Damn it's good to live in the United States

[Ray From Cleveland]

There are less than 2200 players between the NBA and the NFL and your argument is that because they did it, everyone can do it? Really?

And then your next argument is that because some people gambled and got lucky it means everyone can do so?

Wow, that is some impressive logic there.

Oh, and I do know how fortunate I am to be born here, I have travelled extensively and seen more of the world that most. But that does not mean I have to wear rose colored glasses and say that everyone can be like Lebron.

I never said any of that. Merely pointing out at the many people who do become financially successful on the most stupid things. What about other forms of entertainment? Actors, actresses, musicians and so forth. Then we can get to the people who actually worked for it such as CEO's the left constantly complains about. Multi-million dollar earners all across the country. People who open up their own business all the time.

My point is you don't get this in any other country but ours. Look, I'm not financially successful, but I"m not poor either. In my mid 30's I decided I needed a career. I was going nowhere doing manual labor jobs. I got my CDL and drove straight trucks for a few years, and learned how to drive tractor-trailers and did that for nearly 30 years. I invested my money in real estate which helps me now that I'm no longer working. I have a pretty good IRA as well, although I won't live long enough to use it.

I messed around with stocks, spent a couple of years trading commodity contracts (millionaires many don't know exist) and it's because I live here I was able to do these things.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I never said any of that. Merely pointing out at the many people who do become financially successful on the most stupid things. What about other forms of entertainment? Actors, actresses, musicians and so forth. Then we can get to the people who actually worked for it such as CEO's the left constantly complains about. Multi-million dollar earners all across the country. People who open up their own business all the time.

My point is you don't get this in any other country but ours.

I agree actually, that the chance of becoming stupidly rich is better in this country than most. But that is still a tiny chance. What is not better in this country is going from poor to middle class, that is harder to do here than other places based on the datat.

Look, I'm not financially successful, but I"m not poor either. In my mid 30's I decided I needed a career. I was going nowhere doing manual labor jobs. I got my CDL and drove straight trucks for a few years, and learned how to drive tractor-trailers and did that for nearly 30 years. I invested my money in real estate which helps me now that I'm no longer working. I have a pretty good IRA as well, although I won't live long enough to use it.

I messed around with stocks, spent a couple of years trading commodity contracts (millionaires many don't know exist) and it's because I live here I was able to do these things.

There is nothing you did that could not be done in any country, including trading commodity contracts.

I know you can get ahead here, but it is not as simple as people wish to make it.

After getting out of the Marines in 2009 during the heart of the recession we as a family were barely above poverty level and I found out that 20 years in the Marines pretty much meant squat to most employers despite what we had been told as we got ready to get out.

The wife and I came to the conclusion this was not how we wanted to live. So I finished my Bachelors and got my Masters and she got her ASN and then her BSN...jump forward to today and we are now in the top 10% of income earners according to the Govt.

I do not say any of this to brag, but I understand we had a lot of advantages not everyone has. I had the GI Bill, without which I would never have been able to go back school. My wife had parents that had the means and desire to help her reach her dream. Thus we were able to almost quintuple our income in less than a decade. Not everyone has these things, we were lucky and worked our asses off at the same time. I do not think it is wrong to recognize not everyone can do what we did as they do not have the resources we did.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

There are less than 2200 players between the NBA and the NFL and your argument is that because they did it, everyone can do it? Really?

And then your next argument is that because some people gambled and got lucky it means everyone can do so?

Wow, that is some impressive logic there.

Oh, and I do know how fortunate I am to be born here, I have travelled extensively and seen more of the world that most. But that does not mean I have to wear rose colored glasses and say that everyone can be like Lebron.

It's not about rose colored glasses.
It's about wearing blinders for glasses.
Americans take everything for granted.
You can take a lower middle class household in the United States.
Probably live in a 3 bedroom home, with two bathrooms. Probably have two cars, not new ones, but two cars. Probably have multiple TVs in the home. Heat/AC, hot water, fast internet, in home video game system... etc. etc. etc.
In many European countries that would be considered upper middle class. And be counted as one who achieved "upward mobility"
Poor people in America live better than even upper middle class throughout the world.
I am not wealthy by American standards, not even close.
I live in a home with 3 full baths, 5 bedrooms on a 2/3 acre corner plot. 3600 sq ft. Paved circle drive way. I am just middle class.
For someone in Sweden to have a home like mine??? HA!... well in the upper class. Well up there.
Are you getting it?

 

[Harpy Eagle]

It's not about rose colored glasses.
It's about wearing blinders for glasses.
Americans take everything for granted.
You can take a lower middle class household in the United States.
Probably live in a 3 bedroom home, with two bathrooms. Probably have two cars, not new ones, but two cars. Probably have multiple TVs in the home. Heat/AC, hot water, fast internet, in home video game system... etc. etc. etc.
In many European countries that would be considered upper middle class. And be counted as one who achieved "upward mobility"
Poor people in America live better than even upper middle class throughout the world.
I am not wealthy by American standards, not even close.
I live in a home with 3 full baths, 5 bedrooms on a 2/3 acre corner plot. 3600 sq ft. Paved circle drive way. I am just middle class.
For someone in Sweden to have a home like mine??? HA!... well in the upper class. Well up there.
Are you getting it?

What you call "better" I call different. Most people in those countries have no desire to live in a 3600 sqft home, they would find it awful.

My sister has recently moved to Slovenia, perhaps for good if she has her way. They do not have huge houses like we do, but they do not want them. They have very different expectations out of life. They do not tend to spend as much time in their houses we as do, they are always outside doing things. Rarely does a weekend go by there is not a festival in the park for people to attend. She can get to anyplace she needs by walking or riding her bike, she does not own a car there, and the city is designed so they do not need to.

 

[Likkmee]

Only in America is there equity, and it's still not enough. I love this place

I left 16 years ago.No plans to even visit. I avoid shitholes

 

[iamwhatiseem]

What you call "better" I call different. Most people in those countries have no desire to live in a 3600 sqft home, they would find it awful.

My sister has recently moved to Slovenia, perhaps for good if she has her way. They do not have huge houses like we do, but they do not want them. They have very different expectations out of life. They do not tend to spend as much time in their houses we as do, they are always outside doing things. Rarely does a weekend go by there is not a festival in the park for people to attend. She can get to anyplace she needs by walking or riding her bike, she does not own a car there, and the city is designed so they do not need to.

Exactly.
That is my point.
They have lowered expectations therefore what they consider as "upward mobility" would not be considered to be in the U.S.
That was my point from the get-go. You can't throw up a graph that shows all these countries have better upward mobility, when what is considered as "made it" is so very different.
If you took the exact criteria of what is considered "made it" in Belgium and applied it to the U.S. - we would look like kings over here.

 

[Meister]

I left 16 years ago.No plans to even visit. I avoid shitholes

It's not all a shithole yet, though some places certainly are.
I like the Salmon fishing too much to leave.

 

[Likkmee]

It's not all a shithole yet, though some places certainly are.
I like the Salmon fishing too much to leave.

Salmon fishing is a joke. I live in Costa Rica. Catch 50 snook in an hour on the Nicaraguan border(turrerists) an hour from my farm

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Exactly.
That is my point.
They have lowered expectations therefore what they consider as "upward mobility" would not be considered to be in the U.S.

your point is wrong, they are not lowered expectations, they are different expectations. It is not by mistake that most of these same countries tend to score far higher on happiness and quality of life data as well.

That was my point from the get-go. You can't throw up a graph that shows all these countries have better upward mobility, when what is considered as "made it" is so very different.
If you took the exact criteria of what is considered "made it" in Belgium and applied it to the U.S. - we would look like kings over here.

All social mobility shows is the percent moving from one social status to the next. And no, we would not look like kings, we would look like people that do not know what is important, as we have different views than them.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

your point is wrong, they are not lowered expectations, they are different expectations. It is not by mistake that most of these same countries tend to score far higher on happiness and quality of life data as well.

YEah and that is all bullshit.
Norway consistently ranks as the happiest country on earth.
Yet... oddly... they have the highest suicide rates for 25 year olds and younger in the entire western society.
All of Europe, America, Canada, Australia... all of them.
Now... how the fuck are they the happiest country on earth?? Doesn't make sense does it? Good reason why. It is bullshit.
These rankings are self voted. It goes by how the people who live there rank there country. A great deal of the entire millennial generation in America, and certainly Gen Z, don't believe America is a good country. Raaaaacism... whiiiiiiite privilege... they are absolutely not going to vote their country as the best. No chance.
Europeans still - wait for it - teach national pride in schools. Still have national pride.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

YEah and that is all bullshit.
Norway consistently ranks as the happiest country on earth.
Yet... oddly... they have the highest suicide rates for 25 year olds and younger in the entire western society.
All of Europe, America, Canada, Australia... all of them.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

All social mobility shows is the percent moving from one social status to the next. And no, we would not look like kings, we would look like people that do not know what is important, as we have different views than them.

WHat are you not getting?
In America we have a much-much broader range of social status.
We have...
Homeless...
Damn poor
Poor
Low middle
middle
upper middle
high middle
moderate wealthy
medium wealth
wealthy
high wealth
elite wealth
Insane wealth

In Europe, it is more like...
Poor
Low middle
Middle
moderate wealthy
rich
elite rich
insane rich
And seriously that is about it.

In America everyone who is not at the very least medium wealthy, is going to be counted among lower mobility... in Europe they think they are all upwardly mobile except for the very few really poor.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

WHat are you not getting?
In America we have a much-much broader range of social status.
We have...
Homeless...
Damn poor
Poor
Low middle
middle
upper middle
high middle
moderate wealthy
medium wealth
wealthy
high wealth
elite wealth
Insane wealth

In Europe, it is more like...
Poor
Low middle
Middle
moderate wealthy
rich
elite rich
insane rich
And seriously that is about it.

In America everyone who is not at the very least medium wealthy, is going to be counted among lower mobility... in Europe they think they are all upwardly mobile except for the very few really poor.

Then it should be far easier to move up in the US since there are more levels that are closer together.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Seriously??? You need to watch something other than CNN. Norway has the highest among western societies

[Suicide among young people aged 15-29 years in Oslo. The development in the Nordic countries and regional variations in Norway] - PubMed

The suicide rate in Norway has doubled during the last 20-25 years. The increase was much higher for the age group 15 to 29 years. Among young men and women between 15 and 29 years in Oslo there was no increase in the suicide rate from the period 1975-1981 to the period 1982-1988. Many of the...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Seriously??? You need to watch something other than CNN. Norway has the highest among western societies

[Suicide among young people aged 15-29 years in Oslo. The development in the Nordic countries and regional variations in Norway] - PubMed

The suicide rate in Norway has doubled during the last 20-25 years. The increase was much higher for the age group 15 to 29 years. Among young men and women between 15 and 29 years in Oslo there was no increase in the suicide rate from the period 1975-1981 to the period 1982-1988. Many of the...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

wow, not knowing about a study from 1993 means I watch CNN? fuck dude, that is stupid even by your very low standards.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Then it should be far easier to move up in the US since there are more levels that are closer together.

OMG dude.
Like I said, in America we take everything for granted. Unless we are living like Jeff Bezos, we think we aren't doing very well.
These graphs are generated by SELF VOTING.
At least 70% of Americans are living better off financially than Belgium people. And you want me to believe they have more upward mobility??
You have any idea what the cost of living is there when you include taxation??? It is EXTRAORDINARILY hard to attain wealth in most European nations.
Jesus

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Seriously??? You need to watch something other than CNN. Norway has the highest among western societies

[Suicide among young people aged 15-29 years in Oslo. The development in the Nordic countries and regional variations in Norway] - PubMed

The suicide rate in Norway has doubled during the last 20-25 years. The increase was much higher for the age group 15 to 29 years. Among young men and women between 15 and 29 years in Oslo there was no increase in the suicide rate from the period 1975-1981 to the period 1982-1988. Many of the...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Suicide Rate by Country 2024

Today, Scandinavian countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland – have very high happiness rates and relatively low suicide rates. However, the dark winters – 20 hours of darkness or more in each day in some areas – causes seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression, which has been known to correlate with higher rates of suicide.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

At least 70% of Americans are living better off financially than Belgium people. And you want me to believe they have more upward mobility??

are they really?

 

[marvin martian]

Damn right!

Post of the day! Thanks for posting it

LOL! Someone finally told you guys to jump in so it wouldn't be too obvious, huh?

 

[XponentialChaos]

LOL! Someone finally told you guys to jump in so it wouldn't be too obvious, huh?

What are you whining about now, snowflake?