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EU spending less on war means they can spend more on social services and public investments. Vacations, higher salaries, healthcare, etc. In a better world the

by gessha 3y ago

EU spending less on war means they can spend more on social services and public investments. Vacations, higher salaries, healthcare, etc. In a better world the US would do that too. But they don’t because they need to protect trade (and democracy). That’s why US defense spending is larger than most EU country GDPs. To balance that, healthcare here sucks, my car get roughed up by the potholes, bridges cost an arm and a leg, no vacation for workers, minimum wage is not enough pay to feed a family/upskill, etc.

actionfromafar 3y ago
There's a lot of truth to that, but something more is going on when the US spends comparably what the EU spends on healthcare but gets much worse outcomes.
michaelt 3y ago
Google tells me France has a GDP per capita of US$43,600 and the US a GDP per capita of US$70,200 I'm pretty sure America could afford European-style healthcare and vacations, if that was a priority for their society. They have instead decided they like large houses on large plots of land, very cheap gas, and the highest rate of private swimming pool ownership in the world.
- adra 3y ago
  Those numbers only make sense if the Gini coefficient of both comparison targets are roughly equal. Since the US has a much higher coefficient, it means that way more wealth is concentrated into the hands of the few. If the US can 'force' those people to pay enough to make up for their massive over representation in wealth and net worth, I don't see you getting the wonderful gifts of socialization any time soon.
  - michaelt 3y ago
    I think you and I are actually in agreement. I agree that Americans don't consider it a priority for their society to close the gap between rich and poor with things like free healthcare and free college education. However, I don't think that's because they're oppressed by the tyrannous yoke of capitalism. That wealth inequality allows quite a lot of people to enjoy luxuries; they've got 1 swimming pool for every 30 people, that's a lot of people with private swimming pools! Many Americans feel their high GDP per capita shows their low-tax approach is good for productivity, and that those swimming pools are proof that hard work gets rewarded in the land of the free and the home of the brave. My point is, viewed at a national level, America isn't suffering from the burdensome cost of maintaining their large and expensive military, as gessha seemed to think. They're actually one of the richest countries in the world.

by gessha 3y ago

actionfromafar 3y ago

There's a lot of truth to that, but something more is going on when the US spends comparably what the EU spends on healthcare but gets much worse outcomes.

michaelt 3y ago

Google tells me France has a GDP per capita of US$43,600 and the US a GDP per capita of US$70,200 I'm pretty sure America could afford European-style healthcare and vacations, if that was a priority for their society. They have instead decided they like large houses on large plots of land, very cheap gas, and the highest rate of private swimming pool ownership in the world.

adra 3y ago
Those numbers only make sense if the Gini coefficient of both comparison targets are roughly equal. Since the US has a much higher coefficient, it means that way more wealth is concentrated into the hands of the few. If the US can 'force' those people to pay enough to make up for their massive over representation in wealth and net worth, I don't see you getting the wonderful gifts of socialization any time soon.
- michaelt 3y ago
  I think you and I are actually in agreement. I agree that Americans don't consider it a priority for their society to close the gap between rich and poor with things like free healthcare and free college education. However, I don't think that's because they're oppressed by the tyrannous yoke of capitalism. That wealth inequality allows quite a lot of people to enjoy luxuries; they've got 1 swimming pool for every 30 people, that's a lot of people with private swimming pools! Many Americans feel their high GDP per capita shows their low-tax approach is good for productivity, and that those swimming pools are proof that hard work gets rewarded in the land of the free and the home of the brave. My point is, viewed at a national level, America isn't suffering from the burdensome cost of maintaining their large and expensive military, as gessha seemed to think. They're actually one of the richest countries in the world.