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That's an interesting list. One thing I notice though is that most if not all of those cities are expensive, especially for housing. Vancouver and Honolulu are the only North American cities to make the top 20, and they both have extremely expensive housing. My take on either of those cities would be that they are great places to live in if you're wealthy. Otherwise, not so much.
No way. People in those countries generally live below the standards we expect in the US. I have no idea why we think things are so great in places like Denmark. Most people live in small apartments. A RICH apartment is still tiny by our standards but has a lot of windows.
"The standards we expect in the U.S."
Isn't that what started this thread? Either those standards are excessive or they are not.
Either they are the "norm" for this country or they are not.
And if they are the "norm" why would anyone expect that anything less would be acceptable?
Should special housing be built for poor people that doesn't include refrigerators or indoor plumbing?
And if not, then why puzzle over how one can be poor and still live in housing that meets minimum U.S. standards?
So give us a time frame. When was it that europeans and Americans saw real poverty?
People really are ignorant, aren't they?
How about London in the 1840s for a start.
Sometimes, reading some of these threads, I am convinced that people want that standard of living for the poor.
'Cause they deserve it, doncha know.
They're poor.
How about London in the 1840s for a start.
Sometimes, reading some of these threads, I am convinced that people want that standard of living for the poor.
'Cause they deserve it, doncha know.
They're poor.
You don't have to go that far back. Numerous examples of large scale extreme poverty in the States and Europe in the 20th century.
I don't think the quality of life in Denmark is superior to the U.S. I KNOW it is superior to the U.S. I stayed there for way over a month, staying with a family, when I was 18.
Americans (such as you, for example) are under the impression that having a larger-sized home out in the STICKS of redneck town, which is of inferior materials, with gigantic, poorly elaborated furniture bought on credit, eating additives and cheap, factory-manufactured food, barely able to pay for healthcare, and living two weeks away from job loss, bankruptcy and homelessness is simply nifty, awesomely cool and wonderful! Yipee! LOL! OMG. But congrats! You're the winner! Aren't you the lucky one?
Danes (and Finns, and Swedes, and the French, and the Germans, etc.) don't fear they'll be homeless the next day. Danes and others have health care guaranteed (the #1 cause of bankruptcy here is bad health and the debts that brings). Danes and others have a support system. The elderly in Denmark and other countries are far happier than here. The health care there is far superior and there's more access to more of it. They take more vacations than we do. Their jobs are not enslaving, as they are here. They don't live terrified at any moment that they'll be fired and replaced by someone else. There are all kinds of govt. programs. The food there is superior to here. People have far more free time off there than here. People are much more secure there, more safe from hardship there, have more free time for fun there, have excellent transport systems there, have cleaner cities there, have a wonderful day to day life there.
You sound like Dr. Pangloss, who persisted in believing he lived in the best of all possible worlds, despite all evidence to the contrary. Maybe it's best that you do that. The less you realize about how others are living their only life a lot better than you are, the better for you. You'll retain whatever's left of your sanity longer.
Denmark's population is 55 times smaller than the USA's. Do you really think that that's a fair comparison?
Our poor people are better off then people in other countries because we hold ourselves and our country to higher standards.
If that were true, we'd expect more from them and help them truly better themselves and succeed.
Not buy them off with cable and tvs.
Giving people stuff rarely is for their own good.
And now it's dragging everyone else down.
In rural areas of Appalachia you have real poverty. A population displaced. No new growth. Addiction issues. Etc.
In some urban areas you have real poverty. Extremely high homicide rates. Addiction issues Etc.
I'd love to drop off some of those Americans who think we don't have real poverty into some of those neighborhoods.
My favorite basketball team's star player grew up in St. Louis in dire poverty. This is the USA where you have opportunity though. The cycle will be broken in his case.
"McLemore says on any given night as many as 10 relatives, including siblings, nieces and a nephew, would sleep inside his home, which is smaller than 600 square feet. The home's only bed had three legs, with the other corner supported by a pile of books.
His home, McLemore says, was filled with love but little else. He remembers his mother working nights for a cleaning staff near downtown Busch Stadium. He remembers older brother Keith cycling through odd jobs fixing bikes, trying to make money to support the family.
But it wasn't enough. He won't forget the feeling of waking up knowing there was no food or beverage in the refrigerator, with none on the way those days. He says at times he would go one or two days with no food.
"It's a hard feeling — just starve," McLemore says. "Dang, what are we going to do? Dang, how are we going to eat? How are we going to put food on the table?"
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But congrats! You're the winner! Aren't you the lucky one? 
