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Think about how good you could live if you could buy whatever you wanted simply by writing checks that no one ever tried to cash.
That's a horrible analogy because you're simply ignoring the fact USA has a very productive economy, on average the people actually produce quite a lot of goods and services. That is what drives an economy, and the reason USA is such a powerful nation with a good standard of living.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell
It's pretty obvious that the US standard of living has been in steady decline for years, both in absolute terms and in comparison to other developed economies.
In this case "pretty obvious" meaning something you believe dogmatically, as opposed to something being an opinion held by everyone.
That "global superpower, powerful economic system with the huge GDP" is not like something most Americans can just tap into whenever they want. If we live better is mostly because we live closest to those that have all the wealth. We basically are the live-in servants so we get more crumbs than those living outside the palace.
Sorry you feel that you can’t command value for yourself.
To obtain the exact same standard of living that I grew up with when I was a kid, you would need to earn approximately twice the inflation adjusted wage.
You're not comparing the exact standard of living if you're typing this response.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dysgenic
Now the worst part- someone in today's world needs to do all that, and STILL has to contend with runaway inflation on big ticket items like health insurance and college education.
In the 1950s only about 7% of Americans got a four year college degree, and for the class of people who usually did get one money wouldn't have been an issue today either.
The standard of living is not all dollar based. You have to consider advances that come along and change and iimprove on the very nature of our lives. Like the PC, cellphone and Internet. Huge advances in our lives without great cost.
Those things definitely aren’t making us happier in our lives or as a country that’s for sure. While I wouldn’t want to go without a phone it isn’t directly adding that much to the quality of my life either. Quality of life is directly related to having time freedom, to travel, to enjoy one’s favorite hobbies. How many families today even have the time to sit down together as a family and have a dinner together like the old days? (I’m only 31 btw). The typical middle class family involves both spouses essentially slaving away in order to make the mortgage payment on a house they barely even get to enjoy because they are at work so much.
We still makes jokes about the lack of central heating in much of the UK. Europeans use bikes & pub trans extensively because they can't afford gasoline
Dishwashers, garbage disposals, full sized fridges, etc. there are lots of things Americans take for granted that many people in other developed countries don't have.
When I explain to people overseas that even poor Americans have an automatic crushing/grinding device built into their sink to make cleanup easier they think I'm pulling their leg. It takes some convincing.
While I wouldn’t want to go without a phone it isn’t directly adding to the quality of my life.
This seems like a contradiction to me. I get the whole "material things don't buy happiness" thing, but bottom line you wouldn't have bought that phone if you didn't think it's directly adding to the quality of your life. It's not like some one-off product where you realize it's was a waste of money, people buy new phones over and over because they know how it impacts their life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JPrzybylski07
Quality of life is directly related to having time freedom, to travel, to enjoy one’s favorite hobbies.
You're stating your own preference as if it applies to everyone. There are many people who say they enjoy their work and wouldn't categorize it as "slaving away" like you're describing it for them. Personally I'm with you and would rather have my whole day free every day but I'm not everyone.
This seems like a contradiction to me. I get the whole "material things don't buy happiness" thing, but bottom line you wouldn't have bought that phone if you didn't think it's directly adding to the quality of your life. It's not like some one-off product where you realize it's was a waste of money, people buy new phones over and over because they know how it impacts their life.
You're stating your own preference as if it applies to everyone. There are many people who say they enjoy their work and wouldn't categorize it as "slaving away" like you're describing it for them. Personally I'm with you and would rather have my whole day free every day but I'm not everyone.
Right after you quoted me I changed my sentence about the phone saying it’s doesn’t add that much to my quality of life. Sure it adds some as far as it being a nice tool and making some aspects of life more convenient no doubt.
Sure I can’t speak for everyone but there’s no debate about the majority of people not being happy and fulfilled with their work. If work was fun then they wouldn’t have to be paid to do it.
The US might have a high standard of living when it comes to modern day conveniences but we really aren’t that happy overall as a country nor do we really have that high of a sense of well being. We are actually overall pretty unhealthy physically as a country as well which is directly correlated with feelings of our well being. We work more then other countries to pay for these modern day conveniences and as a result have less time to spend with our families, relax, and get out in nature. All three of those activities are universally regarded as activities that make people feel happier and healthier.
You're not comparing the exact standard of living if you're typing this response.
Citing any "exact standard" of anything over a 70 yer period is silly.
But if you insist.. then start with the number of work hours required to achieve either one.
Ward and June could have had more income and that might have led to a "higher standard"
than they were able to achieve on ONE income with a ton of time off and other benefits...
but having June (or Ward ftm) racking up another 1000 or 2000 hours a year to get it...
well, that really isn't any sort of bargain. Is it?
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