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Why is inequality a problem if everyone else’s quality of life is improving? Poverty is lower than ever and most adults in developed countries have a smartphone
by throwawaysea 7y ago
Why is inequality a problem if everyone else’s quality of life is improving? Poverty is lower than ever and most adults in developed countries have a smartphone, an unimaginable luxury that not even the richest could have twenty years ago. Things are good.
- dv_dt 7y agoGlobally quality of life is improving, locally the US is regressing to third world status among larger and larger areas. Financial measures somewhat cover up the increase in instability in people’s lives.
- throwawaysea 7y agoIt is a gross exaggeration to claim that the US is regressing to third world status. See https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americans-living-standards-are-at-an-all-time-high-heres-proof-2019-05-02 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americans-living-standards.... Americans are better off today than ever before.
- dv_dt 7y agoThe UN report on poverty in the US is more informative to me. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/15/extreme-poverty-america-un-special-monitor-report https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/15/extreme-povert...
- james_s_tayler 7y agoI think you need to read Factfulness.
- barrkel 7y agoEveryone else's quality of life isn't improving. US real income for the middle classes has been stagnating since the 70s - https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us...
- throwawaysea 7y agoIncome isn’t quality of life or purchasing power.
- bt848 7y agoIn California's Bay Area there are people sleeping under bridges a few steps from houses that cost millions of dollars.
- danans 7y agoSome very important things have become hugely expensive, while other things have become incredibly cheap. Housing near work opportunities, education, health care, and childcare are many times more expensive today than in the past, adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity [1]. Smartphones are not a luxury today by the very definition of what a luxury is (something scarce and hence expensive). Likewise, entertainment and other diversion options have become very cheap. https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/02/09/considerations-on-cost-disease/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/02/09/considerations-on-cost...
- TrackerFF 7y agoAre people getting wealthier, or more indebted? Getting people out of poverty is good, but not if it's simply by throwing debt at them.
- imtringued 7y agoWhy would you use something that costs less than rent as an example of lack of poverty?
- asdff 7y agoHomeless people have smartphones, all must be well then.