Indian kid describes America

[giblets]

Now, most of Europe isn't poor as balls. Greece is, but Greece is a **** show. Still, Europeans can be proud to be by and large as poor or poorer than Mississippi. That's what your equality is getting you. Congratulations!

Are we talking about the average for the entire continent here?

[giblets]

What is the gini coefficient for the entire European continent, anyway? It might actually be as high as or higher than America's.

[MikeH]

America is unquestionably richer and Americans typically have more material possessions, but when the countries are both as rich as ours, it's relatively meaningless.

The benefits of living in Europe around things like the amount of time we spend working and universal healthcare make it a much more attractive place to live than the US for me.

Once you are comfortable, have enough to eat etc. getting more stuff isn't important, and the medical and social safety net is more important, as is actually being able to spend time with your family and have plenty of time off to see the world or whatever.

[Sava]

1. Yes, we are more equal than india.

lol wat

[MikeH]

What is the gini coefficient for the entire European continent, anyway? It might actually be as high as or higher than America's.

No, it's much lower for EU than for USA. US is about 45, EU about 30.

http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12

[giblets]

No, it's much lower for EU than for USA. US is about 45, EU about 30.

http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/...taset=ilc_di12

Interesting, and it's certianly possible HC was referring to the EU when he said "Europe".

[MikeH]

I can't find any data for Europe as a whole. It may not exist, works for EU as it's an actual recognised area. Not sure how else you'd characterise it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Are we talking about the average for the entire continent here?

I would think so, as GDP per capita (PPP) indicates that there are a few European countries which have a higher per capita income than the US:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita

(Especially Luxembourg and Norway, Switzerland is higher on the World Bank measure but no others, and Monaco is higher on the CIA rankings)

In addition, most of the major European countries (Germany, France, UK) have GDP per capita "higher than Mississippi".

[MikeH]

At that level for most of the population it's really about how much **** you can buy that you don't need.

[giblets]

That explains why the living standards seem less unequal in America than in India even though the income distribution in India is less unequal.

[Hauldren Collider]

Luxembourg is barely a country, and is mostly a tax haven. Norway's GDP is entirely because of oil revenue.

Also, yes, I was referring specifically to the EU. Apologies for the lack of precision.

[MRT144]

America is unquestionably richer and Americans typically have more material possessions, but when the countries are both as rich as ours, it's relatively meaningless.

The benefits of living in Europe around things like the amount of time we spend working and universal healthcare make it a much more attractive place to live than the US for me.

Once you are comfortable, have enough to eat etc. getting more stuff isn't important, and the medical and social safety net is more important, as is actually being able to spend time with your family and have plenty of time off to see the world or whatever.

See, in Europe you dont have the pathalogical desire to work yourself to death. In America the question is whether or not you deserve to be poor, not how do we handle these poor since they exist.

[Felch]

At that level for most of the population it's really about how much **** you can buy that you don't need.

That's exactly what the OP was about. Americans have pretty much everything they need, and the difference between rich and poor is more a matter of relative luxury than having food and shelter. Here's an old Economist piece about a poor American redneck and a Congolese doctor. They have similar income, but the redneck benefits from living in a stupidly rich country, while the doctor is owed months of back pay, and has to help support an extended family.

Kentucky can attract doctors from poorer parts of the world, such as South Asia. Mr Banks does not think much of these immigrant medics. He fears they may give him the wrong medicine, perhaps deliberately, and threatens to “shoot them plumb between the eyes” if they try. He is not serious about this threat, one assumes, but his sense of grievance is no less real for being incoherent.

I just thought that bit was ****ing hilarious.

[Sava]

Kentucky is a pretty horrible place.

[Lorizael]

Norway's GDP is entirely because of oil revenue.

I love little excuses like these. Other countries are rich because they're lucky enough to have resources. America is rich because Americans are more awesomer, not because of its tremendous abundance of good land and natural resources.