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Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

forbes.com

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Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#71

Post by gwright »

rasengan wrote: post #12

So given this information as well as the UN report on US and the fact that the US is in poverty like conditions [1] I think it’s safe to say everyone is broke. This post from reddit on /r/funny isn’t funny - it is the truth [2] [1] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?N... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/9fq5e4/the_simpsons_...

There are certainly problems in the US, but that UN report is a joke. It perpetuates the nonsensical reporting about poverty in the US in which poverty is measured before taking into account most welfare assistance. With that methodology you could allocate twice as much money to welfare assistance and the "poverty" rate wouldn't budge.

Here is a bit of a take down on the UN report: https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2017/12/21/the-mali...

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#72

Post by supernova87a »

This story validates what I felt when I lived in the UK several years ago during research. I felt the country had so much money (London) but everyone lived so poor.

I was getting paid basically the same numerical value as I had been in the US, but all the prices were in pounds.

And the cars were so old, like twice as old as typical cars in the US.

I wondered where all their tax money was going -- and I figured to the poor north of the country.

Yet people in the UK generally behave so well, and are polite, and are educated and proud. This is really impressive -- the power of social psychology in the face of measureable economic deprivation.

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#73

Post by paulddraper »

mikeash wrote: post #39
paulddraper wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> GDP per capita per hour worked is a better metric to use when comparing countries. Comparing what? Wealth? Efficiency? Happiness? Athleticism? If you are comparing economic well-being, use GDP per capita. If you worked one hour today and $100 or eight hours and got $100, either way your richness/poorness is $100. If you are comparing efficiency or something, do the per hour thing.

I’m sure we’d all vastly prefer to be the person who works an hour for $100 and has the rest as free time. If those two people have equal “richness” then the term is not very useful.

If you're suggesting that wealth/income is different than quality of life, I would have to very strongly agree.

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#74

Post by point78 »

pluto9 wrote: post #55
HarryHirsch wrote: post #31

There's a documentary on Netflix about physicians setting up shop on a race track to offer treatment to the poor and indigent in Bristol, TN: https://www.newsweek.com/remote-area-medical-shows-what-amer... You wouldn't see these scenes in even the most deprived corners of Newcastle-upon-Tyne or the Rhondda Valley. The crowds the event attracts! This is what a developing country looks like.

Ahh, HN, where someone doing a good deed is an illustration of how the United States is secretly a third-world hellhole.

This shouldn't even have to be done is the point

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#76

Post by point78 »

supernova87a wrote: post #72

This story validates what I felt when I lived in the UK several years ago during research. I felt the country had so much money (London) but everyone lived so poor. I was getting paid basically the same numerical value as I had been in the US, but all the prices were in pounds. And the cars were so old, like twice as old as typical cars in the US. I wondered where all their tax money was going -- and I figured to the…

Or maybe it's going towards health care, education, and social services. What a concept

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#77

Post by drcongo »

timoth wrote: post #68
drcongo wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm going to assume you're not British / European, but for the record Switzerland is in Schengen and EFTA, Britain is heading for being in neither.

Britain is already in neither; it's never been in Schengen, and left the EFTA when joining the EEC as the EU was then. Although the other 3 countries in EFTA are part of the EEA (edit: which is how they're part of the single market), Switzerland isn't. Instead, they participate in the single market via a bunch of bilateral treaties: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland%E2%80%93European_U...

I know. That wasn't the point.

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#78

Post by mikeash »

paulddraper wrote: post #73
mikeash wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m sure we’d all vastly prefer to be the person who works an hour for $100 and has the rest as free time. If those two people have equal “richness” then the term is not very useful.

If you're suggesting that wealth/income is different than quality of life, I would have to very strongly agree.

I’m going a bit further and suggesting that free time ought to be incorporated into “wealth” somehow. After all, time is money.

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#79

Post by supernova87a »

point78 wrote: post #76
supernova87a wrote: post #72

This story validates what I felt when I lived in the UK several years ago during research. I felt the country had so much money (London) but everyone lived so poor. I was getting paid basically the same numerical value as I had been in the US, but all the prices were in pounds. And the cars were so old, like twice as old as typical cars in the US. I wondered where all their tax money was going -- and I figured to the…

Or maybe it's going towards health care, education, and social services. What a concept

Not even. Reading their news about NHS, all they talk about are cuts and the controversies of having to ration service based on postcodes.

Re: Britain Is Poorer Than Any US State (2014)

#80

Post by kadendogthing »

brightball wrote: post #57
kadendogthing wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you read anything from CATO?

Because they tend to release detailed, well sourced, and accurate articles?

They actually don't do any of that. Can you link me to 1 article that matches all of your own criteria? Bonus points for that article withstanding the test of time.
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