>Of course the safety net could be a lot better and the GINI coefficient is awful, but there still has never been more wealth floating about the general population. When the people complaining loudest about their situation are having boat parades, driving $75K pickup trucks with aftermarket mods, and getting their news on 75" TVs, and their biggest complaint driving their vote is the price of eggs due to an avian flu pandemic, they are definitely comfortable.
This isn't reflective of the median reality for most people. Simply put, the strata divide is growing even though there is a lot of wealth in US society, it is spread incredibly unevenly.
The US isn't well prepared to handle a trade war, never mind that this trade war is really cover for a class war because big businesses felt labor made too many gains from late 2020 through early 2023
Agree the US is ill-prepared (and less-prepared vs Chins) for any kind of war, trade or otherwise, which was the point of the analyst I cited.
I won't dispute that the median reality for most people is far less than ideal. Yet from a historical perspective the overall life in the US is of historically unparalleled safety with overall peace and low crime rates, health with more ppl covered by insurance (but yes, less than 32 other developed nations, but higher top-quality care), and plenty of historically cheap goods imported from low-wage nations.
Yes, it can all be far better, the top 0.001% are stealing vast wealth that could literally transform lives, and there is a homeless problem from inadequate psych care. But we do not have massive poverty, unemployment is at record lows for decades, and so forth.
It appears we are about to find out what it is like to see breadlines and brutality.
And yes, I 100% agree the "trade war" is about cementing more gains for the top class because labor had it too good. They can only see a business model where they prosper only if everyone else suffers. They don't see the greater prosperity possible if everyone participates in building the prosperity.
>Yet from a historical perspective the overall life in the US is of historically unparalleled safety with overall peace and low crime rates, health with more ppl covered by insurance (but yes, less than 32 other developed nations, but higher top-quality care), and plenty of historically cheap goods imported from low-wage nations.
Which in context of the conversation, means nothing. I'm not disputing the fact that relative to historical circumstances, entire swaths of the world have it better than ever, but that doesn't end poverty or meaningfully increase stability under the current regime, and whatever comes of this - and its not going to be good - will last far longer than the regime is likely to be in power[0]. Addressing current and future concerns is what counts here, regardless of how good anyone has it.
[0]: I hope the US can maintain free and fair elections. Remains to be seen if this administration, its cronies, and its followers running congress and SCOTUS won't dismantle elections
>>Which in context of the conversation, means nothing.
Umm, it's the central point —» Which population is more prepared and willing to endure deprivation to win a trade war? Those multi-generational experience of safety, stability, and MTV prosperity mean everything in terms of being unprepared to endure deprivation for a greater good. A nation of spoiled brats is not Sparta.
We certainly agree the outcome of this is inevitably bad, is already decades-long in terms of trust broken across the globe, and the regime is definitely trying to kill free&fair elections to remain in power.
This isn't reflective of the median reality for most people. Simply put, the strata divide is growing even though there is a lot of wealth in US society, it is spread incredibly unevenly.
The US isn't well prepared to handle a trade war, never mind that this trade war is really cover for a class war because big businesses felt labor made too many gains from late 2020 through early 2023