The US has a lot of money, but it does not look like a developed country

[RKP5637]

Interesting article comparing US to other countries.

https://qz.com/879092/the-us-doesnt-look-like-a-developed-country/

The US is the world’s largest national economy, and the epitome of industrialization. Because of its wealth, high standards of living, and availability of world-class services, many Americans believe theirs to be one of the better—or outright best—countries in the world to live.

Measuring wellbeing can be tricky: Seemingly objective standards, like income, are affected by the availability of social services, which improve life even for low-earners. Infant mortality, another common measure of wellbeing, can actually be higher in countries where advanced healthcare technologies allow premature babies to be born in the first place. Nonetheless, there are some comparisons we can make: In 2015, the United Nations defined 17 goals for any country claiming to achieve complete sustainable development. Those goals range from ending poverty, to gender equality, to environmental preservation.

Quartz used those goals to compare the US development to that of other wealthy nations, following the blueprint of a 2016 report by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We found that the US performs scores dismally in most areas—such as healthcare, education, and violence.

Below is a breakdown that shows how the US fares for 11 of the 17 goals. Since the US ranks about average in water and sanitation, sustainable production and consumption, ocean preservation, and landscape preservation, we didn’t highlight those in the analysis. We also didn’t look into climate change, as the sheer size and population of the US make it difficult to compare its impact with other countries, and didn’t explore the last development goal, global partnership, as it’s intended as an instrumental tool to implement other goals.

The analysis proves that, while Americans may be doing relatively fine, “best country to live in” is a serious stretch.

See >>> https://qz.com/879092/the-us-doesnt-look-like-a-developed-country/

[HopeAgain]

1. The result of the stark wealth disparites in the U.S.

Money being horded by greedy individuals. This is a Country where we believe that individual wealth comes before society. We may truly represent the coming of end-stage capitalism.

[RKP5637]

2. I've always felt capitalism often rewards the worst in mankind, as so often demonstrated. n/t

[JDC]

3. The "Peaceful Living" and "Voter Turnout"really stand out

We do well in some areas, but it is startling to see some of the statistics and how glaringly we stand out. Again, like the "Peaceful Living" and "Voter Turnout"

snip

Peaceful Living

Measuring a nation’s quality of life and development also includes intangible measures, such as the incidence of violent crime and democratic participation. In those aspects, the US fares pretty poorly: Deaths by assault are almost five times as high in the US as the OECD average (with the exception of Mexico).

The US also has one of the highest ratios of childhood death by injury (both intentional and unintentional). This accounts for nearly half of all US childrens’ deaths

Snip

Voter turnout (2016)

When it comes to democratic institution, the US has one of the lowest turnouts among high-income countries. (The US is one of the few countries where eligible citizens aren’t automatically registered to vote.)

[RKP5637]

4. I think many citizens would be quite shocked if they saw this report. I think the general assumption

by many, by default, is we are the best. Reports like this often do not reach IMO MSM in a significant amount.