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You guys are so obsessed with inequality because you're always looking in the other guy's cup. I don't care about inequality at all - only absolute living stand

You guys are so obsessed with inequality because you're always looking in the other guy's cup. I don't care about inequality at all - only absolute living standards. The US has been an unequal place all its history and it's a tremendous country to live in. Here's a recipe for happiness: stop comparing yourself to others and stop trying to keep up with the Joneses. It's old advice, but it's clearly been forgotten.

stuaxo 2y ago
Even the most basic of primates have a sense of fairness and get unhappy if someone is hoarding.
- renewiltord 2y ago
  I exhort you to rise above the most basic of primates. I have transcended the flinging of my faeces and it has brought me great joy.
  - xeonmc 2y ago
    > In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony God's blessing, but because, I am enlightened by my own intelligence.
    - renewiltord 2y ago
      Pearls before swine.
- ty6853 2y ago
  Which is why we should be encouraging the kind of wealth generated by mutually beneficial transactions, and thanking God if such strategy lead to people generating 'hoards' of value.
ramon156 2y ago
These comments typically come from people who are doing well in life, im guilty of that as well. Instead we should be looking at the cups below us who can barely get by their salary
OsrsNeedsf2P 2y ago
> The US has been an unequal place all its history and it's a tremendous country to live in. Have you.. lived in other countries? I came here from southeast Asia and yes, my BigTech salary affords me a comfortable life, but I simply don't understand why the bottom 90% aren't up in arms over here.
- N_Lens 2y ago
  Because they’re ignorant of what’s out there. Being poor in America probably sucks more than in third world countries where there is atleast fellowship and shared reality of the masses.
- renewiltord 2y ago
  Haha, have you? I've been employed in 4 countries across 3 continents.
suraci 2y ago
> I don't care about inequality at all cheap products from 3rd world cheap nature resources from 3rd world cheap labor from 3rd world that's why many of the free citizens of the Empire don't need to care about inequality at all when these things change, you will care
- poincaredisk 2y ago
  So you're saying I should actually want to increase inequality? Obviously sarcasm, but taking your argument at face value this is what rational (not necessarily moral) citizen of europe/usa should think. For that reason I don't think this is a good argument.
  - suraci 2y ago
    it's not sarcasm or an argument, and it's not a morality criticism i'm just saying that there are reasons why people can "calmly" and "rationally" view inequality. when those reasons change, they will lose their composure. and this is not new > In a letter to Kautsky, dated September 12, 1882, Engels wrote: “You ask me what the English workers think about colonial policy. Well, exactly the same as they think about politics in general. There is no workers’ party here, there are only Conservatives and Liberal-Radicals, and the workers gaily share the feast of England’s monopoly of the world market and the colonies.”
wqaatwt 2y ago
> only absolute living standards. Well the idea is that (correctly or incorrectly) lower inequality would result in significantly higher absolute living standards. Arguably they had been going up at the pace they have over the last several decades almost entirely due to technological progress (and more arguably globalization/free trade). Average productivity has been in increasing at a much faster rate than median or below median absolute living standards. Growing inequality is possibly the main culprit. > looking in the other guy's cup Well hard not to do that when the other guy has turned off the tap after filling his cup..
hkt 2y ago
Living standards are important, sure. So are democratic standards, and rich people often subvert them. There has been a long, long tradition of that in the US too, and everywhere else. Sponsoring their chosen politicians, being newspaper proprietors, often also being patrons of the arts and deciding what gets made and by whom. That amounts to cultural and political hegemony. Telling people to accept that is a little like telling them to know their place.
thomasingalls 2y ago
"Let them eat cake"
weatherlite 2y ago
> The US has been an unequal place all its history and it's a tremendous country to live in. It could be way worse but it could also be better. There are people in the U.S without good health care or access to dignified jobs (or at least - a livable salary). These are issues that can be improved by a lot, it's not a law of nature.
keernan 2y ago
The type of inequality being discussed is very different from 'keeping up with the Jones' that you are discussing. Historically, one of the major turning points in the cycles of society/governments is when there is massive inequitable distribution of wealth such that the masses are left to divvy up a tiny piece of the pie while the top .05% hoard 80+% of the wealth. IMO we are currently seeing the wealthiest people on earth taking over the levers of the US government and it is unlikely we will ever return to the constitutional democracy we used to have. Moving forward Elon Musk and the other members of his Gothic MAGA will decide how much the government can spend each year and on what and for whose benefit. A very, very different scenario than being envious of the sports car in your neighbor's driveway.

stuaxo 2y ago

Even the most basic of primates have a sense of fairness and get unhappy if someone is hoarding.

renewiltord 2y ago
I exhort you to rise above the most basic of primates. I have transcended the flinging of my faeces and it has brought me great joy.
- xeonmc 2y ago
  > In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony God's blessing, but because, I am enlightened by my own intelligence.
  - renewiltord 2y ago
    Pearls before swine.
ty6853 2y ago
Which is why we should be encouraging the kind of wealth generated by mutually beneficial transactions, and thanking God if such strategy lead to people generating 'hoards' of value.

ramon156 2y ago

These comments typically come from people who are doing well in life, im guilty of that as well. Instead we should be looking at the cups below us who can barely get by their salary

OsrsNeedsf2P 2y ago

> The US has been an unequal place all its history and it's a tremendous country to live in. Have you.. lived in other countries? I came here from southeast Asia and yes, my BigTech salary affords me a comfortable life, but I simply don't understand why the bottom 90% aren't up in arms over here.

N_Lens 2y ago
Because they’re ignorant of what’s out there. Being poor in America probably sucks more than in third world countries where there is atleast fellowship and shared reality of the masses.
renewiltord 2y ago
Haha, have you? I've been employed in 4 countries across 3 continents.

suraci 2y ago

> I don't care about inequality at all cheap products from 3rd world cheap nature resources from 3rd world cheap labor from 3rd world that's why many of the free citizens of the Empire don't need to care about inequality at all when these things change, you will care

poincaredisk 2y ago
So you're saying I should actually want to increase inequality? Obviously sarcasm, but taking your argument at face value this is what rational (not necessarily moral) citizen of europe/usa should think. For that reason I don't think this is a good argument.
- suraci 2y ago
  it's not sarcasm or an argument, and it's not a morality criticism i'm just saying that there are reasons why people can "calmly" and "rationally" view inequality. when those reasons change, they will lose their composure. and this is not new > In a letter to Kautsky, dated September 12, 1882, Engels wrote: “You ask me what the English workers think about colonial policy. Well, exactly the same as they think about politics in general. There is no workers’ party here, there are only Conservatives and Liberal-Radicals, and the workers gaily share the feast of England’s monopoly of the world market and the colonies.”

wqaatwt 2y ago

> only absolute living standards. Well the idea is that (correctly or incorrectly) lower inequality would result in significantly higher absolute living standards. Arguably they had been going up at the pace they have over the last several decades almost entirely due to technological progress (and more arguably globalization/free trade). Average productivity has been in increasing at a much faster rate than median or below median absolute living standards. Growing inequality is possibly the main culprit. > looking in the other guy's cup Well hard not to do that when the other guy has turned off the tap after filling his cup..

hkt 2y ago

Living standards are important, sure. So are democratic standards, and rich people often subvert them. There has been a long, long tradition of that in the US too, and everywhere else. Sponsoring their chosen politicians, being newspaper proprietors, often also being patrons of the arts and deciding what gets made and by whom. That amounts to cultural and political hegemony. Telling people to accept that is a little like telling them to know their place.

thomasingalls 2y ago

"Let them eat cake"

weatherlite 2y ago

> The US has been an unequal place all its history and it's a tremendous country to live in. It could be way worse but it could also be better. There are people in the U.S without good health care or access to dignified jobs (or at least - a livable salary). These are issues that can be improved by a lot, it's not a law of nature.

keernan 2y ago

The type of inequality being discussed is very different from 'keeping up with the Jones' that you are discussing. Historically, one of the major turning points in the cycles of society/governments is when there is massive inequitable distribution of wealth such that the masses are left to divvy up a tiny piece of the pie while the top .05% hoard 80+% of the wealth. IMO we are currently seeing the wealthiest people on earth taking over the levers of the US government and it is unlikely we will ever return to the constitutional democracy we used to have. Moving forward Elon Musk and the other members of his Gothic MAGA will decide how much the government can spend each year and on what and for whose benefit. A very, very different scenario than being envious of the sports car in your neighbor's driveway.