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Comment by jstx1 | Hacker News Reader

I think that comparisons to most of the world population are irrelevant. Telling someone who is struggling in a developed country that somewhere across the world many people have it worse - this doesn't help anyone.

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That's a surprisingly common attitude in my experience - "Even poor people in the USA live great compared to [historical serfs, people starving in afghanistan, (what i imagine it was like for) my grandparents, etc.]" . . . with the usually unspoken follow-on that [therefore it's fine to ignore their plight].

Yeah it's a really reactionary attitude! Most people who say it though aren't really able to articulate the why it matters. Because they clearly at the same time think lots of poverty related issues, like homelessness, are issues we need to solve.

It doesn't help their struggle, but it does provide a wider frame for their laments.

My hypothetical friend was complaining that he will only inherit $5M from his parents, because they made some bad investments, when he should really be getting $15M.

Does no one have a right to tell that person to stop complaining and accept what they have? After all, how does it help my hypothetical friend that some people happen to be struggling more than he is?

The difference is that your friend has his basic needs more than covered and he’s living a good life either way. That’s when perspective helps. But you can’t say the same thing about a minimum wage worker in the US for example - they’ll struggle and telling them that they’re in the top n % worldwide doesn’t help at all.

Pretty much all Americans have their basic needs more than covered and are living a good life either way, compared to someone in a favela outside Rio.

No, that’s my entire point. When we’re talking about covering basic needs you can’t add “compared to” at the end. They’re either covered or they aren’t.

What basic needs aren't covered for Americans?

Our poorest people are also our fattest, so it isn't food.

Less than .2% of our population is homeless, so it isn't shelter. And there are state and privately run shelters for those .2%.

Health care is state-provided and free if you have too low of an income, so it isn't health care.

So...what is it exactly?

American exceptionalism relies on ignoring developed nations and comparing to the worst developed most poorly run places on the planet.

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