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I view "efficiency" of a region based upon economic productivity...things like value of companies based in area, no. of $200K++/yr jobs, no. of new, valuable companies created every yr, etc etc
Perhaps world's most efficient place is the car-centric, suburban sprawl known as "Silicon Valley"
And much of efficiency of US economy is ability to move low-skill, low-wage jobs out of high-cost, high-tax places like NYC or LA or SV to places like exurban Dallas
Notice how many major companies (incl tech cos. like Google or Apple or "old" cos. like Exxon or IBM, etc and many hedge funds and VCs) prefer to work from suburban office campuses near the suburban houses of most of the senior execs and most workers?
Cities like NYC or SF are cute for high-income yuppies (pre-kids) and welfare recipients (many easy nearby targets for muggings)
But to OP's point: US suburbs, esp newer regions like Silicon Valley and Dallas, indeed have world's highest SOL for any hard-working, upwardly mobile person....the product of efficiency, innovation, capitalism, entrepreneurial ethos, great engineering schools (in case of SV's Stanford), etc etc
This is something that parents should be pumping into their kid's heads from day-one. Things won't change unless masses of people teach their kids the BIG difference between "want" and "need". Many adults however, don't seem to yet understand this.
In the 1950s, the average American "starter home" was in the area of 1500 square feet. Today, it hovers around 2500 square feet... for a STARTER home (?!) You need only watch any of the first time buyer home shows on HGTV to see the mentality of the 20-somethings out there today. They have lists on paper 6 feet long of things they "need" in their first homes, that not too many years ago would have been considered luxury options. Just the other night I watched a young couple with no kids and no pets say that they could not survive in a "tiny" 1800 square foot home any longer and needed something with 4 bedrooms. An older couple with one single teen child "needed" a 3700++ square foot 5 bedroom home and three levels. The list goes on and on, and if I hear one more woman on these shows say she needs a 12x12 closet to "fit her shoes in" or can't cook in a kitchen unless it has granite countertops, I'm gonna crap my pants.
I can understand someone wanting space for a King sized bed, but do you need a 28 foot bedroom to do it? Do you need a bathroom that you can park two Hummers in, or even a garage you can park two Hummers in - or for that matter, why do you need two Hummers??? Why do your kids HAVE to have a 15x15 bedroom and their own bathroom for each kid? Why do we need a separate living room AND a family room... isn't one room good enough?
Luckily, not EVERYONE is like this. Though the thought changing movement is slow, there does seem to be some progress in toning people down a bit, and it's no longer granola eating hippies, but mainstream young adults who are the ones slowly starting to get it. Some folks are actually starting to look for smaller homes, and a very small handful of builders are now realizing that well-built and well laid out small homes might just be in demand (only problem is, they charge as much for them as they do larger homes).
Teach your kids, folks. Teach them real priorities. It's the only way it's all gonna change.
Well said Greg! This in a nutshell describes the biggest issue with this country...excess, which has risen up and bitten us in the ass.
The title of the original post says it all, American dissatisfaction. We're spoiled rotten and "the little rich kid" is now getting a dose of reality.
I can only hope the current economy and what is yet to come as the dust settles will be a lesson learned. Though I somehow doubt it.
Why don't you move to Europe and stay there if you think America is so inferior. Also, I'm waiting for your answer regarding who is number 1 if not America.
It's not about money but a way of life. In England, the police don't carry guns. They carry sticks. That's all you need to know about the quality of life situation. In America, our country would be in a state of anarchy if all the police had were sticks to fight criminals off with.
Just today a german carpenter who worked about three months in america, told me, that many houses in new york (especially in rural NY; he only worked in the state NY) are in terrible substandard condition, bad insolated, calculated for 10 or 20 years ...
The ground is often more expensive that the house ... is that right?
We live in a extremely materialistic society. If one cannot obtain the type of lifestyle that they see thrown at them on the idiot box (TV) then they may become dissatisfied. Most Americans do not know how good they have it. Try living some time in 3rd world developing areas. No potable water is LOTS of fun
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Actually I am quite satisfied with my life and material well-being. I make an above average income and have most of the things in life I want. Would I like a higher income - you bet, who wouldn't. But on balance, things are pretty good right now.
When I compare what I have and what most Americans have, we have very little to complain about. But people are people and there will always be unsatisfied wants. It's just human nature.
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