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> Even having access to a flushing toilet and consistent electrical service are luxuries Globally sure. But we don't measure ourselves by global standards. We

> Even having access to a flushing toilet and consistent electrical service are luxuries Globally sure. But we don't measure ourselves by global standards. We measure ourselves by what we have around us, and the norms we were brought up with. No one in North America thinks indoor plumbing with flushing toilets is a luxury it's a basic necessity, and they're right to think so by the standards of their society. The US social safety net is embarrassing by the standards of what lives people in the US expect to have. Saying that their expectations are silly because people in rural Africa don't have indoor plumbing is kind of asinine. They are reasonably setting their expectations based on their neighbours experience not the most baseline human experience.

Grombobulous 3mo ago
I think both of our perspectives are relevant in their own ways. The thing is, it isn’t even some stereotype of people in Africa in huts lacking indoor plumbing. A lot of the world lacks things like that. 20% of Russians lack indoor plumbing. France was recently in the news for lacking air conditioning in hospitals. Sometimes it’s good to have perspective on just how wealthy the top 30 wealthiest countries are. The fact that the US lacks some safety nets of the most wealthy ones… that’s bad but it’s still in that wealthy country tier, and it could be a lot worse. The US still does have universal healthcare for seniors and the poor, you have social security, quite high quality free services like parks, libraries, schools. The vast majority of Americans have reliable and affordable access to things like water, electricity, and Internet. All of that isn’t to say that it’s all problem-free.
- Hundredth0006 3mo ago
  >20% of Russians lack indoor plumbing That's an incorrect translation, widly used by propaganda. In the original report it was not "indoor plumbing", but "connection to centralized city sewage system".

Grombobulous 3mo ago

I think both of our perspectives are relevant in their own ways. The thing is, it isn’t even some stereotype of people in Africa in huts lacking indoor plumbing. A lot of the world lacks things like that. 20% of Russians lack indoor plumbing. France was recently in the news for lacking air conditioning in hospitals. Sometimes it’s good to have perspective on just how wealthy the top 30 wealthiest countries are. The fact that the US lacks some safety nets of the most wealthy ones… that’s bad but it’s still in that wealthy country tier, and it could be a lot worse. The US still does have universal healthcare for seniors and the poor, you have social security, quite high quality free services like parks, libraries, schools. The vast majority of Americans have reliable and affordable access to things like water, electricity, and Internet. All of that isn’t to say that it’s all problem-free.

Hundredth0006 3mo ago
>20% of Russians lack indoor plumbing That's an incorrect translation, widly used by propaganda. In the original report it was not "indoor plumbing", but "connection to centralized city sewage system".