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Economic growth. That's in the media in government documents but it's that the measure most citizens should care about The numbers grew but how much did qual

Economic growth. That's in the media in government documents but it's that the measure most citizens should care about The numbers grew but how much did quality of life increase in the past 20 years in the US? A vast majority of the population are in debt, the middle class has all but disappeared, unprecedented levels of working-but-homeless. But profits dose, hurrah!

dsfyu404ed 7y ago
>But how much did quality of life increase in the past 20 years in the US? I have a magic little rectangle in my pocket that can answer an obscure question, get in contact with someone or order me a pizza faster than the president of the united state could get those things done in 1999. My car tells me when a tire is low. My oven automatically turns off when it's done baking for a pre-selected time. Etc. Etc. Sure, all that stuff existed in 1999 but it was rare or primitive. Today even someone living paycheck to paycheck has that standard of living. Technology has come down in cost and permeated our lives resulting in unprecedented convenience. It's the difference between the USSR launching the first satellite once at great expense and a private company flinging a car into space because "well we needed a test payload and why not". All this comes with trade-offs and a learning curve but so does every other bit of progress humanity ever made.
- apacheCamel 7y ago
  Does quality of life include health? These families living paycheck to paycheck, at least in the US, would be totally destroyed if a health related issue came up.
- JohnFen 7y ago
  I'm not convinced that convenience or technological gadgetry is a good indicator of quality of life.
- president 7y ago
  All the examples that you have provided are conveniences that are only needed because the general population now needs to work longer and harder to afford cost of living. And what's the point of advanced healthcare when most people can't even afford it? Take a trip out to the US Rust Belt and ask them how technology has improved their lives. Point is, economic growth is nothing to marvel at if only a select amount of people are benefiting.

dsfyu404ed 7y ago

>But how much did quality of life increase in the past 20 years in the US? I have a magic little rectangle in my pocket that can answer an obscure question, get in contact with someone or order me a pizza faster than the president of the united state could get those things done in 1999. My car tells me when a tire is low. My oven automatically turns off when it's done baking for a pre-selected time. Etc. Etc. Sure, all that stuff existed in 1999 but it was rare or primitive. Today even someone living paycheck to paycheck has that standard of living. Technology has come down in cost and permeated our lives resulting in unprecedented convenience. It's the difference between the USSR launching the first satellite once at great expense and a private company flinging a car into space because "well we needed a test payload and why not". All this comes with trade-offs and a learning curve but so does every other bit of progress humanity ever made.

apacheCamel 7y ago
Does quality of life include health? These families living paycheck to paycheck, at least in the US, would be totally destroyed if a health related issue came up.
JohnFen 7y ago
I'm not convinced that convenience or technological gadgetry is a good indicator of quality of life.
president 7y ago
All the examples that you have provided are conveniences that are only needed because the general population now needs to work longer and harder to afford cost of living. And what's the point of advanced healthcare when most people can't even afford it? Take a trip out to the US Rust Belt and ask them how technology has improved their lives. Point is, economic growth is nothing to marvel at if only a select amount of people are benefiting.