The typical response to this sort of chart is something like: the welfare state is destroying the family unit!

But I look at this graph and I think: wow, there must have been a ton of people stuck in unhappy marriages before, who could now have better choices.

> But I look at this graph and I think: wow, there must have been a ton of people stuck in unhappy marriages before, who could now have better choices.

But at what cost to society, those around them and perhaps even themselves? There are worse things than being in an unhappy marriage!

I have no idea what the cost to society is. I don't even know if there is a cost. Allowing people to leave bad marriages sounds like a gain to society for me. Do you know the costs?

Unhappy marriage is a poor euphemism for neglect, abuse, beating.

That's true of many unhappy marriage, but not all (unless one stretches 'neglect' and 'abuse' beyond all meaning: if a husband puts on 200 pounds, he couldn't blame his wife for not being attracted to him).

There's a huge difference between abusive and unhappy.

I don't get the graph's message. (I'm not smart)

While the linker wants to make the above point about welfare, the chart appears in the below article describing one facet of income inequality.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/10/how-amer...

My best guess is "something something good Christian marriage something something godless liberals something."