Hypothetical - If you could be born anywhere...

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Sweden? Finland? Canada? Austria? Nah.

If you're going to be poor, I'd choose Australia. You might as well be warm and enjoy the beach.

 

[Joykins]

Austria, I guess. Low Gini coefficient, reasonable standard of living, and I've already lived there in the bad neighborhood near the prison and it was OK

 

[jayem]

I've always been intrigued by the Cayman Islands. Beautiful beaches, relaxed lifestyle, mild climate, and the highest standard of living in the Caribbean. Downside is high COL, and major hurricane risk. But no income, social security, VAT, property, or estate taxes. And the world's best conch fritters and rum cake.

 

[Armoured]

Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand. Then maybe Canada. Possibly Switzerland or Austria. Somewhere where the most vulnerable members of society are treated right. And I'd give the same answer if I was being born into one of the richest families.

Point of order, New Zealand isn't a real country.

 

[David Brider]

Point of order, New Zealand isn't a real country.

???

You're joking, right?

 

[Kalevalatar]

Point of order, New Zealand isn't a real country.

???

You're joking, right?

Maybe the poster confused New Zealand with the "Principality of Sealand"...?

 

[Oafman]

Maybe the poster confused New Zealand with the "Principality of Sealand"...?

Is Sealand not a real country? I though it kind-of was.

 

[Armoured]

???

You're joking, right?

New Zealand is to Australia as Quebec is to Canada. They like to pretend they're real countries, but they aren't.

 

[David Brider]

New Zealand is to Australia as Quebec is to Canada. They like to pretend they're real countries, but they aren't.

I'm not sure where you get that idea from, but you're mistaken. Quebec is a province of Canada; New Zealand is a country in its own right.

 

[Armoured]

I'm not sure where you get that idea from, but you're mistaken. Quebec is a province of Canada; New Zealand is a country in its own right.

Nah. You've been listening to hobbits again. Well established international legal principle, if your football team is more offencive capability than your airforce, you're not a real country.

 

[marshlewis]

Nah. You've been listening to hobbits again. Well established international legal principle, if your football team is more offencive capability than your airforce, you're not a real country.

Well by that criteria, Australia must be the most real country in history.

 

[Armoured]

Well by that criteria, Australia must be the most real country in history.

[Insert mandatory kiwi/sheep joke here]

 

[keith99]

Point of order, New Zealand isn't a real country.

Must be humiliating to all the Countries that can not field a side to even stay close in the only sport that matters.

 

[applepowerpc]

As it is now, I've accepted Christ and I'm going to Heaven. I think I'm just fine being born where I am now. I could have been born lots of places in the world and never known Christ. I could have been born in the Tudor household and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle--and died as the rich man who did not "need" Christ. As it is now, the United States' standard of living is in the top 6% of the world. The poorest of families here have access to food pantries, churches, and charitable organizations everywhere.

If I could choose where I was born.... thank God I didn't.

 

[Ken-1122]

If you could be born anywhere in today's world, in any of the world's current countries, where would you choose to be born?

One caveat: wherever you are born, you will be born to the poorest of families in that country.

I would choose the USA because I believe the poor have a much better chance of digging their way out of poverty and improving their financial status.

Ken

 

[Suomipoika]

I would choose the USA because I believe the poor have a much better chance of digging their way out of poverty and improving their financial status.

Ken

Where do you get that idea from? From the real world or from American mythology?



Social mobility - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[marshlewis]

Where do you get that idea from? From the real world or from American mythology?



Social mobility - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That graph is designed to deflect the very conclusion the data implies. just a summation title would solve this. e.g 'which country are you least likely to go from rags to riches'.

 

[Suomipoika]

That graph is designed to deflect the very conclusion the data implies. just a summation title would solve this. e.g 'which country are you least likely to go from rags to riches'.

True enough.

Just thought that since it was copy-pasted from the same article that I linked, and since it was from *Wikipedia* after all, it would somehow be obvious



Btw, since you brought up the "rags to riches" phrase: personally I don't quite get it why "rags to riches" is somehow supposed to be the ideal, instead of, say, "rags to a reasonably good standard of living".

What's the whole point of a culture glorifying the dreams of an individual getting "rich"? Personally I feel that if I somehow ended up living in a "gated community", my life would have been a miserable failure.

 

[Ken-1122]

Where do you get that idea from? From the real world or from American mythology?



Social mobility - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's just the way I see it. I am not an expert on every country in the world but I don't think it is a coincidence that even though the USA makes up less than 5% of the worlds population we have nearly half of the worlds millioniares. I think it is because for those who want fortune, there is more opportunity to atain it here.

K

 

[Ken-1122]

Btw, since you brought up the "rags to riches" phrase: personally I don't quite get it why "rags to riches" is somehow supposed to be the ideal, instead of, say, "rags to a reasonably good standard of living".

Most people rarely get everything they want. If you aim for 100, you might get 50. If you aim to get rich, you might get a reasonably good standard of living.

What's the whole point of a culture glorifying the dreams of an individual getting "rich"?

Most people would like to be rich.

Personally I feel that if I somehow ended up living in a "gated community", my life would have been a miserable failure.

You are a rare individual. Most people would prefer to have more than they have. My guess is, you don't know what it is like to be poor.

Ken