this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2024

-38 points (14.8% liked)

Conservative

460 readers

112 users here now

A place to discuss pro-conservative stuff

Be excellent to each other. Civility, No Racism, No Bigotry, No Slurs, No calls to violences, No namecalling, All that good stuff, follow lemm.ee's rules, follow the rules of your instance, etc.
We are a Pro-Conservative forum. Posts must have a clear pro-conservative, or anti left-wing bias. We are interested in promoting conservatism and discussing things that might get ignored elsewhere. All sources are acceptable, however reputable sources with a reputation for factual reporting are preferred.
Dissent is allowed in the comments, but try to be constructive; if you do not agree, then provide a reason which is backed up by references or a reasonable alternative interpretation of the provided facts. That means the left wing is welcome to state their opinions, but please keep it in good faith.

A polite request, not a rule, if you feel the need to report a comment, please don't reply to it.

founded 1 year ago

-38

These are the world’s happiest countries in 2024 | CNN (www.cnn.com)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

23 comments fedilink hide all child comments

It's not shocking that under Biden, we fell out of the top 20.

all 26 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Lol. A list which consistently has some of the most social democratic countries at the top is being posted in a conservative community.

University education is free in Findland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweeden, and Norway.

Healthcare is free in the entire top 10.

Taxes are higher in the entire top 10.

The majority of workers are unionized in 9 out of 10 (all but Isreal)

Guns are heavily regulated in the entire top 10.

Abortion is legal in the entire top 10.

Yeah I don't think Biden is why America ranks lower than Lithuania on how happy the average person is with their life.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Some of the most capitalistic as well.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yup! Capitalism and strong social programs can coexist. Countries need not choose one or the other.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Agreed.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It bothers me that people on this platform downvote even when someone agrees or concedes. You agreed and yet you were downvoted. There's too much blind antagonism through the voting system here.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Honestly the downvotes increase engagement and make this community more visible as it’s always at the bottom of the top lists.

Ironic but I feel like it helps this community thrive as that’s the reason I found it even though the community at [email protected] is actually bigger

[–] BottomTierJannie -3 points 11 months ago

A large amount of the community here came over from the shitshow that was the .world community where the admins were a bunch of reddit admins wannabes who just banned people for not being leftist, and at that time, the sh.itjust.works community was entirely umoderated, which caused all the activity to dry up because nobody liked dealing with the perpetual trolls that just harassed everyone there.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 11 months ago

Some people just want to burn the world down.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Not only that but according to the Sustainable Development Report, US ranks 39.

According to the OECD the US has the largest wealth gap among G7 nations.

It gets worse: According to IBIS World The market size of the Ball Bearing Manufacturing industry in the US has declined 4.6% per year on average between 2018 and 2023.

Clearly Biden is really letting us down.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Does no one care about the ball bearings of America?

[+] [email protected] -7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

According to the OECD the US has the largest wealth gap among G7 nations.

Thanks for what I have always suspected. It is all about jealousy with the left. You can't be happy if someone else has more.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I am super curious as to how you come to that conclusion.

[+] [email protected] -8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You think the wealth gap is important. It isn’t. That’s just jealousy. Elon has more than me but I have plenty. The gap isn’t important to my happiness. I’m fine with what I have.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

A large wealth gap does not only indicate that there are people with assets high above the median, but also that there are those with assets and resources far below. It is hard for you to imagine that I might be concerned for the 2.2 million Americans without running water in their homes for example, or the 26 million Americans without health insurance , or the 44.2 million Americans affected by food insecurity. You automatically assume I am angry because someone has more than me, not less.

The standard republican reply to such concerns is that those living below the poverty line ought to work hard and pull themselves up by their bootstraps, because everyone in the USA has opportunity to improve their situation. If that were true, there would be evidence of that happening, especially in places where hard work and bootstrap philosophy is most prevalent. According to politifact, in 2021-2022:

64% of congressional districts with median incomes below the national median are represented by Republicans.

To be clear: income inequality and wealth inequality are not the same, but there is correlation. A widening wealth gap seems to show that all that hard work and bootstrap pulling is not having the desired effect, even among the hardest working and most fervent believers in bootstrap pulling.

High levels of economic inequality can lead to economic, political and social instability. I'm not saying it's a cause but it is surely a contributing factor. If you think back over the last 200 years or so, it should not be difficult to recall nations that suffered rather calamitous events that were proceeded by situations of economic inequality: France, Russia, Italy, and Germany to name a few.

Finally, here's an interesting read that shows a connection between wealth disparity and the great depression: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.rcboe.org/cms/lib/GA01903614/Centricity/Domain/2820/Main%2520Causes%2520of%2520the%2520Great%2520Depression%2520article%25202019.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj2rpqrk4SFAxWZOjQIHcGQC28QFnoECCcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw30RdFMvrCr9yThPVHsSV5_

[+] [email protected] -8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Or to put in simply, jealously. Wealth gap is a bad measure as it ignores the wealth that is locked up and not usable.

Communism cares are wealth gaps. Capitalism does not as much of that is locked up and not usable.

You are free to move to Cuba, where the wealth gap is small. Almost everyone is equally poor. I have no interest in degrading our quality of life because of jealousy.

https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/defending-the-dream-why-income-inequality-doesnt-threaten-opportunity

Complaining about the income gap is fair; complaining about wealth is tiring. Go start a company and become wealthy.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I hope that anyone reading this that does not have the mind of a child understands that concern with economic inequality is not about jealousy or anger that rich people exist. It does not come from the belief that rich people have taken up all the wealth so that nobody else gets any. These are foolish mischaracterizations.

A certain amount of inequality is a good thing: it inspires people to ambition and industry. Beyond a certain point, it is an indication that there is a problem.

It is a symptom, it is a sign: of a giant market bubble about to burst, or of political instability- not necessarily leading to revolution, but possibly. If you don't believe me go ask any French nobility you can find. I'm sure they'll talk their head off about it.

[+] [email protected] -7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It’s about jealousy. Logically whining someone has more if just silly. I’ve done fine even though Elon has done better. It’s not hard to be successful unless you sit around whining someone else has more. Too many people focus on what other have rather than focusing on their own success and happiness.

It’s why liberals are so unhappy. They just want to steal from others rather than create their own success

[–] BottomTierJannie -4 points 11 months ago

Like I give a fuck. The purpose of government isn't to make people happy, it's to uphold their rights.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Finland is at the top? I'm not sure its a good measure of happiness. Dont they drink a ton of booze and take staggering amounts of antidepressants?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Depression is a severe issue in Nordic countries. The lack of sunlight isn't good for your vitamin d