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> you'd find that the US economy has been on a continual decline for the past few decades. That claim sounds reasonable given what I've observed happening in t

> you'd find that the US economy has been on a continual decline for the past few decades. That claim sounds reasonable given what I've observed happening in this country over the last few decades. Without question people seem to struggle much more to obtain the same level of lifestyle as many enjoyed decades ago. You seem to claim that this is such an obvious falsehood that there's no more room for discussion, but I think there's much more room for discussion that you are implying.

Kranar 5y ago
When you say that you've observed what has happened over multiple decades, are you observing people within your own social circle and are those people from a diverse and representative background or are they from a narrow demographic? It's true that the relative economic status of white men has declined over the last few decades, but the economic status of women or men from other ethnic groups has grown significantly in that time. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-people.html https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-p...
- adventured 5y ago
  And even then your premise is still largely false. The median and average economic outcome of white men has increased perfectly reasonably since the late 1970s. That includes both income and net wealth figures. The American white male is economically better off than the white male in: Britain, Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and so on. It's primarily the labor-heavy working-class white male (in the white male demographic) that has been brutalized by changes in the US and global economy. They have been left behind to drown in a pool of fentanyl.
  - AnonCoward4 5y ago
    (Disclaimer: I'm not from the US.) > It's primarily the labor-heavy working-class white male (in the white male demographic) that has been brutalized by changes in the US and global economy. They have been left behind to drown in a pool of fentanyl. That sounds like most people are actually more negatively affected by the economy compared to decades prior.
    - AnimalMuppet 5y ago
      No, not "most". It's 30% or 40% of people. That's not "most". In particular, it's not enough to dominate the statistics. Let me say very clearly: It's far too many people. I don't care if it's less than a majority, and I don't care if it swings the overall statistics. It's still too many people that are being economically destroyed.
      - tomrod 5y ago
        What needs to change so people (not just white working-aged males) aren't destroyed?
        imtringued 5y ago
        Enforce balanced trade in the global economy.
      - SQueeeeeL 5y ago
        I love hacker news, complaining about semantics when someone says most people are having their lives ruined with the clap back that it's only 40% is the best possible reply!
imtringued 5y ago
Most people merely struggle to pay rent which is fueled by insane zoning which people use as a cudgel to beat other residents up to get them to pay up insane prices for housing. Outside of housing everything is dirt cheap nowadays.

Kranar 5y ago

When you say that you've observed what has happened over multiple decades, are you observing people within your own social circle and are those people from a diverse and representative background or are they from a narrow demographic? It's true that the relative economic status of white men has declined over the last few decades, but the economic status of women or men from other ethnic groups has grown significantly in that time. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-people.html https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-p...

adventured 5y ago
And even then your premise is still largely false. The median and average economic outcome of white men has increased perfectly reasonably since the late 1970s. That includes both income and net wealth figures. The American white male is economically better off than the white male in: Britain, Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and so on. It's primarily the labor-heavy working-class white male (in the white male demographic) that has been brutalized by changes in the US and global economy. They have been left behind to drown in a pool of fentanyl.
- AnonCoward4 5y ago
  (Disclaimer: I'm not from the US.) > It's primarily the labor-heavy working-class white male (in the white male demographic) that has been brutalized by changes in the US and global economy. They have been left behind to drown in a pool of fentanyl. That sounds like most people are actually more negatively affected by the economy compared to decades prior.
  - AnimalMuppet 5y ago
    No, not "most". It's 30% or 40% of people. That's not "most". In particular, it's not enough to dominate the statistics. Let me say very clearly: It's far too many people. I don't care if it's less than a majority, and I don't care if it swings the overall statistics. It's still too many people that are being economically destroyed.
    - tomrod 5y ago
      What needs to change so people (not just white working-aged males) aren't destroyed?
      - imtringued 5y ago
        Enforce balanced trade in the global economy.
    - SQueeeeeL 5y ago
      I love hacker news, complaining about semantics when someone says most people are having their lives ruined with the clap back that it's only 40% is the best possible reply!

imtringued 5y ago

Most people merely struggle to pay rent which is fueled by insane zoning which people use as a cudgel to beat other residents up to get them to pay up insane prices for housing. Outside of housing everything is dirt cheap nowadays.