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

Might not be the typical american, consider myself pretty aware of both me, my fam, and surroundings. Maybe it's all the drugs i did in college but 'chasing the dream is not for me anymore'. My mind was opened to things other than buying cars/clothes/homes, watching the latest shows etc. Hell I still get hours of enjoyment playing old SNES games on my laptop haha.

My family has carved out a little slice of life for ourselves and we are happy. Sure it's hard when you go on social medias (like the wife) and see 'friends' flying around the world, doing 'cool' things. meanwhile we are in midwest working every day trying to raise a little baby. Sometimes it's hard for folks to not get jealous. Let those millenials travel the world on their parents dime. I know people taking 30 day honeymoons going on global excursions. My wife and I paid for our entire honeymoon and spent a week in southern cal...

If you are able to ignore the outside signals, focus on what makes YOU happy. I have done that and apparently have found success in life. I've even gotten lucky with some jobs. Jobs i decided to stick with instead of jumping ship.

We live in a society

A lot depends on your particulars. I'm a minority and the US is great because I can earn opportunities my relatives in some other countries would not be allowed. In some other countries, your ethnicity/background/religion would get in the way far more than in the US.

This is not to say we don't have room for improvement, we do. Just that we're more meritocratic than certain other first world countries. I know this just comparing experiences, stories, outcomes from many friends, cousins, co-workers in other countries. (Also, I've lived overseas for work many years and got to see things firsthand.)

Is it a grind? Yes. Stressful? Yes. But meritocracies [wherever you are on the spectrum] are stressful because you are competing for outcomes rather than being born into them.

...And then there is US healthcare. I don't know what to say about that...

In a hyper-capitalistic society, money will be disproportionately allocated to the winners of whatever the society values at that time.

And that disparity causes agony and longing for the have-nots, the hope for better conditions. Some rise, some don't. But it's a constant wrestling match of allocations.

But the positive byproduct of disproportionate money allocation is innovation. That the Haves are able to accelerate their capitalistic interests because of their monetary rewards.

Suffering and disparity are functions of hyper-capitalism, innovation is another byproduct of that system, and no one embraces that system more than America.

This is the blathering of spoiled rich kid on vacation.

> In London, Paris, Berlin, I hop on the train, head to the cafe — it’s the afternoon, and nobody’s gotten to work until 9am, and even then, maybe not until 10 — order a carefully made coffee and a newly baked croissant, do some writing, pick up some fresh groceries, maybe a meal or two, head home — now it’s 6 or 7, and everyone else has already gone home around 5 — and watch something interesting, maybe a documentary by an academic, the BBC’s Blue Planet, or a Swedish crime-noir. I think back on my day and remember the people smiling and laughing at the pubs and cafes.

This is so farcical it's not even worth trying to rebut.