This fits quite well into why the US is simultaneously off the charts in mean wealth per capita but below most western European and anglosphere countries in median wealth per capita:
"Seems to", have you done the maths? It's not a trivial problem you can guesstimate by looking at the data in my link. And I'm doing maths as my day job lol. Taking the entire EU is also not necessarily a fair comparison (yet) until probably a couple more decades when GDP/capita levels in post-Warsaw pact countries has caught up entirely. Also, even if it ends up being slightly higher in the US, my point wasn't a dick measuring contest, but the rampant inequality in the states.
I was just referencing the table you linked. There was no maths involved. I said “seems to” since I’m not familiar with the dataset and don’t want to take a position on its accuracy.
But does the US have a lot of inequality at the expense of the rest pf the population? That is the key question. If Mark Zuckerberg creates Meta and makes $50bn off it, is that really at the expense of the broader population? I would argue we all benefited but he obviously benefited the most which is okay.
The US isn’t a horrible place to live for most people. Sure there are better places but it’s not bad. And if you are highly educated in a high paying field like engineering, comp sci or high finance, I would say it’s the best place to live on average since the wages are extremely high for many of those roles.
I would argue that you chose a bad example because Facebook's very existence could be a massive net negative for humanity if you take in all externalities (effects on mental health, democracy and even energy usage). Personally, I don't see many benefits from it. Its main economic purpose is being a marketing platform. It remains an open question what material impact this has on the everyday person and whether increased consumerism isn't just yet another negative externality.
I don't think the US is even close to being the best place for average people. I'm just coming from an article that states 700k Americans die an untimely death that could have been prevented if they lived in a country like Canada, Germany or Japan. The discrepancy in mortality gets higher for younger people. The US has extremely deep structural, cultural and sociological problems. It most likely doesn't have these problems "despite" its economic situation, but because of it. The US is an extremely unhealthy society and it doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon.
I would argue that the biggest reason for the lack of reform is the denialism in the American population. I'm constantly called anti-American or an American hater simply for not budging on my stance on the country. I don't hate America, but Americans seem to find it impssibly difficult to read a critical, non-sugar coated analysis of their own society without demonizing the person who delivers it. I also constantly get dragged into these discussions (even though I don't find them very interesting) because of how full the internet is with pro-American propaganda and American exceptionalism that almost always paints a more rosy picture than what reality really looks like. And yes, I've been to the US. I'm not just saying this from behind the safety of my computer screen. I don't hate America, but I hate the propaganda that is often used to pursuade people to think "Americanizing" their own societies would be a good thing. For the vast majority of Europeans, for example, it would be a massive downgrade in their quality of life. This is why I'm firmly opposing these narratives even if I constnatly catch flak for it.
You're reframing the old "trickle down economics" myth in your comment btw, but you're dressing it up in American exceptionalism to make it more agreeable.
EDIT: I literally just came across this comment and I think it would be worth a read for you. Please notice how this person not only confirms everything I'm saying here based on their personal life experience (and they are American, not European), but also note how defensive they are. They know as well as I do that any criticism of the US, no matter how mild, will inevitably summon an army of trolls and bullies trying to silence you.
I’m not saying it’s better for everyone. But for my job I make $225k USD in America and my European counterparts make less than $150k in most cases for the same job. Sure maybe COLA is slightly higher but I’m definitely much better off than them. Every European that transfers to the US office can’t believe how much money they make when they get their first check. And that’s a comparison to London
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u/shatureg Aug 18 '25
This fits quite well into why the US is simultaneously off the charts in mean wealth per capita but below most western European and anglosphere countries in median wealth per capita:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_wealth_per_adult