National Gun Forum banner

Study finds America's poorest 20% consume more than national averages of most Europea

2K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  Stamps6 
#1 ·
Study finds America's poorest 20% consume more than national averages of most European and OECD nations

Thomas Lifson
August 26, 2019


Most of the articles you read decrying the purportedly wretched state of the poor in the United States, blaming prosperous people for the "inequality" of our "income distribution" (as if rich people got that way by expropriating the earnings of the poor, because someone "redistributed" their income to the rich) are phony. They rely on income reported to the IRS and ignore the substantial untaxed benefits supplied to low-income people.

A new study from the public policy research group Just Facts corrects for this ignored income and finds that our poorest 20% consume as much as the average in many European and other developed countries. James D. Agresti of Just Facts writes:

A groundbreaking study by Just Facts has discovered that after accounting for all income, charity, and non-cash welfare benefits like subsidized housing and Food Stamps — the poorest 20% of Americans consume more goods and services than the national averages for all people in most affluent countries. This includes the majority of countries in the prestigious Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including its European members. In other words, if the U.S. "poor" were a nation, it would be one of the world's richest.​

Notably, this study was reviewed by Dr. Henrique Schneider, professor of economics at Nordakademie University in Germany and the chief economist of the Swiss Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. After examining the source data and Just Facts' methodology, he concluded: "This study is sound and conforms with academic standards. I personally think it provides valuable insight into poverty measures and adds considerably to this field of research."


The study cites and rebuts a recent New York Times video op-ed decrying our poverty, as well as other such studies.

It is worth a careful read.

Ever since I first went to live in Japan in 1967 and observed that middle-class people there had a lower material standard of living than American blacks in Watts who had recently rioted, I realized that poverty in rich countries is a mental state more than a material situation in the modern world, where starvation is not an issue in rich countries. I would not argue that poor people in America are not miserable. But I would argue that "free money" — whether a welfare check or an Andrew Yang–style guaranteed income — will not solve their problems.




https://www.americanthinker.com/blo...erages_of_most_european_and_oecd_nations.html
 
See less See more
1
#2 ·
America's Poorest Richer Than 60% Of Developed World

Results of a real academic study using proper scientific methods.
The next time someone tells you how horrible America treats it's poor point them to this
European study backed by real facts.

https://pjmedia.com/trending/sorry-bern ... countries/

On average, a person among the poorest 20 percent of Americans consumes more goods and services than the average person in Canada, Greece, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Iceland, New Zealand, Slovenia, Slovakia, Israel, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Chile, Hungary, Turkey, and Mexico.
 
#4 ·
The Section 8 housing in most parts of this country would be considered Middle Class or better in most other countries.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Popeye
#9 ·
Very true! I know, I have been to some of those countries!
 
  • Like
Reactions: PrairieHunt
#5 ·
I think poverty is in part self perception.
I guess someone who can afford to live in an affluent part of town but not enough to own a high end car considers himself a little poor in some aspects.
Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz.... My friends all have Porsche's I must make amends.
Lord if I am going to be poor ,let me be poor in the USA.
Another thought,
In other parts of the world, especially communist/socialist countries. If you are born poor, you have no way to get out of it.
Here, if you work hard enough, educate yourself, you can rise out of poverty
 
#6 · (Edited)
In the Europe most people use public transportation for daily commute because it is so well developed and widely affordable.
Over there having a car is a luxury and your choice, over here it is an inevitable evil.
Exclude all transportation expenses from your budget, such as insurance, tabs, gasoline, oil change, filters, tires, repair, brakes, etc. and then we will talk again.

And this is just for start.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wag
#8 ·
I have been fortunate were I and the wife have been able to visit over 30 countries, both in Latin American and Europe. The standard of living in those countries tend to be lower that ours, and no matter what country you are visiting, most residents express their desire to come to the USA. I wonder why................

A individual living in one of our ghettos, have a better standard of living the middle class in some Latin American countries.
 
#10 ·
Maybe those poor asses from the South should learn how to wake up at 4 am and go to work instead of having a siesta non-stop?
 
  • Like
Reactions: friendof2nd
#23 ·
I have heard that in some of those Latin American countries, they have over 100 national holidays, no wonder nothing gets done over there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: surevaliance
#13 ·
We need to "import" about 100 Million of the world's poorest to dilute and lower our Standard of Living, and deplete our natural resources so we can assuage our White, American Guilt, eh? After all, Liberals tell us "EVERYBODY" in the world has a right to be "HERE". As The O'Bama was fond of saying, "We didn't build that".
 
#22 ·
Your idea may haves a silver lining, after all 100 millions comes to the USA, we may find some cheap prime real state on one of those countries that have emptied due to their people migrating to the USA.
 
#24 ·
It’s true that most Americans don’t travel to other states more than one state away. I’ve seen quite a few and came away with the realization that not every where is like where I live. Some places are nicer and some are not. Getting around the country helps you to realize how different people view things. A guy living in NY city can’t understand why a rancher out west needs a gun. A Rancher out west can’t understand why a guy in LA California would never leave a dog outside all night and why he would let the local police be his only protection from a break in. My wife kinda thinks everywhere is like NJ.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top