Every other developed economy in the western world has less inequality than the US. It’s public data, look it up if you doubt it.

That being said the middle class in some of those countries would be poor in the US. Inequality by itself isn’t necessarily bad, in fact it’s necessary in capitalism. It is important, however, to keep as many people from falling out of the middle class as is practical. The US doesn’t do well on that, most western countries do better, but the cut off for middle class in those countries is usually lower.

Why would inequality be the important metric, and not absolute quality of life? If we killed a few billionaires, there would be less inequality in America, but I don't think anyone's life would actually be better for it.

That’s precisely my point. I don’t care how rich the 1% are. I care about my quality of life.

I want an economic system that optimizes the latter, not one that reduces inequality.

Communism is a great example of an economic system aimed at reducing inequality. What it actually achieves is making everyone equally poor.

I emphasize, inequality is agonizing and it feels like communism would prioritize people better, but it simply doesn’t.

It creates a terrifying hybrid of the political class and the capital class. Titans of American capitalism are subject to laws because they aren’t the government. And the government butts heads with capital all the time.

Also, markets and money form a distributed concensus mechanism for people to quite literally vote with their money to create a world they want. Unique products, new ways of doing things, tiny shops, giant multinationals, mutual aid organizations and co-ops. It’s all experiments running in capitalism right now.

Central communist planning relies on an infinitely informed class of philosopher kings to run the economy. It doesn’t scale because it can’t. In the absence of information, bean counters and demagogues thrive. That a vibrant world does not make.

Communism just isn’t compatible with incomplete information or human flaws. Capitalism isn’t perfect, but communism is certainly worse.

Oh, you mean the mostly white, wealthy western European nations?

Plus Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel.

Why do you want to bring race into a discussion that has nothing to do with race? Fuck off.

If you think South Korea and Japan are the lane of opportunity you basically invalidated everything you have argued with your ignorance of these nations current cultural situations.

SK makes american capitalistic inequality and unfairness look like a playground. Japan is literally dying of its frozen cultural mobility issues.

It feels like you don’t know what you are saying.

Oh the results of colonialism 'Canada, Australia, New Zealand' and the countries brought to power specifically due to the US 'Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan'?

Yes, let's just conveniently alter the stats by leaving out all of the countries that are worse.

This isn't reddit, tone down the anger please. Also, maybe look up the definition of mostly before going off in rage commenting mode.

Always funny to see the denials Americans are in.

USA poverty rate is on the same level than Turkey. https://data.oecd.org/inequality/poverty-rate.htm

For income inequality rate, USA is also in the worse: https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm#indic...

Yes, USA is denial while your pad your stats by only mentioned a handful of western European nations.

"Handful of western European nations" Country on the east of Germany aren't west Europe.