The numbers, and explanations, are both fascinating and despairing.
But, as an outsider (AU) looking in, they're not at all surprising.
Getting most of my information about the USA from what might be called (there) as left-leaning (but elsewhere as centrist) -- or witty aphorisms like 'Russia's about to find out why we don't have health care' (wrt weapons shipment to Ukraine), or the despairingly persistently applicable '"No Way to Prevent This", Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens' satirical headline -- this all seemed to be a generally well-acknowledged consequence of the society there?
To informed USA citizens, are these figures genuinely unexpected?
Or alternatively, is it the figures for the rest of the world that are the unexpected revelation here?
As an affluent tech industry Australian living in the US (Bay Area) I’d say there’s very little practical difference in my standard of living here compared to back home. It’s more the poorer parts of society here where the figures quoted in the article apply and that feels just as removed from my life here as it does to you sitting in Australia. The US is a big place.
This is what pains me the most about the US. Out of sight and out of mind but these poorer parts of society represent xx millions of fellow humans. If you could have similar standard of living in Australia where the poorer parts of society perhaps have more accessible healthcare and better social safety nets, then why the hell can't we do that in the US!? (I know the answers to that question, but it just makes me sad and angry).
But, as an outsider (AU) looking in, they're not at all surprising.
Getting most of my information about the USA from what might be called (there) as left-leaning (but elsewhere as centrist) -- or witty aphorisms like 'Russia's about to find out why we don't have health care' (wrt weapons shipment to Ukraine), or the despairingly persistently applicable '"No Way to Prevent This", Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens' satirical headline -- this all seemed to be a generally well-acknowledged consequence of the society there?
To informed USA citizens, are these figures genuinely unexpected?
Or alternatively, is it the figures for the rest of the world that are the unexpected revelation here?