Today's discussion about the news
Comments
-
My point above was about drug use and homelessness. So when you look at the homelessness stats they paint a different picture to yours:
A propensity to take drugs is not going to be along Republican/ Democrat lines for individuals. How the authorities in each city or state deal with it (in particular the homelessness which will go along with drug use) does seem to differ in that way judging by where the largest homeless populations are located.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
My counter argument would be the US doesn’t really provide as many public services to its tax payers though and I think that’s the point others are making. If you’re in work in a decent job you can probably provide for yourself. When you drop off the pole I’m not sure I’d want to rely on the safety net. It’s a very literal interpretation of wealth.
0 -
Rick would fit right in over there, his obsession with money is very American. Our MD says he would really struggle to go back, one of the main reason is if you meet someone socially it's all a competition of how much you earn, how big your house is, etc. when you meet someone here they couldn't give a toss about it.
I don't care how much people earn over there, I don't care how much people earn over here. I don't measure my success by how much I earn. There are much more important things in life.
2 -
You are mistaking personal wealth (which is significantly skewed by the higher percentiles, incidentally, and we all know that's what you are comparing yourself to) for public spending. That's high, in part, because of staggering borrowing levels. It's going to catch up with the US eventually.
Back to your comparison, on personal earnings, as I say, I'd be instantaneously 50% better off doing the same.l job in the US. Whether my purchasing power would be that much better is hard to say, but I'd sure feel better off given taxation levels.
Thing is, what I would have to do in terms of weekend hours and early mornings, and loss of annual leave, well per hour it's a hell of a lot closer.
0 -
Agree with V68. Multiple work trips to USania, Brits and Europeans would chat about all sorts without delving into $/€/£ but inevitably locals would be on that. And often surprised when told to butt out. Different societies.
0 -
Pretty much my experience of meeting people from the states in purely social settings such as weddings and parties. Probing questions sussing you out as a potential contact rather than any genuine desire to just make friends. Once I could prove I was person of no interest they would move on to the next person, and I could continue partying 😂
0 -
lol read this over again and look at what I wrote.
If everyone earns more there is more money. That’s how it works. Where does that govt spending come from?
We all work to earn. That’s what work is.
0 -
This only works if you can prove having a welfare state reduces wages. I see not much evidence for that.
0 -
I guess it's not unsurprising, given that RC's profession is 100% focused on highly paid jobs, and will be measured against what's available in the US at the same level of experience. I'm sure that those who are comfortably well-off in the US, with good health insurance (apparently 66% of bankruptcies in the US are caused by medical bills) have a good life, and they are the ones RC will be talking to, in his line of work.
Incidentally, infant mortality in the US, is 3x that in Norway, and 50% higher than the UK. And though 13% of the US population are black, 37% of prisoners are black. Sure, there is plenty wrong with the UK, but scratch below the surface of the US, and there are some scary stats.
But hey, the US is rich, and that's all that matters.
0 -
Earning more per hour worked is always good. It just is. That you lot bring up social security, homelessness, holiday allowances. That’s all irrelevant unless you’re arguing they make America more productive per hour worked..
Otherwise we’d all be living in poor houses and dying aged 35. Come on lads.
0 -
It's simply not, RC. Well, not for everyone. What you earn is only part of the picture, albeit is a quite important part. Perhaps you simply find it impossible to believe that some people are very happy to be not-wealthy but happy/content.
Imagine a life with no commuting, no housing worries, no real work stress, decent holidays, no threat of bankruptcy because of medical bills, living in a modest house in a nice location. You don't have to be earning in the top 10% to be able to do that. Maybe you just can't imagine that.
1 -
Mate this isn’t a “lifestyle” question. This is a macro picture. You can live the Good Life if you want but a society does not work like that.
Productivity growing is the bedrock of all societal development. It’s the foundation on which politics rests on.
Poor countries don’t matter - rich countries do.
If Britain were really poor you lot would not be retired or close to, that’s for sure!
You’d all be working hand to mouth, not affording any relaxation. You can work your easy life because you’re so much more productive per hour than people were 100 years ago!
No wonder we’re talking at cross purposes when I’m talking macro economics and you lot are talking lifestyle choices.
0 -
What does this even mean? Do you have a temperature Hun?
0 -
Maybe Rick needs to get into sport to channel his competitive self away from “ Can he earn more money than others”. He could get in to cycling and also possibly use social media on a cycling forum to distract him from the desperation to be rich.😉
0 -
Are you serious Mr Gekko?
Sucks to be in the overwhelming majority in that case.
0 -
Unless you provide evidence that state run healthcare hurts productivity then this is irrelevant. Or that America being racist somehow explains why they earn so much it’s also irrelevant.
what does this have to do with Americans earning more?
0 -
By the way, I suspect Mr Trumpet has engineered himself one of the highest qualities of life on here. Lives by the coast in a desirable suburb of Exeter, house in France. Lots of free time. Personally .it makes me feel like an idiot. How about you?
0 -
-
I suppose a fast VW Golf makes up for it.
0 -
-
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
It's a rich man's world
0 -
You need to be more ambitious Brian.
0 -
He wants to only consider macro economics without considering the whole picture.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Yeah you don’t get a lot of free time in society if productivity is really low. You must understand that, right?
in order to retire, you have to have been productive enough in your working life to have enough over to not work for however many years, and the existing workers productive enough to pay for all the state pensions and care etc.
Think how little mr trumpet would have had to work to earn what he did doing the same but being paid twice as much?
0 -
On the downside, I've only had the pleasure of helping to mould the brains of hundreds other people's children, not my own (and I guess that that can be really kinda, like, amazeballs, when it's not shitballs). But it has meant (with my tightwad skills) I've done that never earning more than £30k p.a. before tax. But I blow raspberries for fun and £s, and ride my bike in some nice places, so count myself quite lucky. And to really wind up RC, if my mum's house sells this month for sensible money, I hope to work less very soon (though I enjoy all of my work, so won't stop all of it just yet).
On the other hand, eventually I'll die, and then money means nothing. In the meantime, if I've got enough to have bit of fun, that'll do, as much as I'd like to follow Eartha Kitt's wish.
3 -
So Brian is super productive?
0 -
I think what you fail to comprehend that the price for being paid twice as much is what has made the US a place I'd never want to live in.
0 -
And Americans aren't.
I'm thinking a recurrence of malaria. It will pass.
0 -
That's their entire annual leave though, right?
0
