9 ms·
> in the US and less civilized countries Going to have a hard time finding some goodwill when you refer to other countries as "less civilized". A tad hypocriti
by beardedman 4y ago
> in the US and less civilized countries
Going to have a hard time finding some goodwill when you refer to other countries as "less civilized". A tad hypocritical.
- taurath 4y agoMy apologies, it might have been more accurate to say "in the US and similarly uncivilized countries".
- luckylion 4y agoAdding a little love to the world every day, huh?
- taurath 4y agoThe cruelty is the point here in the good ole US of A.
- etiennebausson 4y agoThat was my though as well before even reading the comments. I suppose I should admit as an European that confidence in your own superiority is not solely and American trait.
- nivenkos 4y agoThe US is far wealthier though, like just compare the developer salaries for a start.
- numlock86 4y agoWhat's a $250k payroll worth if that's also what you have to pay for the average hospital visit? I'd stick to my €100k and not have my life ruined just because I broke my leg or my kid is born with a heart disease.
- throwaway6734 4y agoIf you make 250k you can afford fantastic insurance and you'll still have a lot more left over. It's significantly better to be a high earner in the US than almost anywhere else in Europe (in terms of capital)
- numlock86 4y ago
- Kavelach 4y agoI definitely didn't expect this in a HN thread
- numlock86 4y agoI didn't expect to lose a cousin on a business trip to the US (Michigan) 6 years ago either. Life is full of surprises.
- patates 4y agoI'm sincerely sorry for your loss, but moving the goalpost doesn't help the discussion. Again, nothing to take away from how dreadful what you lived through is.
- numlock86 4y agoCondolences appreciated. > doesn't help the discussion That's exactly my point. The discussion started to derail into "Who has more money?" like that's the ultimate metric. This just makes me sad but is pretty representative for the stereotypical US mindset. My point is there is a lot more to life than money.
- throwaway6734 4y ago
- rbanffy 4y agoI often describe the US as the richest (and most well armed) underdeveloped country. It's unfair, as all short takes are, and it saddens me to see my friends who live there, who are at no fault for the mess they are in, suffer. I fear the coming mid-terms will only make things worse.
- MandieD 4y agoExtra-urban (outside of the big cities) Texas feels increasingly feudal every time I visit; maybe it’s because I’ve spent an increasing amount of my life in comparatively egalitarian Germany so it’s easier to see than when I was embedded in it.
- mola 4y agoYeah, but SF is swamped with homeless ppl. Yay for all those devs earning a lot while living in dystopia. If I can earn less but be confident that I won't go broke because of an unfortunate events. And that the system is humane, and tries to find a balance between capitalism and humanism, I'll take that any day. US wealth is a joke.
- drstewart 4y agoI love when Europeans repeat Fox News talking points. Really shows how "progressive" they really are.
- disgruntledphd2 4y agoHave you been to SF? I spent a bunch of time there for five years between 2013 and 2018 and the homeless problem got worse every time I visited. It's really bad, and I live in a place that has lots of homeless people.
- lawn 4y agoMore importantly the US has far more inequality. Developers are already very well off no matter what country they live in, and I'd wager that "normal" people in the US are not far wealthier than people in Nordic countries for instance.
- auntienomen 4y agoOp is saying that making healthcare dependent on employment is the mark of an uncivilized country. It's not a blanket dismissal of other countries.
- bitcharmer 4y agoBut US is pretty much a third world country when it comes to social safety net
- ChuckNorris89 4y agoI think people from actual third world countries would love to be in the US where the government gives you stimulus cheques, instead of back home. Trust me, the unemployed life in third world countries, and even in second world countries, is far more brutal than the unemployed life in the US, especially for unemployed big-tech workers who can find a new job anytime.
- andrekandre 4y ago> unemployed life in third world countries, and even in second world countries, is far more brutal than the unemployed life in the US maybe so, but we should look at the trend not just one sample group at one point in time... for a long time it can be argued that the u.s is riding along as fast as it can to catch up to "the 3rd world" in that regard....
- pirate787 4y agoThe US safety net, in terms of spending, is as expansive or more expansive than the rest of the world. For example, the U.S. spends $748 billion on Medicaid, health care for the poor, which is matched by state governments. Obamacare subsidies are another $160 billion a year. The fact is the terrible U.S. government administration of these programs and the regulatory capture of the health care system by doctors, pharma, and hospitals are the core issues, but liberals whistle past these real issues and wonder why we don't have European comforts and outcomes per dollar.
- stuaxo 4y agoBig numbers are just big numbers, per capita and outcomes is where it's at. Having said that, the US healthcare system is very efficient at extracting profit.
- twekrljpl234234 4y ago
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]