If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad? • Hacker News Board

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#401

Post by seniorThrowaway » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:01 PM UTC

01HNNWZ0MV43FF wrote: post #393

tim333 wrote: post #305

As an occasional visitor to the US from England I was surprised by how expensive it's become. The US always used to seem cheaper than England I think largely because the government got out of the way so houses were cheap because you could build them, cars were cheap because you could import them, food was cheap because you could just grow stuff in huge fields whereas in England much of that was restricted. On my trip…

Just speculation: The houses got expensive because homeowners wanted housing to be an investment, so they voted for laws that make it harder to build or densify housing. Cars are expensive because the government puts tariffs on perfectly good imports to protect the American car companies. The American car companies produce garbage, and even the electric car companies like Tesla and Rivian are producing super-high-tec…

Housing being expensive because of laws and zoning that constrain it's supply is often touted, but there is good academic research that that isn't the case. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zfsw4iotsn3nqs8vhu8kb/LMW-FAQ...

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#402

Post by krapp » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:01 PM UTC

wat10000 wrote: post #299

krapp wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that so many Americans listened to and followed those religious nutjobs and they were able to sweep the government with such little effort suggests no such "secularization" ever took place. They're like people who see some pernicious "gay agenda" infiltrating all aspects of their lives just because they see two gay characters in a sitcom. Their fears are just projection. The power centers of the US have alwa…

The US was 90% Christian and 5% None just 35 years ago. Today it's 63% Christian and 29% None. That seems pretty rapid to me. It has not reached anything close to a majority yet, so the religious still hold great sway. And the perceived threat from their decreasing belief share pushes extremism.

tbh, that seems less like "rapid secularization" and more like "a slight drop from absolute to merely near-absolute power" to me.

Percentage of reported practice doesn't allow for the cultural and legal effects of religion, and it doesn't map linearly to influence. Remember the political apparatus of the US is designed explicitly to give rural Christians outsize power.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#403

Post by seniorThrowaway » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:02 PM UTC

https://www.thefp.com/p/why-do-americans-feel-poor-because

The gist: the statistics used to define poverty are old and inaccurate.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#404

Post by Erem » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:02 PM UTC

xyzelement wrote: post #200

iso1631 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America is swinging even more towards theocracy -- the Military Prayer Meetings say killing people is a mission from god, the White House Faith Office 1) exists, and 2) says that saying no to the rapist running government is "saying no to god"

Ok. And in parallel the average American is disconnected from religion and increasingly miserable as per the article.

No, the article showed that non belief peaked a few years ago: There are more butts in the pews than in 2020.

But sentiment hasn’t recovered.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#405

Post by tracker1 » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:03 PM UTC

One thing that I think is probably a large impact has been an increase in general strife. Online arguments and division often among political and ideological lines combined with trends away from any sort of national identity or cohesion.

ex: 50 years ago, everyone had seen at least an episode of "I Love Lucy" which was the most watched show in the US. With only a few networks and some very popular culture there was more cohesion. Even with political discourse it was often presented in a much less polarizing way.

I would also point the blame at a lot of what I can only summarize as excessive internalized guilt. Often over things you, personally have no impact on. As well as trends towards coddling anxiety. Where the only true way to get past anxiety is to do more of what gives you anxiety, whatever it takes to actually do that.

I'd also say that "rich" is largely subjective, and common, regular expenses have become extremely burdensome this past few years... If you look at the pricing trends in fast food, it seems to have really ramped up since around 2018-2019 and over the top during COVID... far more than inflation alone can justify, and I think is mostly plain greed. People feel squeezed out and it's hard to overcome.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#406

Post by 9rx » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:03 PM UTC

benjaminends wrote: post #271

xyzelement wrote: post #75

I feel like this is an easily answerable question, but I can see this because I grew up an atheist (and travel in those typically atheist/educated/professional circles) and have become much more aware/educated in/embracing of religion later in life myself. If you compare apples to apples - say my average atheist friend who is a director in a FAANG and also my religious friend who is also a director in the same FAANG.…

Not to be snide, but did you read the article? The article explicitly removes decline in religion as an explanation for this particular bout of unhappiness. Is everyone in this comment chain arguing from a perspective of, "I disagree with author's assessment" or "I read the headline and I'm offering my own conjecture"?

> The article explicitly removes decline in religion as an explanation for this particular bout of unhappiness.

It tried to, at least, but I'm not sure it succeeded. The growing secularization up to 2020 follows the long-term trend towards unhappiness and peak secularization and peak unhappiness line up too. Happiness has even started to improve in line with the growing return to religiosity that has occurred most recently. The data it presents as supposedly dismissing religion actually makes a reasonable case for religion.

Of course, the reality is that there never one reason. Americans are sad for millions of different reasons. The idea that if we fix that one thing all will become right with the world is pure fantasy.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#407

Post by CamperBob2 » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:04 PM UTC

All of my life experience up to 2016 suggested that about 1% to 3% of us are seriously bad eggs, people who will cheerfully and thoughtlessly screw over everyone around them for even the smallest perceived advantage or political "win."

In the 2016 election it began to appear likely that this figure is closer to 30%. That impression was reinforced -- cast in concrete, really -- in 2024.

So yes, I'm sadder, because I honestly didn't think I was surrounded by so many shitheels.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#408

Post by bjourne » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:05 PM UTC

Taikonerd wrote: post #107

The article is smarter than the title makes it sound. He's not seriously proposing that being rich makes you happy. And he notes that there's a big drop around 2020 specifically , which long-term trends don't explain. Just to state the obvious: 2020 was the year of COVID, which played hell with peoples' social lives. And I think it's been pretty well-proven that happiness is largely driven by the strength and quality…

100% right. What we (rather 80+ year old corrupt politicians) did to young people during covid was downright criminal. Almost two of their most important years destroyed.

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#409

Post by bontaq » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:06 PM UTC

My mom said, "whatever we built isn't working anymore," and I think that captures most of the sentiment. It's also funny to see the "the economy is roaring!" "incomes are up!". Great, have they increased by as much as inflation? Can I afford a home?

Work has if anything gotten worse in general. Remote's gone. Pay's less. ADHD maximum AI use required. Nobody can take a break. Pressure's on. 1.5 trillion more to the military. What are we even building? For what?

Is it any wonder at all?

Re: If America's so rich, how'd it get so sad?

#410

Post by theowaway » Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 7:07 PM UTC

mbgerring wrote: post #138

theowaway wrote: post #123

[flagged]

You’re going to get downvoted for this, but you’re right. Literally any international travel to an actual first world country will ruin America for you. This country is a backwater in terms of infrastructure, culture and quality of life.

could be so nice, but they just keep choosing inequality