and Russian economies was so huge!

I didn't see Russia on the map, where did you find it?

Not the OP but its not on the graph. It's mentioned in this blurb:

> The economy of alleged US nemesis Russia is less than 9% as large as the US economy and hasn’t grown consistently in years.

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#29

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

themodelplumber wrote: post #15
fredley wrote: post #5

I had no idea the disparity between the US and Russian economies was so huge!

I didn't see Russia on the map, where did you find it?

It's in the text at the bottom:

"The economy of alleged US nemesis Russia is less than 9% as large as the US economy and hasn’t grown consistently in years."

Re: Map: US States Renamed as Countries with Similar GDPs

#30

Post by chimeracoder »

tjr225 wrote: post #26
linkmotif wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mighty doesn’t mean everyone gets free stuff via government redistribution programs. And maybe one can see that this is the reason America is “mighty.” We attract and retain the best of the whole world, who come here because they are tired of senseless redistribution campaigns by the have-nots of the world. Not to mention freedom generally, which is why my family came to the US: we were not seeking economic opportuni…

You're presenting a false dichotomy where the US can't have social welfare programs and be great - this is simply not the case. FDRs social programs and the labor movements of the last century arguably improved our country in its most noticeable way of all time - at least until it was dismantled by the people who benefited from it the most (the baby boomers).

> FDRs social programs and the labor movements of the last century arguably improved our country in its most noticeable way of all time

You can't discuss either of those two things without also recognizing the other half of those policies: the massive xenophobia, racism, and outright genocide that motivated and fueled them, all under FDR's watch.

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