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by jseliger 3445 days ago
Great comment. I will also add that the U.S.'s most Denmark-like places, California and New York, are also losing population relative to the least Denmark-like places, like Texas: http://time.com/80005/why-texas-is-our-future/. (There is a longer elaboration on this idea in Average is Over: https://jakeseliger.com/2013/09/13/thoughts-on-tyler-cowens-...) This is another story on or near the front page of HN at the moment: http://www.wsj.com/articles/uncomfortable-truths-behind-cali....

If most Americans are moving towards un-Denmark-like places and voting for un-Denmark-like politicians, I'm not sure how we are likely to be more like Denmark.

Still, I will say that the U.S. has important things the EU doesn't: Everyone speaks English and everyone identifies as "American" before they identify as "Texan" or "Seattlite." A common language goes a long way to creating solidarity among people.

EDIT: Let me add that I live in a Denmark-like place and am not in this comment trying to make a value judgment about one set of policies over another; I am trying to point out some factors that may be more revealing than personal preference, anecdote, or other virtue-signaling efforts.
2 comments
JBlue42 3443 days ago
>If most Americans are moving towards un-Denmark-like places and voting for un-Denmark-like politicians, I'm not sure how we are likely to be more like Denmark.

Are the Americans moving from California / New York ones moving from metro areas like LA, SF, and NYC to other metro areas? I've thought that's usually the case and really doesn't have any impact on the red, rural areas. It's not blue state v red state, it's metro v urban (or gerrymandered red v gerrymandered blue).

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aaron-lebo 3445 days ago
Agree with you otherwise, but

Still, I will say that the U.S. has important things the EU doesn't: Everyone speaks English and everyone identifies as "American" before they identify as "Texan" or "Seattlite."

Neither is true. That example is probably opposite of your intended meaning.

edit: for downvoters, what is so wrong with this statement? You can find hundreds of thousands of people within the country that don't speak English.You couldn't make that second statement if you grew up in Texas.

That's all I'm saying. Wish people would engage instead of silently downvoting.

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