Quote (bogie160 @ Feb 24 2021 08:35pm)
That's a good point, but I suppose we'll never know, because the Danes lack the testicular fortitude to take their education to the next level. You have to put your money where your mouth is.
You are thinking about the bold the entirely wrong way around. Progressive tax schemes don't create poverty, they alleviate it, albeit at the expense of general wealth. The United States should probably do a bit more, Denmark should probably do a bit less, but I don't see what this has to do with whether or not the United States is a "first world" country. It is the richest non-tax haven in the world (PPP) outside of 5 million Norwegians living large on a trillion dollar oil fund. For a country that is a continent unto itself, I think that's impressive. We compare the United States only to the richest European nations, in highly developed enclaves far better off than their poorer European neighbors. If we were to compare like for like (Norway = Massachusetts, Denmark = Connecticut), this wouldn't even be a conversation.
But in all seriousness, unless we are willing to designate Austria, France, and others as impoverished, underdeveloped states, there is really no intellectual basis for claiming that the United States is not first world.
We don't have the testicular fortitude to take it to the next level? I think you mean to say we have the foresight to "settle" for top 3 and have it available to everyone for free rather than be top 1 and only have it available to the privileged.
Right you're the wealthiest nation but remind me again how that personally affects the average American? Do they have health care? Do they have job security?guaranteed 5 weeks paid vacation annually? Paid sick leave? Do they have unions? Paid maternity leave? Is paternity even a thing? Kids between 15-17 have a minimum wage between $7-10 here, remind me what your federal minimum wage for
grown ass men and women is.
The distribution or your wealth is clearly not to the benefit of the average American so spare me that nonsense of being number one.
US (among some other eastern European shit holes I can't remember) is the only developed nation without universal Healthcare. There's your basis for it not being a first world country.