The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than Most Nations

Re:The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than M... by JMTQp8lwXL on Monday August 26, 2019 @02:50PM (#20802561)

It sounds like these people could be going into debt. The graph compares consumption, which does not imply the spending was the direct consequence of having some earned income.

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Re:The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than M... by HarryHirsch on Monday August 26, 2019 @03:03PM (#20802670)

How about necessary expenses? In the US a vehicle is a near-necessity, whereas other countries actually have functional public transport. Car ownership just entails higher expenses, with no improvement in quality of life.

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Re:The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than M... by sjg007 on Monday August 26, 2019 @04:02PM (#20803168)

Well car ownership can improve quality of life. You spend less time in bad weather.. you can live in a quieter area outside of town.

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Re:The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than M... by ummonk on Monday August 26, 2019 @02:56PM (#20802604)

Does discharging debt in bankruptcy count as earned income?

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Re:The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than M... by sjg007 on Monday August 26, 2019 @04:03PM (#20803171)

I think there can be tax implications. Maybe a judge can waive those though if they aren't by default.

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