The challenge here is at what point in your life is one making the gamble to live in the US vs Western Europe? If I had to pick one or the other to be born in,

The challenge here is at what point in your life is one making the gamble to live in the US vs Western Europe? If I had to pick one or the other to be born in, but knew that I would be born randomly within each of these societies, I'd certainly choose Western Europe because the risk of being born very poor in the US is just too high to take. But! Of course, that isn't a real decision that one can make. The actual decision, for people on HN in particular, is the following: you know that you're a highly qualified person with in-demand skills, you also know whether you have a crippling disability and many other things about your life. Those things being known, the decision is much less of a gamble because you know which of the social categories you will slot into in the US. It is also true that Western Europeans always retain the option of return to their countries of origin. If they become destitute and unable to work, they are able to access the downside protections they would have had at home at the cost of moving back. In practice their may be some transitional challenge because eligibility depends on both residency and citizenship but fundamentally a citizen of France or The Netherlands who becomes unable to work in the US and has exhausted their US resources and entitlements can hit the panic button and will not be allowed to starve once returned home.