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TLDR - PPP adjusted disposable income is much lower than the average of developed countries for people in lower income percentiles in the US and UK. Anecdotall

TLDR - PPP adjusted disposable income is much lower than the average of developed countries for people in lower income percentiles in the US and UK. Anecdotally speaking, I have observed that it is a much harder existence to be poor in the US compared to Europe. I spent a few months in Germany when I was a student and a couple years in the US a student. It was much, much, harder to do even basic things in the US (like grocery shopping) without a car compared to Germany. As someone on a visa myself, I asked a US citizen why there was such a stark inequality in living standards between rich v/s poor for the richest nation in the world, and was told it was a necessary condition for US prosperity. I didn't get it, but also didn't want to push it further because usually it ends up with "if you dont like it here, why are you still here ?"

adrianmsmith 4y ago
> and was told it was a necessary condition for US prosperity That's an interesting perspective. I live in Europe, and I don't reckon anyone thinks that way here (which doesn't mean it isn't true). On a flight once I got talking to a rich-looking businessman from Hong Kong and I explained anyone who's ill can go to the doctor where I live, even if they're poor. The HK guy was really surprised, he basically explained to me society couldn't work like that, if there was no fear of being poor what reason was there to put in the hard work needed to avoid poverty, and to elevate the society? He'd obviously really bought into that, he basically didn't really believe me that you could have a rich functioning society where the poor e.g. get basic needs met like healthcare. It was interesting to me - if his whole worldview led him to believe the place where I lived couldn't really exist, what other beliefs do the rest of us have which are completely wrong?

adrianmsmith 4y ago

> and was told it was a necessary condition for US prosperity That's an interesting perspective. I live in Europe, and I don't reckon anyone thinks that way here (which doesn't mean it isn't true). On a flight once I got talking to a rich-looking businessman from Hong Kong and I explained anyone who's ill can go to the doctor where I live, even if they're poor. The HK guy was really surprised, he basically explained to me society couldn't work like that, if there was no fear of being poor what reason was there to put in the hard work needed to avoid poverty, and to elevate the society? He'd obviously really bought into that, he basically didn't really believe me that you could have a rich functioning society where the poor e.g. get basic needs met like healthcare. It was interesting to me - if his whole worldview led him to believe the place where I lived couldn't really exist, what other beliefs do the rest of us have which are completely wrong?