3 ms·

This is How A Society Dies

12 points by yarapavan 7y ago

JMTQp8lwXL 7y ago
> the only two rich societies in the world with falling life expectancies, incomes, savings, happiness, trust — every single social indicator you can imagine — are America and Britain Real median income is rising and has recovered since the '08 financial crisis [0]. The savings rate, a proxy for savings, is also increasing [1]. Happiness a bit more amorphous to measure; trust, I won't contest. An article like this is difficult to read without thinking of one's personal situation. And even so, it's hard to generalize the "average" American family's situation, since there is a wide variety of situations. > We’re not even capable of noticing — much less understanding — our twin collapse. It is abundantly clear to the "have nots" -- anyone not in the top 10 percent -- of what their financial situation looks like. > The average person is living right at the edge. Not at the edge of the middle class dream and an even better one. I'm in the top 10% by household income, and this rings true to me. There is no way I could balance housing costs, retirement, and childcare costs (no children currently, so the last expense is moot). Part of me wonders why I don't move to flyover country, have one-tenth the housing costs I currently do, and live an ignorant life. I could take my tech job with me, but I wouldn't need the salary. Working hard doesn't seem to get me to an even reasonable semblance of typical middle class life. Why subject myself to toiling for no marginal benefit? [0]: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEHOINUSA672N https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEHOINUSA672N [1]: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT
slowhadoken 7y ago
20 years ago I voted in my first Presidential election. I voted for Ralph Nader. Nadar ran in 2000 as the Green Party candidate in the Presidential election and got 2,882,955 (2.74%) votes. People called him a socialist nutjob. In 2016 Bernie Sanders ran on an almost identical platform as Nadar and I voted for him. Sanders got 13,206,428 votes in the Democratic Primary and lost to Hillary Clinton amidst rumors and evidence of vote manipulation, collusion between the DNC and Clinton, and murder. I think people are finally starting to notice.

12 points by yarapavan 7y ago

> the only two rich societies in the world with falling life expectancies, incomes, savings, happiness, trust — every single social indicator you can imagine — are America and Britain Real median income is rising and has recovered since the '08 financial crisis [0]. The savings rate, a proxy for savings, is also increasing [1]. Happiness a bit more amorphous to measure; trust, I won't contest. An article like this is difficult to read without thinking of one's personal situation. And even so, it's hard to generalize the "average" American family's situation, since there is a wide variety of situations. > We’re not even capable of noticing — much less understanding — our twin collapse. It is abundantly clear to the "have nots" -- anyone not in the top 10 percent -- of what their financial situation looks like. > The average person is living right at the edge. Not at the edge of the middle class dream and an even better one. I'm in the top 10% by household income, and this rings true to me. There is no way I could balance housing costs, retirement, and childcare costs (no children currently, so the last expense is moot). Part of me wonders why I don't move to flyover country, have one-tenth the housing costs I currently do, and live an ignorant life. I could take my tech job with me, but I wouldn't need the salary. Working hard doesn't seem to get me to an even reasonable semblance of typical middle class life. Why subject myself to toiling for no marginal benefit? [0]: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEHOINUSA672N https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEHOINUSA672N [1]: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT

slowhadoken 7y ago

20 years ago I voted in my first Presidential election. I voted for Ralph Nader. Nadar ran in 2000 as the Green Party candidate in the Presidential election and got 2,882,955 (2.74%) votes. People called him a socialist nutjob. In 2016 Bernie Sanders ran on an almost identical platform as Nadar and I voted for him. Sanders got 13,206,428 votes in the Democratic Primary and lost to Hillary Clinton amidst rumors and evidence of vote manipulation, collusion between the DNC and Clinton, and murder. I think people are finally starting to notice.