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While I don't think this direct comparison is valid (at least let's also have the per capita numbers, which I believe is around 60% higher in Houston if Google

While I don't think this direct comparison is valid (at least let's also have the per capita numbers, which I believe is around 60% higher in Houston if Google snippets are to be believed) one could argue that a portion of that GDP is enabled by road infrastructure such as this interchange.

kaesar14 6y ago
America is the richest country on earth. It's such a kneejerk reaction of our countrymen to defend our insane way of life by bringing up GDP numbers instead of stuff like life expectancy, quality of life, access to equitable transportation. America being rich is known fact already. Edit: From your own happiness survey link - "The U.S. GNI per capita income is actually higher than in most of the countries ahead of the U.S. in the global ranking of happiness. There are about 130 countries that showed up as less happy than the U.S. in 2013. Despite our outstanding technological and economic progress over the past half-century, we are without significant achievements in life satisfaction and the subjective happiness of our population. In contrast, uncertainties and anxieties are high, social and economic inequalities have widened considerably and social trust is in decline. There is an impression that the U.S. has not been very effective at turning its great business capacities, human resources, productivity and natural wealth to the best aim: increased happiness." Don't give a damn about GDP.
- mixedCase 6y ago
  > It's such a kneejerk reaction of our countrymen to defend our insane way of life by bringing up GDP numbers I'm not from the US. I live in latin america where people think like you do and feel everyone is entitled to a bunch of "essential" things by the state using public money, and here I am watching Argentina from the other side of the river as it beats its poverty high score every day right after Venezuela did the same thing with the same exact steps. Just now they socialized the Internet, cable and telcos, wonder what else is going to be "essential". > From your own happiness survey link That is not my link. It's not even in the same comment subtree. > Don't give a damn about GDP. Well, pick a country around here from the ones that share your line of thought and just move. If you can get me one of them unhappy green cards on your way please let me know.
  - Daishiman 6y ago
    Dude, they didn't socialize. If you're going to complain about the country then get the facts straight. FYI, if you're a porteño from Av Rivadavia or further up north in the city, your infrastructure is just as good as, if not better, than most American cities. And I've lived in quite a few.
- refurb 6y ago
  Don't give a damn about GDP. Really? Because it's GDP that funds all those government services and social programs. I'm always confused when people don't give a damn about economics (i.e. during the Covid shutdown debate) when without economics you wouldn't have a functioning society.
  - romanoderoma 6y ago
    Is US society working according to their very high GDP though? Estonia GDP is measured in billions and yet their infant mortality rate is half than US despite their trillions of dollars of GDP
    - refurb 6y ago
      Be careful with your cherry picked stats. Countries don't measure infant mortality the same way. Not to mention Estonia's lower infant mortality doesn't actually disprove my comment.
      - romanoderoma 6y ago
        It actually does I cherry picked infant mortality rate because I didn't want to pick the most embarrassing US stats, like life expectancy (lowest in the west despite the highest healthcare spending per capita) and homicide rate (4 times the Nigeria, 6 times China, 10 times Europe) The fact that even little Estonia can handle infant mortality rate better than a superpower like USA it's kinda revealing I'm also quite sure that if I picked China and its almost double infant mortality rate you wouldn't have though I was cherry picking US is good at making money, but it's not a good indicator that they know how to spend them the right way > The numbers in the U.S. are partly driven by gun deaths. From 2001 to 2010, 15-to-19-year-olds were 82 times more likely to die from gun violence in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries. Thakrar also attributes the higher U.S. child and infant mortality rates to a lack of preventative care. Thakrar is Ashish Thakrar, medical resident at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System.
        6y ago

kaesar14 6y ago

America is the richest country on earth. It's such a kneejerk reaction of our countrymen to defend our insane way of life by bringing up GDP numbers instead of stuff like life expectancy, quality of life, access to equitable transportation. America being rich is known fact already. Edit: From your own happiness survey link - "The U.S. GNI per capita income is actually higher than in most of the countries ahead of the U.S. in the global ranking of happiness. There are about 130 countries that showed up as less happy than the U.S. in 2013. Despite our outstanding technological and economic progress over the past half-century, we are without significant achievements in life satisfaction and the subjective happiness of our population. In contrast, uncertainties and anxieties are high, social and economic inequalities have widened considerably and social trust is in decline. There is an impression that the U.S. has not been very effective at turning its great business capacities, human resources, productivity and natural wealth to the best aim: increased happiness." Don't give a damn about GDP.

mixedCase 6y ago
> It's such a kneejerk reaction of our countrymen to defend our insane way of life by bringing up GDP numbers I'm not from the US. I live in latin america where people think like you do and feel everyone is entitled to a bunch of "essential" things by the state using public money, and here I am watching Argentina from the other side of the river as it beats its poverty high score every day right after Venezuela did the same thing with the same exact steps. Just now they socialized the Internet, cable and telcos, wonder what else is going to be "essential". > From your own happiness survey link That is not my link. It's not even in the same comment subtree. > Don't give a damn about GDP. Well, pick a country around here from the ones that share your line of thought and just move. If you can get me one of them unhappy green cards on your way please let me know.
- Daishiman 6y ago
  Dude, they didn't socialize. If you're going to complain about the country then get the facts straight. FYI, if you're a porteño from Av Rivadavia or further up north in the city, your infrastructure is just as good as, if not better, than most American cities. And I've lived in quite a few.
refurb 6y ago
Don't give a damn about GDP. Really? Because it's GDP that funds all those government services and social programs. I'm always confused when people don't give a damn about economics (i.e. during the Covid shutdown debate) when without economics you wouldn't have a functioning society.
- romanoderoma 6y ago
  Is US society working according to their very high GDP though? Estonia GDP is measured in billions and yet their infant mortality rate is half than US despite their trillions of dollars of GDP
  - refurb 6y ago
    Be careful with your cherry picked stats. Countries don't measure infant mortality the same way. Not to mention Estonia's lower infant mortality doesn't actually disprove my comment.
    - romanoderoma 6y ago
      It actually does I cherry picked infant mortality rate because I didn't want to pick the most embarrassing US stats, like life expectancy (lowest in the west despite the highest healthcare spending per capita) and homicide rate (4 times the Nigeria, 6 times China, 10 times Europe) The fact that even little Estonia can handle infant mortality rate better than a superpower like USA it's kinda revealing I'm also quite sure that if I picked China and its almost double infant mortality rate you wouldn't have though I was cherry picking US is good at making money, but it's not a good indicator that they know how to spend them the right way > The numbers in the U.S. are partly driven by gun deaths. From 2001 to 2010, 15-to-19-year-olds were 82 times more likely to die from gun violence in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries. Thakrar also attributes the higher U.S. child and infant mortality rates to a lack of preventative care. Thakrar is Ashish Thakrar, medical resident at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System.
      - 6y ago