[lbo-talk] barbaric?

[Tayssir John Gabbour]

On 3/5/07, James Heartfield <Heartfield at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> I was going to say, "poor you!" but then I remembered that you live in the
> wealthiest society on earth. And the last time that I visited, I seem to
> remember that it was very pleasant indeed, not least for the excellent
> company.

Some points though:

   * The US prison rate is highest known one on earth. (And it's often

     not exactly pleasant inside... The banality of prison rape is

     such that it's joke fodder for late night talkshow hosts.)

   * We commute more than we vacation, as the Bureau of Labor Services

     claims. US citizens aren't as lazy as some make us out to be. No

     doubt among the highest working hours among industrialized

     countries.

   * Our homeless population is obvious, amid all the opulence. I

     don't know how to evaluate it compared with other nations'

     programs, but it's certainly clear.

But I agree that many relatively privileged people within the US
suffer more fear than warranted. (Failure, terrorists/communists
behind every tree, do I smell bad, etc.)


> In terms of measurable social goods, you would be very hard put to show that
> Britain, like the rest of Europe, China, Russia, and I suspect the US too,
> is not much better off than it was a generation ago.

How's the wealth distributed?

Tayssir