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Saudi Arabia and UAE also have high inequality, which breeds uncertainty as the poor struggle to live. Israel lives on the brink of war with her neighbors, a g

Saudi Arabia and UAE also have high inequality, which breeds uncertainty as the poor struggle to live. Israel lives on the brink of war with her neighbors, a great source of uncertainty.

muzani 6y ago
This is not a fair way to compare them. Every country has some form of uncertainty. Countries like US and Japan have extreme debt. Europe has low economic growth and poor fertility rates making things worse. China and India have overpopulation and wealth inequality. Korea is in a similar position to Israel - strong tech but also nearly at war. You can stamp the "uncertainty" label on everyone. The idea is to do it in a proper manner and be transparent about it.
- kstenerud 6y ago
  Actually, it's a perfectly fair comparison. When people are worried if they'll make it through the year intact, they'll seek some form of certainty to help them feel less vulnerable to ruin. China, India, and the USA have high inequality and few working programs for the poor. They also have high religiosity. Japan and Northern European countries, on the other hand, have low religiosity, and low income inequality, and no threat of war or famine. Korea is in transition, with still fairly high inequality (and also fairly high religiosity), although that's on the decline. You can of course stamp the "uncertainty" label on everyone if you want to play semantic games, but I'm not interested in that.
apta 6y ago
> Saudi Arabia and UAE also have high inequality That's despite of their religiosity (to be more specific, against the teachings of Islam), not because of it.
- kstenerud 6y ago
  That's the case in any nation with wealth inequality. Religion doesn't make the rich behave better; it makes the poor better able to bear the inequality.
  - apta 6y ago
    > Religion doesn't make the rich behave better It depends on which religion. Islam definitely makes the rich behave better. There is tons of evidence and anecdata.
    - kstenerud 6y ago
      It certainly makes the rich virtue signal better (all major religions do). Considering the almost constant critique of Pharisees and similar throughout the ages, I doubt it affects them much beyond that.
      - apta 6y ago
        It does not make them virtue signal if we look at what Islam teaches. As a matter of fact, being rich in Islam is a burden/test in its own way (we can see one reason why, as per this very article, and the fact that the rich will be asked about what they did with their wealth). Furthermore, and very importantly, virtue signaling is not only discouraged, but a very large sin (look up Riyaa').

Saudi Arabia and UAE also have high inequality, which breeds uncertainty as the poor struggle to live. Israel lives on the brink of war with her neighbors, a great source of uncertainty.

muzani 6y ago

This is not a fair way to compare them. Every country has some form of uncertainty. Countries like US and Japan have extreme debt. Europe has low economic growth and poor fertility rates making things worse. China and India have overpopulation and wealth inequality. Korea is in a similar position to Israel - strong tech but also nearly at war. You can stamp the "uncertainty" label on everyone. The idea is to do it in a proper manner and be transparent about it.

kstenerud 6y ago
Actually, it's a perfectly fair comparison. When people are worried if they'll make it through the year intact, they'll seek some form of certainty to help them feel less vulnerable to ruin. China, India, and the USA have high inequality and few working programs for the poor. They also have high religiosity. Japan and Northern European countries, on the other hand, have low religiosity, and low income inequality, and no threat of war or famine. Korea is in transition, with still fairly high inequality (and also fairly high religiosity), although that's on the decline. You can of course stamp the "uncertainty" label on everyone if you want to play semantic games, but I'm not interested in that.

apta 6y ago

> Saudi Arabia and UAE also have high inequality That's despite of their religiosity (to be more specific, against the teachings of Islam), not because of it.

kstenerud 6y ago
That's the case in any nation with wealth inequality. Religion doesn't make the rich behave better; it makes the poor better able to bear the inequality.
- apta 6y ago
  > Religion doesn't make the rich behave better It depends on which religion. Islam definitely makes the rich behave better. There is tons of evidence and anecdata.
  - kstenerud 6y ago
    It certainly makes the rich virtue signal better (all major religions do). Considering the almost constant critique of Pharisees and similar throughout the ages, I doubt it affects them much beyond that.
    - apta 6y ago
      It does not make them virtue signal if we look at what Islam teaches. As a matter of fact, being rich in Islam is a burden/test in its own way (we can see one reason why, as per this very article, and the fact that the rich will be asked about what they did with their wealth). Furthermore, and very importantly, virtue signaling is not only discouraged, but a very large sin (look up Riyaa').