That’s not irony.

It also assumes I paid anything for this iPhone 7…which I didn’t.

But that argument is nonsense, anyways. Apparently you have to be a caveman or you can’t criticize anything? That would be pretty convenient for you.

Well, I did say “got to be”. Just an observation…I obviously don’t know if this was necessary or useful.

Got to be a symptom of end-stage capitalism.

Should be noted that his justification is a lunatic the CIA hired and then brought back from Afghanistan.

I mean…ya…but this “quote” doesn’t appear to me to be talking about the wealthy…but rather addressing the notion that poor people and the unemployed have no value if they don’t have employment/can’t find better employment.

Could be wrong.

No, thank you. I’m not interested in some random chart with no sourcing.

The first word in PPP is “purchasing”. It should be self-evident.

My comment wasn’t intended to be zero sum. Both countries have elements of socialism and capitalism…but one certainly “leans” more in the capitalist direction.

Not really a “wild idea”, as much as something a 12 year old would come up with.

Yeah…I thought a Robotech/Star Wars crossover would have been cool…when I was 12.

PPP also isn’t an appropriate measure because it partially assumes capitlaism.

it’s an appropriate measure.

You can’t compare a large country with low population density to a small one with high density, for example.

No, not “all measures”…by your words - you appear to be making an American exceptionalism argument. Canada is in the top 10, the USA isn’t. I agree that China isn’t.

We already knew this…because forced rehab has been tried. It’s barbaric, and it’s depressing that a “socialist” premier pulled the trigger.

I’m from London…back in the 80s it was a hotbed for these folks…but they did it indoors.

Non thing to disagree with here….reasonable and I agree.

Your last comment was talking about people eating rats and bug and living without healthcare…if that doesn’t describe a hellhole, I don’t know what does.

But in this comment you’ve changed gears and everything seems reasonable…and I’m on board.

You’re making it worse :)

Thank you very much for this response. I must admit, I’m in over my head when it comes to deep engagement on this issue. I have several friends in the regions I listed who are of middle to low socio-economic importance in their respective areas, and I keep in touch with them almost exclusively online.

I understand and appreciate your perspective and thank you very much for sharing it with me. I’ll definitely be considering it when I think about this in the future.

My eyes are so bad I can’t tell which way either of those words is spelled.

The US isn’t even in the top 10 most desirable counties for migrants (as a proportion of their population).

Nobody should use GDP to measure the health of a region…all it really measures is how many rich people are present.

Also…how can you compare apples to oranges like that? Income is half of the equation. Are you aware of the corresponding cost of living/spending power over there? You have to know it’s significantly more affordable.

It’s dangerous to censor, certainly…but it’s also dangerous to base your opinion on YouTube videos that surely have their own agenda and lack of breadth.

China is neither the poverty void this article presents, nor is it the hellhole you’re suggesting it is. It’s also a fact that China raised the vast majority out of its citizens out of poverty…and used that boom to make it sustainable.