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ImperatorScientia t1_iwhccnb wrote

For those who say it’s awful, my question is always the same: compared to what?

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walter10h t1_iwhqa4w wrote

Compared to when my parents were young and could afford TWO WHOLE HOUSES plus travel, on a teacher's and a fresh out of college agronomy major wages. I'm in tech and still rent.

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4354574 t1_iwiov73 wrote

This issue does not affect the developing world, however. It is bad but it’s not irreversible and it is confined to the developed world, and then only part of it, North America.

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walter10h t1_iwjeysj wrote

I am from the developing world. It's shit over there. Everyone's falling for authoritarian governments masking as egalitarian. It's not all that great here in America, but at least it's a bit more livable. A bit...

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4354574 t1_iwjgtbq wrote

The data shows that there are more democracies than ever except just ten years ago, despite the notorious examples of Russia and Hungary and wannabe Erdogan. And Bolsonasshole, who governs 217 million people, just lost the election in Brazil to a liberal opponent. It turns out the mighty CCP rules a country whose economy may be 60% smaller than it has been claiming, meaning it is a long way from challenging the USA and not the behemoth we thought.

The craziest and Trumpiest candidates in the American midterms lost to more moderate opponents and the Democrats retained control of the Senate in a stunning success for the ruling party in the midterms.

The destruction of Vladimir Putin will fill autocrats everywhere with fear. If he can fall or be severely weakened, who is next? Already people in the West are seeing that Tibet is Ukraine, Xinjiang is Ukraine, Hong Kong and Taiwan are Ukraine. That and basic logistical security are two reasons we are trying to disengage from China economically.

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/number-democracies-autocracies-row?country=~OWID_WRL

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walter10h t1_iwjy1n4 wrote

Thanks man. I needed a dose of reality.

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4354574 t1_iwjzbbc wrote

It's fine. A lot of people simply don't know these things. I recommend Stephen Pinker's 'Enlightenment Now' lecture on YouTube where he goes over a list of the many things that have gotten better and also why we think they haven't. The media doesn't come off too well :P It's an hour long, but worth it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkPOHB2rRkc&t=3187s

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Josvan135 t1_iwjz8ya wrote

So highly localized to your socioeconomic and educational level, in your specific society, among you and your demographic peers?

Because housing affordability is an extremely localized issue that the vast, vast majority of the rest of the world population outside your own personal bubble don't have to deal with.

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walter10h t1_iwl4t18 wrote

So now that you've established that, where is housing not an issue at the moment? Serious question.

Actually, scratch that. Why are you trying to invalidate my, as well as the experience of millions? The question that was asked was: Compared to what? And I answered.

What? Did you want me to go on an exhaustive research on housing affordability around the globe to determine how the housing crisis in a lot of the developed world compares to developing nations? Because it doesn't invalidate the problem.

It's already been established that all three statements are true in several ways. It is a subjective answer. What do you want?

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vorpal_potato t1_iwhxf7v wrote

Compared to what it could be. For example, malaria is still a huge issue in much of the world -- and it's fixable with 20th century technology, at least in countries that have their basic shit together. The USA used to have a really nasty malaria problem, especially in the South; after the National Malaria Eradication Program (1947–1951), the malaria problem was essentially gone. Some other countries have done the same with even more challenging geography and climate.

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