[kolinko]

There is so much wrong with this article.

First of all, a lot of the "yellow" areas in the post-soviet block, that were catching up in the past 30 years. The standards of living are increasing there every year.

Secondly - GDP is the weirdest metric possible to measure the quality of life. Even purchasing power index is not as good, because it ignores the things that the government gives for semi-free. Growing in one of the poorest Polish regions, me and my friends' families could buy fewer iPhones, and cars were a distant dream, but we had free public education, free healthcare, cheap but decent housing, and the public transit.

I wonder if the post's author has actually been to any of the poor European regions - even comparing them with rich US, they look seriously decent.