+- Mock (https://mockforums.net)
+-- Forum: Serious Shit? (https://mockforums.net/forum-4.html)
+--- Forum: Assholes In The News (https://mockforums.net/forum-10.html)
+--- Thread: America (/thread-2888.html)
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
· Nation slumps from 2nd to 12th in global table
· Richest fifth take home $168,000, poorest $11,000
Despite spending $230m (£115m) an hour on healthcare, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed country. And while it has the second-highest income per head in the world, the United States ranks 42nd in terms of life expectancy.
These are some of the startling conclusions from a major new report which attempts to explain why the world's number-one economy has slipped to 12th place - from 2nd in 1990- in terms of human development.
The American Human Development Report, which applies rankings of health, education and income to the US, paints a surprising picture of a country that spends well over $5bn each day on healthcare - more per person than any other country.
The report, Measure of America, was funded by Oxfam America, the Conrad Hilton Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. It shows each of the 11 countries that rank higher than the US in human development has a lower per-capita income.
Those countries score better on the health and knowledge indices that make up the overall human development index (HDI), which is calculated each year by the United Nations Development Programme.
And each has achieved better outcomes in areas such as infant mortality and longevity, with less spending per head.
Japanese, for example, can expect to outlive Americans, on average, by more than four years. In fact, citizens of Israel, Greece, Singapore, Costa Rica, South Korea and every western European and Nordic country save one can expect to live longer than Americans.
There are also wider differences, the report shows. The average Asian woman, for example, lives for almost 89 years, while African-American women live until 76. For men of the same groups, the difference is 14 years.
One of the main problems faced by the US, says the report, is that one in six Americans, or about 47 million people, are not covered by health insurance and so have limited access to healthcare.
As a result, the US is ranked 42nd in global life expectancy and 34th in terms of infants surviving to age one. The US infant mortality rate is on a par with that of Croatia, Cuba, Estonia and Poland. If the US could match top-ranked Sweden, about 20,000 more American babies a year would live to their first birthday.
"Human development is concerned with what I take to be the basic development idea: namely, advancing the richness of human life, rather than the richness of the economy in which human beings live, which is only a part of it," said the Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, who developed the HDI in 1990.
"We get in this report ... an evaluation of what the limitations of human development are in the US but also ... how the relative place of America has been slipping in comparison with other countries over recent years."
The US has a higher percentage of children living in poverty than any of the world's richest countries.
In fact, the report shows that 15% of American children - 10.7 million - live in families with incomes of less than $1,500 per month.
It also reveals 14% of the population - some 40 million Americans - lack the literacy skills to perform simple, everyday tasks such as understanding newspaper articles and instruction manuals.
And while in much of Europe, Canada, Japan and Russia, levels of enrolment of three and four-year-olds in pre-school are running at about 75%, in the US it is little more than 50%.
The report not only highlights the differences between the US and other countries, it also picks up on the huge discrepancies between states, the country's 436 congressional districts and between ethnic groups.
"The Measure of America reveals huge gaps among some groups in our country to access opportunity and reach their potential," said the report's co-author, Sarah Burd-Sharps. "Some Americans are living anywhere from 30 to 50 years behind others when it comes to issues we all care about: health, education and standard of living.
"For example, the state human development index shows that people in last-ranked Mississippi are living 30 years behind those in first-ranked Connecticut."
Inequality remains stark. The richest fifth of Americans earn on average $168,170 a year, almost 15 times the average of the lowest fifth, who make do with $11,352.
The US is far behind many other countries in the support given to working families, particularly in terms of family leave, sick leave and childcare. The country has no federally mandated maternity leave.
The US also ranks first among the 30 rich countries of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development in terms of the number of people in prison, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the total population.
It has 5% of the world's people but 24% of its prisoners.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
You can see many other examples of how America simply isn't number one here....
http://measureofamerica.org/the-us-in-the-world/
- Middle Finger - 07-17-2008
Good. It should be easy for England to take our place as a superpower. Good luck with that.
Quote: Richest fifth take home $168,000, poorest $11,000After taxes, 168K is not a lot to live on with a family in many areas of the Country.
11K? You can collect scrap metal and cans and make more than that. Babysitters make more than that, so give me a break.
- Middle Finger - 07-17-2008
Ordinary Peephole Wrote:You can see many other examples of how America simply isn't number one here....Good ... because we are sick of people asking us for money and aid while risking their lives to get here.
http://measureofamerica.org/the-us-in-the-world/
England's turn, since they are better, anyway.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
Middle Finger Wrote:Good. It should be easy for England to take our place as a superpower. Good luck with that.
Quote:Richest fifth take home $168,000, poorest $11,000After taxes, 168K is not a lot to live on with a family in many areas of the Country.
11K? You can collect scrap metal and cans and make more than that. Babysitters make more than that, so give me a break.
Yes, yes, there, there.
I know the truth hurts.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
Middle Finger Wrote:After taxes, 168K is not a lot to live on with a family in many areas of the Country.Yes of course, you know better than a report by a think tank that took many years to compile. ::nuts::
11K? You can collect scrap metal and cans and make more than that. Babysitters make more than that, so give me a break.
You are just exposing how out of touch you arewith the real world out there.
How embarrassing.
:
:- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
Maybe you'd like to share the results of that report with your family and friends.
The ones that can actually fucking read anyway.
- Middle Finger - 07-17-2008
Which part of what I said was false? I personally know babysitters that make $50-$100 a day CASH. Given a 5 day work week (some work on weekends too, but let's not count that), that's between 12K and 24K CASH. So bounce it up if you want the equivalent of normal taxed income. So babysitting a few days a week gets you past 11K take home pay.
As for 168K - try living in a place on Long Island in a good school district, where property taxes are around 10K+ a year and many mortgags are 400K for their 600K house ... you will see how 168k gross for a family in many areas of the Country is not a lot.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
Middle Finger Wrote:Which part of what I said was false? I personally know babysitters that make $50-$100 a day CASH. Given a 5 day work week (some work on weekends too, but let's not count that), that's between 12K and 24K CASH. So bounce it up if you want the equivalent of normal taxed income. So babysitting a few days a week gets you past 11K take home pay.
As for 168K - try living in a place on Long Island in a good school district, where property taxes are around 10K+ a year and many mortgags are 400K for their 600K house ... you will see how 168k gross for a family in many areas of the Country is not a lot.
Maybe they were includingthe millions of people who have to travel miles to work ten hours a day just to get their welfare cheque?
Or are you not aware that this is happening to the most vulnerable people in US society?
The work to welfare program?, ring any bells?, itwas highlighted in the documentary Bowling for Columbine?
- Middle Finger - 07-17-2008
I've never had to collect unemployment or welfare because I was always able to work, save, and invest. If we are talking about the extreme minority who are physically unable to do any kind of work that is one thing - that is what a safety net is for. But if you are talking about the loads who collect unemployment or welfare because they were irresponsible, didn't plan, kept having babies, kept not working when they could have, etc. that is another story.
Now, we were talking about INCOME, from work. I started off pretty poor, making 15K a year full time salary at my firs job. My parents were horrible with money, didn't have anything, couldn't help me much, didn't help me much, never had their own home (until relatively recently), and are the byproducts of bad habits and a lack of financial education. I made sure, when I was in school, that I would be the opposite of them. So there I was, working extra hours and side jobs, investing money each month. My point here is that one can make 11K working part time at a fast food place by me, on minimum wage. So I don't want to hear excuses for people that can work.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
Thanks for the fascinating personal history lesson.
Now getting back on topic, have you heard of the welfare to work program?, are you aware there are millions of people forced to do it?, do you understand how making people work for a basic welfare cheque could be a significant reason why the lower estimate of $11,000 is correct?
- The Antagonist - 07-17-2008
Boy this guy loves to show how wrong he is daily!
Bowling for Columbine? What the dumbfuck are you?
Hey everyone, didn't I mention in one of my early posts back at this chump that he takes his news from the loony left and most of all Michael Moore?
::haha::He thinks the SHIT depicted in that slag of a film is accurate?
Like you Frank, I grew up with nothing and made damn sure I didn't live like that ever again. It's pretty fucking easy if someone puts their mind to it.
But unlike the nanny state the UK lives under where they are watched from every corner, bishops are begging to have sharia law incorporated into the UK legal system and worse, muslims are given financial welfare over old "pensioners" time and again lest the UK offend someone!
And we're to belive this shit-bird with his 'think tank' report? How fucking gullible is he? Does he not know these reports are inflated to a degree to get governmental funding?
- Middle Finger - 07-17-2008
I know, he's an ass. He wants to make a retard point by indicating that Welfare people are included. No fucking kidding. I addressed Welfare to give him some context.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
The Antagonist Wrote:Boy this guy loves to show how wrong he is daily!
Bowling for Columbine? What the dumbfuck are you?
Hey everyone, didn't I mention in one of my early posts back at this chump that he takes his news from the loony left and most of all Michael Moore?
::haha::He thinks the SHIT depicted in that slag of a film is accurate?
Like you Frank, I grew up with nothing and made damn sure I didn't live like that ever again. It's pretty fucking easy if someone puts their mind to it.
But unlike the nanny state the UK lives under where they are watched from every corner, bishops are begging to have sharia law incorporated into the UK legal system and worse, muslims are given financial welfare over old "pensioners" time and again lest the UK offend someone!
And we're to belive this shit-bird with his 'think tank' report? How fucking gullible is he? Does he not know these reports are inflated to a degree to get governmental funding?
:
:Don't shoot the messenger.
So, what is your opinion on the welfare to work program?, do you think its a swell idea to make people work like slaves to get their welfare cheque?, do you see how making millions of people do this could be a significant reason for the $11,000 lower salary estimate? , do you stand up when you piss?, are you anally retentive?.
- The Antagonist - 07-17-2008
Yah, another point showing how he pays no fucking attention to what is said before him. He's just like a little child let loose in a candy shop, waiting to get his spewage out without any real content or validity.
Always in a hurry to lash out with his inanity.
- Middle Finger - 07-17-2008
Now he seems to be advocating just giving money to people even if they don't work when they can ... just because they don't feel like it. Socialist Nanny-sucking mother fucker.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
The Antagonist Wrote:Yah, another point showing how he pays no fucking attention to what is said before him. He's just like a little child let loose in a candy shop, waiting to get his spewage out without any real content or validity.
Always in a hurry to lash out with his inanity.
I must have hit a raw nerve.
You have descended into to the usual poor quality insult throwing that is your default setting when you can't argue with certain facts I highlight about how shitty your beloved country truly is.
- The Antagonist - 07-17-2008
You get what you give, Chickie.
- Cynical Ninja - 07-17-2008
Middle Finger Wrote:Now he seems to be advocating just giving money to people even if they don't work when they can ... just because they don't feel like it. Socialist Nanny-sucking mother fucker.
I never said that.
Your blackhole of ignorance just swallowed up another galaxy of knowledge.
- Middle Finger - 07-17-2008
Well who gives a fuck if people that should be working have to travel to get their welfare check, and that lowers the numbers? YAH, SO?