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All points in history. Even a generation ago. The life expectancy gap has continued to close since we started measuring it, nationally and globally. The educa

All points in history. Even a generation ago. The life expectancy gap has continued to close since we started measuring it, nationally and globally. The education gap is closing too, more people are college educated today than at any time in the past. In the recent past, only the elite could afford college. This gap has only been closing, with or without government intervention. As for 'decent housing', the housing quality gap between the rich and the poor has never been smaller either. Today poor homes are just as good at rich homes at things homes should do. Both poor and rich homes are similarly good at keeping out weather conditions, at heating, cooling, having bathrooms, kitchens. Even in the recent past this was not true. Yes, rich homes are bigger and made of more luxury materials - those both have a tiny impact on quality of life compared to the measures I've given. The housing quality of life gap has closed tremendously, and has only continued to close. The gap is small as-is. I see little reason to close it further.

danans 9y ago
> The life expectancy gap has continued to close since we started measuring it, nationally and globally. This article is referring to the US, not the whole world. In the US, the life expectancy gap is increasing between the rich and the poor: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2626194 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article... Life-expectancy is also not the end-all of health care, just one indicator. Prior to the CHIP program, many poor children had no access to preventative health care at all. > more people are college educated today than at any time in the past. In the recent past, only the elite could afford college. This gap has only been closing More people have degrees, but the goal-posts have also moved considerably and a college degree (depending on the type) doesn't have nearly the value in terms of job prospects that it used to have. Just citing the degree rate doesn't provide any of that very important context. When it comes to primary and secondary education, the gap between rich and poor is considerable and persistent: http://news.stanford.edu/2016/04/29/local-education-inequities-across-u-s-revealed-new-stanford-data-set/ http://news.stanford.edu/2016/04/29/local-education-inequiti... > Both poor and rich homes are similarly good at keeping out weather conditions, at heating, cooling, having bathrooms, kitchens. Take a drive through a very poor section of a city or rural area, say in the rust belt or in a rural area, and you will find that this is often not the case. Beyond the home itself, these locations often have worse infrastructure: buckled roads and in recent cases contaminated water. > The gap is small as-is. I see little reason to close it further. No doubt, for people who think as you do, all of the above disparities are totally acceptable, a natural state of affairs, and we as a society should just stop any efforts to further mitigate them.
- randyrand 9y ago
  >No doubt, for people who think as you do, all of the above disparities are totally acceptable, a natural state of affairs, and we as a society should just stop any efforts to further mitigate them. Correct. But I have no issue with people that want to help. I just wish they'd stop literally forcing others into their cause.
danans 9y ago
Just published: US life expectancy actually declining among some groups: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/americans-are-dying-younger-saving-corporations-billions https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/americans...

danans 9y ago

> The life expectancy gap has continued to close since we started measuring it, nationally and globally. This article is referring to the US, not the whole world. In the US, the life expectancy gap is increasing between the rich and the poor: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2626194 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article... Life-expectancy is also not the end-all of health care, just one indicator. Prior to the CHIP program, many poor children had no access to preventative health care at all. > more people are college educated today than at any time in the past. In the recent past, only the elite could afford college. This gap has only been closing More people have degrees, but the goal-posts have also moved considerably and a college degree (depending on the type) doesn't have nearly the value in terms of job prospects that it used to have. Just citing the degree rate doesn't provide any of that very important context. When it comes to primary and secondary education, the gap between rich and poor is considerable and persistent: http://news.stanford.edu/2016/04/29/local-education-inequities-across-u-s-revealed-new-stanford-data-set/ http://news.stanford.edu/2016/04/29/local-education-inequiti... > Both poor and rich homes are similarly good at keeping out weather conditions, at heating, cooling, having bathrooms, kitchens. Take a drive through a very poor section of a city or rural area, say in the rust belt or in a rural area, and you will find that this is often not the case. Beyond the home itself, these locations often have worse infrastructure: buckled roads and in recent cases contaminated water. > The gap is small as-is. I see little reason to close it further. No doubt, for people who think as you do, all of the above disparities are totally acceptable, a natural state of affairs, and we as a society should just stop any efforts to further mitigate them.

randyrand 9y ago
>No doubt, for people who think as you do, all of the above disparities are totally acceptable, a natural state of affairs, and we as a society should just stop any efforts to further mitigate them. Correct. But I have no issue with people that want to help. I just wish they'd stop literally forcing others into their cause.

danans 9y ago

Just published: US life expectancy actually declining among some groups: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/americans-are-dying-younger-saving-corporations-billions https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/americans...