5 ms·

I think the problem with comparing the United States with other countries in general- specifically Sweden/Norway or even the UK or Canada is that the United Sta

I think the problem with comparing the United States with other countries in general- specifically Sweden/Norway or even the UK or Canada is that the United States is just so much bigger. So, the characteristics of the "average" person are hardly representative (obviously). It's hard to imagine that this site can adequately compare life in two places. A better comparison may be single metropolitan area or state. I.e I think it would be more relevant to compare NYC with London, or Massachusetts with Sweden. To the credit of the website though, it is cleanly designed and pretty interesting to play with. Cool.

axod 16y ago
Definitely be interesting, but I think many of the figures would remain the same. The lack of state provided health care exists whether you look at the US or only NY. It'd be nice to get some user contributed/voted on facts as well on the website... for example (some of my own): US: You can't buy good cheese or chocolate GB: You can't buy good milkshakes or burgers
- geedee77 16y ago
  You've obviously never tried Gourmet Burger Kitchen in the UK!
  - axod 16y ago
    Don't think I have. I'll check it out next time I'm in cambridge or bluewater (My closest it looks like). Thanks for the recommendation
    - apl 16y ago
      Cambridge has one on Regent Street. Good burger; you won't find a decent milkshake, though.
      - buro9 16y ago
        Bob Bob Ricard are somewhat OTT, but still their milkshakes are divine and rival what you can find in NYC: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=5205391226741305498 http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=5205391226741305498 Shame you have to go to a high class restaurant/cocktail bar for it though.
  - ottbot 16y ago
    I'm an American in the UK, I'm not a fan of GBK. I much prefer Byron (small London chain), which I would consider a good burger by any standards.
    - pierrefar 16y ago
      I find GBK's menu very... "creative". I always go for the basic plain burger which is frankly great for meat purists like me :)
- meterplech 16y ago
  True about NY, but not about Massachusetts actually. If you go to page 3 of (1), you see that people under 300% of poverty level are provided care through "Commonwealth Care." This actually adds to my point, because of the US's federal system, different states, regions, and cities have not only different demographics, but different laws as well. I like the idea of adding the "what is good where" point as well. For example, they don't discuss things like access to beach, or frequency of bone chilling blizzards. (1): Somewhat large PDF... https://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/binary/com.epicentric.contentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServlet/About%2520Us/CommonwealthCare/Commonwealth%2520Care%2520Program%2520Guide.pdf https://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/binary/com.epicentr...
- arethuza 16y ago
  The taste of American chocolate has always puzzled me - apparently it is down to butyric acid: http://www.rps.psu.edu/0009/chocolate.html http://www.rps.psu.edu/0009/chocolate.html
  - axod 16y ago
    It tastes like they completely forgot to add sugar or milk. It's like eating raw cocoa, or cheap hot chocolate powder.
    - refresheduk 16y ago
      totally true!
    - sp332 16y ago
      Freshness counts for a lot. I've seen that happen with chocolate that has melted and then re-solidified in the package. It's kind of powdery and dry, and it doesn't taste right. Visiting the amusement park & chocolate factory in Hershey, PA is probably the only time I was impressed by Hershey's chocolate. Some of it was still warm :-)
  - pbhjpbhj 16y ago
    I went to a lecture by a chemist working in chocolate production (this was about 14 years ago though) - they said that Hershey taste and hence the American chocolate taste was down to off milk. When chocolate factories were set up the milk couldn't be kept cool in transport and so went off before it could be used in the chocolate. They remedied this when the process had been improved but people wanted the traditional flavour and so they went back to off-milk flavoured chocolate. It was a great lecture they handed out pouches with about 14 different samples including chocolate at different stages of production and, the quite frankly disgusting, original style of Hershey chocolate.
- anamax 16y ago
  > The lack of state provided health care There is no "lack of state provided health care" in the US. Walk into a hospital - they're obligated to treat you. If you're poor, you can ignore the bills. (Or you can go to a public hospital and they likely won't bother if you fill out some forms first.) Of course, better treatment costs money, but that's true everywhere.
  - argv_empty 16y ago
    If it were that simple, we wouldn't have people going bankrupt from paying their medical bills.
    - yummyfajitas 16y ago
      people going bankrupt from paying their medical bills Do you have evidence that this occurs to any significant degree? [citation needed]
      - cpeterso 16y ago
        "Study Links Medical Costs and Personal Bankruptcy: Harvard researchers say 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2007 were caused by health problems -- and 78% of those filers had medical insurance." http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/db2009064_666715.htm http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/...
        yummyfajitas 16y ago
        I figured you would cite Warren. The media bought her "study" hook line and sinker, and there isn't much else to support this claim. (Seriously, if you don't believe me, try to find any replication of it.) Her study is deeply flawed. The biggest problem is that it doesn't address causality or even correlation - for all we know, 62% of statistically similar people who did not go bankrupt also had a "major medical cause" of their non-bankruptcy. She doesn't address this at all. Here is the study: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16155232/Bankruptcy-2009 http://www.scribd.com/doc/16155232/Bankruptcy-2009 Here is a more detailed critique of it: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/06/elizabeth-warren-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-utterly-misleading-bankruptcy-study/18826/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/06/elizabet... Here is Megan McArdle's followup, based on a prediction she made (she was correct): http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/12/will-health-care-reform-reduce-medical-bankruptcies/68304/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/12/will-hea... Seriously, try again. I still have yet to see any source making this claim besides Warren.
erikstarck 16y ago
If Sweden would have been a US state, it would have been the poorest of them all. At least that was true a few years ago. EDIT: I only had links in Swedish to sources, but here's one in English: http://www.shsweb.fi/forum/1/28783/28785/ http://www.shsweb.fi/forum/1/28783/28785/ Another: http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/11/sweden-mississippi-if-sweden-joined-us.html http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/11/sweden-mississippi-if-sw... But do note that Sweden has seen a very strong growth the last year while the US has slowed somewhat. EDIT 2: for those downvoting, see my response below.
- m_eiman 16y ago
  Source?
- david927 16y ago
  List of richest countries (IMF): #7 : Sweden #9 : United States Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nom... I hate to reduce this to numbers, especially GDP per capita which is even more of a joke, but in any sensible form of measurement, Sweden has been richer than the US for a long time.
  - erikstarck 16y ago
    Wow, thanks, I didn't know that Sweden had passed the US (edit: it hasn't see link below). This must have happened the last 4-5 years. Still, the links in my previous post are about purchasing power, not GDP/capita. But you're right, they are at least much closer now. Actually, this is pretty good news for the US, because Sweden was in a terrible mess in the mid 90s but managed to clean things up in a relatively short time (less than a decade). Of course, the US economy is much, much larger, but it's worth noting that things can get better rapidly once you're on the right track again. EDIT: here's a graph from 2009 showing GDP/capita where Sweden is still far behind the US: http://www.ekonomifakta.se/en/Facts-and-figures/Economy/Economic-growth/GDP-per-capita-/ http://www.ekonomifakta.se/en/Facts-and-figures/Economy/Econ... EDIT: purchasing power adjusted figures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_... Sweden still far behind the US.
benfrederickson 16y ago
Not to be pedantic, but the United States isn't bigger than Canada (its just more populous).
- gte910h 16y ago
  It is about 60,000 km^2 bigger, while we have our pedantic hats on. Approximately the US state of Vermont is the difference in size.

axod 16y ago

Definitely be interesting, but I think many of the figures would remain the same. The lack of state provided health care exists whether you look at the US or only NY. It'd be nice to get some user contributed/voted on facts as well on the website... for example (some of my own): US: You can't buy good cheese or chocolate GB: You can't buy good milkshakes or burgers

geedee77 16y ago
You've obviously never tried Gourmet Burger Kitchen in the UK!
- axod 16y ago
  Don't think I have. I'll check it out next time I'm in cambridge or bluewater (My closest it looks like). Thanks for the recommendation
  - apl 16y ago
    Cambridge has one on Regent Street. Good burger; you won't find a decent milkshake, though.
    - buro9 16y ago
      Bob Bob Ricard are somewhat OTT, but still their milkshakes are divine and rival what you can find in NYC: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=5205391226741305498 http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=5205391226741305498 Shame you have to go to a high class restaurant/cocktail bar for it though.
- ottbot 16y ago
  I'm an American in the UK, I'm not a fan of GBK. I much prefer Byron (small London chain), which I would consider a good burger by any standards.
  - pierrefar 16y ago
    I find GBK's menu very... "creative". I always go for the basic plain burger which is frankly great for meat purists like me :)
meterplech 16y ago
True about NY, but not about Massachusetts actually. If you go to page 3 of (1), you see that people under 300% of poverty level are provided care through "Commonwealth Care." This actually adds to my point, because of the US's federal system, different states, regions, and cities have not only different demographics, but different laws as well. I like the idea of adding the "what is good where" point as well. For example, they don't discuss things like access to beach, or frequency of bone chilling blizzards. (1): Somewhat large PDF... https://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/binary/com.epicentric.contentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServlet/About%2520Us/CommonwealthCare/Commonwealth%2520Care%2520Program%2520Guide.pdf https://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/binary/com.epicentr...
arethuza 16y ago
The taste of American chocolate has always puzzled me - apparently it is down to butyric acid: http://www.rps.psu.edu/0009/chocolate.html http://www.rps.psu.edu/0009/chocolate.html
- axod 16y ago
  It tastes like they completely forgot to add sugar or milk. It's like eating raw cocoa, or cheap hot chocolate powder.
  - refresheduk 16y ago
    totally true!
  - sp332 16y ago
    Freshness counts for a lot. I've seen that happen with chocolate that has melted and then re-solidified in the package. It's kind of powdery and dry, and it doesn't taste right. Visiting the amusement park & chocolate factory in Hershey, PA is probably the only time I was impressed by Hershey's chocolate. Some of it was still warm :-)
- pbhjpbhj 16y ago
  I went to a lecture by a chemist working in chocolate production (this was about 14 years ago though) - they said that Hershey taste and hence the American chocolate taste was down to off milk. When chocolate factories were set up the milk couldn't be kept cool in transport and so went off before it could be used in the chocolate. They remedied this when the process had been improved but people wanted the traditional flavour and so they went back to off-milk flavoured chocolate. It was a great lecture they handed out pouches with about 14 different samples including chocolate at different stages of production and, the quite frankly disgusting, original style of Hershey chocolate.
anamax 16y ago
> The lack of state provided health care There is no "lack of state provided health care" in the US. Walk into a hospital - they're obligated to treat you. If you're poor, you can ignore the bills. (Or you can go to a public hospital and they likely won't bother if you fill out some forms first.) Of course, better treatment costs money, but that's true everywhere.
- argv_empty 16y ago
  If it were that simple, we wouldn't have people going bankrupt from paying their medical bills.
  - yummyfajitas 16y ago
    people going bankrupt from paying their medical bills Do you have evidence that this occurs to any significant degree? [citation needed]
    - cpeterso 16y ago
      "Study Links Medical Costs and Personal Bankruptcy: Harvard researchers say 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2007 were caused by health problems -- and 78% of those filers had medical insurance." http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/db2009064_666715.htm http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/...
      - yummyfajitas 16y ago
        I figured you would cite Warren. The media bought her "study" hook line and sinker, and there isn't much else to support this claim. (Seriously, if you don't believe me, try to find any replication of it.) Her study is deeply flawed. The biggest problem is that it doesn't address causality or even correlation - for all we know, 62% of statistically similar people who did not go bankrupt also had a "major medical cause" of their non-bankruptcy. She doesn't address this at all. Here is the study: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16155232/Bankruptcy-2009 http://www.scribd.com/doc/16155232/Bankruptcy-2009 Here is a more detailed critique of it: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/06/elizabeth-warren-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-utterly-misleading-bankruptcy-study/18826/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/06/elizabet... Here is Megan McArdle's followup, based on a prediction she made (she was correct): http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/12/will-health-care-reform-reduce-medical-bankruptcies/68304/ http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/12/will-hea... Seriously, try again. I still have yet to see any source making this claim besides Warren.

erikstarck 16y ago

If Sweden would have been a US state, it would have been the poorest of them all. At least that was true a few years ago. EDIT: I only had links in Swedish to sources, but here's one in English: http://www.shsweb.fi/forum/1/28783/28785/ http://www.shsweb.fi/forum/1/28783/28785/ Another: http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/11/sweden-mississippi-if-sweden-joined-us.html http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/11/sweden-mississippi-if-sw... But do note that Sweden has seen a very strong growth the last year while the US has slowed somewhat. EDIT 2: for those downvoting, see my response below.

m_eiman 16y ago
Source?
david927 16y ago
List of richest countries (IMF): #7 : Sweden #9 : United States Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nom... I hate to reduce this to numbers, especially GDP per capita which is even more of a joke, but in any sensible form of measurement, Sweden has been richer than the US for a long time.
- erikstarck 16y ago
  Wow, thanks, I didn't know that Sweden had passed the US (edit: it hasn't see link below). This must have happened the last 4-5 years. Still, the links in my previous post are about purchasing power, not GDP/capita. But you're right, they are at least much closer now. Actually, this is pretty good news for the US, because Sweden was in a terrible mess in the mid 90s but managed to clean things up in a relatively short time (less than a decade). Of course, the US economy is much, much larger, but it's worth noting that things can get better rapidly once you're on the right track again. EDIT: here's a graph from 2009 showing GDP/capita where Sweden is still far behind the US: http://www.ekonomifakta.se/en/Facts-and-figures/Economy/Economic-growth/GDP-per-capita-/ http://www.ekonomifakta.se/en/Facts-and-figures/Economy/Econ... EDIT: purchasing power adjusted figures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_... Sweden still far behind the US.

benfrederickson 16y ago

Not to be pedantic, but the United States isn't bigger than Canada (its just more populous).

gte910h 16y ago
It is about 60,000 km^2 bigger, while we have our pedantic hats on. Approximately the US state of Vermont is the difference in size.