The middle class poorer than the rest of the world in other countries now

[StinkyPinky]

I lump those people in with those that believe other countries have it so much better yet have never traveled to the countries in question or for that matter never traveled outside the US. People in other countries aren't allowed to fight or speak out so the rich/nobility take what they want. There's no utopian countries...period.

I'm American but spent most of my childhood in Australia and New Zealand. I assure you that people in these countries are very much allowed to fight and speak out against the government.

I'm well aware no nation is perfect but I just find it sad you've got families of trailer trash who have spent generations in poverty that actually fight to protect the wealthy elite. It's just idiotic but sadly these people have been brainwashed by state and god. At least it seems that way to me.

 

[BoberFett]

I'm well aware no nation is perfect but I just find it sad you've got families of trailer trash who have spent generations in poverty that actually fight to protect the wealthy elite. It's just idiotic but sadly these people have been brainwashed by state and god. At least it seems that way to me.

Maybe they're OK with their station in life, and don't blame their lifestyle on the wealthy?

For all the talk about greed being a characteristic of the wealthy, there sure are a lot of greedy Democrats. "Those people have too much money, take it away from them and give it to me!"

That's greed in my book, and makes the "trash" label far more applicable to you than it does to people living in trailers.

 

[AViking]

2:30 in the morning so don't expect much from me but here's an interesting side note.

Princeton published a paper on Apr 9th where they said the USA is no longer a democracy but is now an oligarchy much like China, Russia, and South Africa.

I found the article on the BBC. It was on the front page. Same on a bunch of other foreign sites. I then started checking American news sources for the same thing.

NOPE:
CNN
Foxnews (Alan Colmes did have something on the radio)
My local US newspaper in CA
San Francisco Chronicle
LA Times
ABC
NBC

YES
MSNBC
Washington Times
Washington Post
New Yorker
NY Times

 

[HeXen]

It's cause there's McDonalds that addict people with crack burgers that make them fat and the fat makes the lazy and the lazy makes them poor.

 

[Zaap]

Holy crap, more people in poland, mexico and russia own their homes than in the united states?

We are doing something wrong, something seriously wrong.

Don't worry, we'll get there.

 

[MongGrel]

New York Times article link

Apparently the US is not the greatest nor richest anymore, we lag far behind other countries now.

In the USA 3.09% own a holiday cottage.



20% own one in Sweden and 55% have access to one. So yes there is the issue of siblings and not all of them outright owning it. Yes as far as I know it's mostly inherited. I have friends who have passed down the same summer cottage for over 150 years. They have a nice piece of land, tend to it, and enjoy mostly summers there but also a bit during the rest of the year.

I completely agree with you that no place is perfect. I'm simply pointing out things that Americans do not understand. I've lived in Europe for years, on and off, and lived in the US for 35 years. I have a unique perspective. I'm not talking about visiting a place for 2 weeks and then trying to compare. I have lived, studied, and worked in both continents. I've lived in the midwest and in CA. I have lived on the beaches (within 2 blocks) in CA: La Jolla, Marina Del Rey, Playa Del Rey, and Santa Monica and I still think the quality of life in Europe dominates what we get in the US. Americans are doing it wrong. I'm in the top percentiles so I have nothing to worry about personally but who wants to live in a place where most people are barely getting by, struggling to save money, are going to be living on very little when they retire, are not raising their own children, don't have affordable access to healthcare and education AND deny that they have a problem? The USA used to be amazing. I hope it is again one day.

I usually don't agree with you on many things, but yep.

But the solution is pretty much a moot point with all the unfettered globalization that has been going on.

 

[shady28]

2:30 in the morning so don't expect much from me but here's an interesting side note.

Princeton published a paper on Apr 9th where they said the USA is no longer a democracy but is now an oligarchy much like China, Russia, and South Africa.

I found the article on the BBC. It was on the front page. Same on a bunch of other foreign sites. I then started checking American news sources for the same thing.

NOPE:
CNN
Foxnews (Alan Colmes did have something on the radio)
My local US newspaper in CA
San Francisco Chronicle
LA Times
ABC
NBC

YES
MSNBC
Washington Times
Washington Post
New Yorker
NY Times

I think the paper is accurate as far as it goes.

I should point out that, despite your characterization of the paper as a liberal progressive product, it is equally damning to both republicans and democrats.


A quick summary :


Legislation does not reflect the desires of the population as a whole, nor does it even reflect the desires of the top 10%, for the past 40 years.

It reflects the desires of large politically connected lobbying groups, including corporate / business groups as well as special interests.

Occasionally these interests intersect with the desires of the majority of Americans. When they do and such legislation passes, Americans believe that they have won something through political power.

But that is only a mirage, a coincidence where the needs of these powerful lobbying groups intersected with the desires of the population for a brief moment.

It does not matter which political party controls congress or the white house; the legislation being passed is not representative of what the majority want.

The paper comes to those conclusions based on legislation / lobbying information as well as polls done on various legislative topics for the past 40 years. Using that data they came to the conclusion that there is strong correlation/causation with the lobbyists and the passage of legislation, and not much with the opinion of the public.

It just tells us what most should have already known - Dems and Repubs sold everyone out decades ago.

 

[AViking]

I didn't characterize the paper at all. My point was that our media is censoring information. Front page information. Information that every American should be aware of.

 

[shady28]

I didn't characterize the paper at all. My point was that our media is censoring information. Front page information. Information that every American should be aware of.

Apologies, you're correct. I just saw fox in one list and MSNBC in the other and jumped to a conclusion

 

[Engineer]

Ross Perot says "I told you so".

 

[Attic]

Ross Perot says "I told you so".

That Giant Sucking Sound

Two party system is the sham that allows for much of the problems in the nation to be tolerated by many citizens.

 

[waggy]

Ross Perot says "I told you so".

yaep. sad that he wasn't voted in.

Holy crap, more people in poland, mexico and russia own their homes than in the united states?

We are doing something wrong, something seriously wrong.

not really. Home ownership really does not mean a lot. you don't need one to be a success.


though also i would like to see what % of the US population lives in cities vs rural.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

yaep. sad that he wasn't voted in .

I did my part and voted for him.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Sarcasm meter just maxed out. Good one though.

Our capitalist greed will be our downfall. Rather than working for the greater good, we are only concerned with our own good.

A single brick does not make a wall. Only through cooperation can we build something great.

Holy crap we agree here.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Quality of life is much higher in Europe

Unfortunately the hostility towards minorities in Europe is even greater than in the US - Cliven Bundy would probably be elected to office in Sweden and many other European countries while in the US now he is ridiculed. The 'threshold' for acceptable racism in Europe is so high that quality of life for most minorities in Europe is truly awful.