[serious] Why is the UK so amazing?

[giblets]

lol LOL

Even the poor people here are ****ing rich on world standards. And the UK is ACTUALLY a theocracy.

Oh LOL. I'm pretty sure the poor people in the UK are also rich on world standards. Maybe we should apply developed country standards to poverty in the US (or compare development aid by the US and UK, if you're one of those freaks who think starving people in the third world deserve help more than Americans who lack health care).

[Cort Haus]

Whilst I am the first person to argue for the royalty to be put up against the nearest wall and shot, they have no practical religious influence whatsoever. The UK is a far more secular place than the US, and apart from Ayatollah Blair, our leaders generally feel little or no need to flout their religious piety at every opportunity, which certainly appears to be the case over there. Could an atheist become POTUS? I doubt it. One certainly could become PM here.

[Cort Haus]

Is it 'Quote "House of Cards" week' or something? That's the second quote I came across this week.

I couldn't possibly comment.

[Jon Miller]

Whilst I am the first person to argue for the royalty to be put up against the nearest wall and shot, they have no practical religious influence whatsoever. The UK is a far more secular place than the US, and apart from Ayatollah Blair, our leaders generally feel little or no need to flout their religious piety at every opportunity, which certainly appears to be the case over there. Could an atheist become POTUS? I doubt it. One certainly could become PM here.

But that has to do with people, not the state.

Are people in the US more religious, certainly. Is that bad, good, or neutral, people all disagree about this.

JM

[Hauldren Collider]

Oh LOL. I'm pretty sure the poor people in the UK are also rich on world standards. Maybe we should apply developed country standards to poverty in the US (or compare development aid by the US and UK, if you're one of those freaks who think starving people in the third world deserve help more than Americans who lack health care).

If you aren't comparing people on a world scale, you are comparing them on a relative scale, so your only observation is that in the US there is a bigger gap between rich and poor, which is not in my opinion a problem. This whole "gap" thing is a stupid thing to complain about. It's nonsense like worrying about the "achievement gap" that keeps progress from being made.

[Asher]

But that has to do with people, not the state.

Are people in the US more religious, certainly. Is that bad, good, or neutral, people all disagree about this.

JM

People in the US are no more or less religious than people in Canada. The difference is that of culture and state. The US lets its people legislate religious morality (see the DOMA), in Canada any such action is swiftly knocked down by the courts. And then how do the people react? Acceptance.

Canada is publicly secular with a similar percentage of religious people as the US. The difference is Canadians recognize religion has nothing to do with the government and is a completely private affair.

[giblets]

If you aren't comparing people on a world scale, you are comparing them on a relative scale, so your only observation is that in the US there is a bigger gap between rich and poor, which is not in my opinion a problem. This whole "gap" thing is a stupid thing to complain about. It's nonsense like worrying about the "achievement gap" that keeps progress from being made.

How is it that a "world scale" is not relative but a developed country scale is relative? If the poor in the UK are better off, isn't it possible that people in the UK live better lives on average?

[Riesstiu IV]

Poor people with absolutely no social mobility do exist in the United States. I traveled through some rural communities in Oklahoma back in May and I was floored to see a lot of people suffering from treatable ailments because they are unable to afford medical care. I can't imagine living in small town America with only a high school diploma and limited job opportunities for dead end careers.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Social mobility is on the wane in the states due in large part IMO to oppressive red tape.

[DinoDoc]

How is it that a "world scale" is not relative but a developed country scale is relative? If the poor in the UK are better off, isn't it possible that people in the UK live better lives on average?

The typical poor family (as defined by the government) in the US has more living space than the average European, was able to get medical care when needed and in addition has money to meet all essential needs.

[Dinner]

The numbers for Ireland are off. The 2009 number was $37,700 and it's certainly declined since then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Republic_of_Ireland

[Dinner]

The official World Bank website has Ireland above USA in 2009 in GDP. So the Irishman is richer than the American.

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?order=wbapi_data_value_2009%20wbapi_data_value%20wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc

GDP per capita (current US$)

Data from World Bank

It's pretty sad when even Angola beats Afghanistan 10:1. What a crappy place.

[Tupac Shakur]

The numbers for Ireland are off. The 2009 number was $37,700 and it's certainly declined since then.

Yes, I'm sure you're right and the IMF is wrong.

[Dinner]

It's cited in the wiki link.

[Tupac Shakur]

1. The Wiki number doesn't match its own source.

2. The number is from the CIA Factbook, not the IMF, so it's no surprise that the numbers are different.

You fail, yet again.