[lanthissa]

this isn't accurate.

america has a wealth per adult of 551,350 germany has a wealth per adult of 256,180

if you exclude the top 10 highest wealth holders in each country its 543,385 vs 252,811.

america's a rich country compared most other countries its also got huge wealth in equality because its top .001% is something that doesn't exist anywhere else

[mbgerring]

Now compare what you can get for that money in both countries, and you will inevitably discover that the German is wealthier in every way that matters.

[hunterpayne]

Counterpoint, when I lived in Spain, I had to remember never to talk about money with the locals in any way. They were poorer than anyone I have ever met in the US. They literally had to go without water at times because they couldn't afford to buy a bottle for $2. And there is no such thing as free water there. And this was in Barcelona, their richest city. For reference, everything there is about half the cost of the US but their average income was 1/4 of the US.

PS The only thing Germany is richer in than the US is snobbery and rudeness. Seriously, I wouldn't live there for any amount of income or cost.

[shimman]

Wait, you're telling me that I shouldn't have to work a $200k job in order to get 4 weeks of PTO?

[spwa4]

ssshhhh ... in reality it's of course the case that the poorer a country is, the more unequal it is. In Pakistan the gulf between rich and poor is easily 100x what it is in the US.

The most luxurious hotels in the world, the most decadent, aren't in Washington. They're in places like Teheran. Like Islamabad. Like Kinshasa. Things like, hotels where 5 prostitutes on standby per room is standard.

The richest people in the world are people like Putin and Xi Jinping. Communists "defending the rights of the people". And whoever it is in the US at the moment don't remotely compare to them in wealth.

And what people are complaining about, in the US, but equally in Germany (well I only know about the Netherlands firsthand, but ... look at the map) is not how good or bad they have it. Simply about "how bad it's getting". In other words, they're complaining this year it's a little bit worse than last year. A tiny little bit. THAT, they can't deal with. Absolute level of wealth? Income inequality? Doesn't really matter.

And the scary question is if they'll go to war over that. They certainly have in the past.

[bombcar]

There's a point somewhere where the money becomes a scorecard - once you can afford the best room at the Kinshasa luxury hotel, you can't really "go higher" on that axis, you need something else.

[spwa4]

Of course you can go higher. Haven't you read how Kim Jong Un does it? Well, communism of course, and [1]

Sure you can afford the best room. But can you afford 100 prostitutes on standby? Choice matters.

Sure you can afford the best room with 100 prostitutes. But can you afford to give 100 of your "friends" rooms with 10 prostitutes each? Can you afford to have the hotel just kick every other guest out at your whim?

Can you afford to just own the entire hotel, have it fully staffed in case you drop by with 100 friends, 24/7? (ie. what Putin does) [2]

How about 1000? (totally not a reference to Erdogan's Palace that one) [3]

To go back to North Korean "socialism"'s accomplishments: can you have such a hotel on wheels?

How about 1000, but give each of those 1000 servants in addition to the prostitutes.

How about ...?

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_B52kyj-vA

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQbCOYnp_fA

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVrZQmR1Syg

[bombcar]

Exactly - you have to move to other axis, which end up all dropping down to "how many people can I control" in some way or another.