RAISING CHILDREN IN THE USA SUCKS

Few things piss me off more than progressive socialist democrats, those who hate our magnificent and exceptional country, and those who are all about pointing out America’s perceived failings. Of course, there is a particular dislike for those who aggregate numbers that they use to advance a negative narrative.

Consider this New York Post article based on a lifestyle website that has crunched some numbers and has come to the conclusion that America is not all that friendly to those wanting to raise children.

US ranked among worst countries to raise a family, study says We get an “F” for family.  In case you thought America wasn’t experiencing enough turmoil of late, the United States has been named the second-worst wealthy nation in which to raise a family in 2020, according to new research by travel site Asher & Lyric. “The first time I looked at the data, I was in disbelief,” co-founder Lyric Benson-Fergusson said of the findings in the “Raising a Family Index” (RAFI). The Los Angeles-based mother of two started the site with her Aussie husband, Asher Fergusson, to help people “stay safe, healthy, and happy at home and while traveling,” per the website’s description. To determine the most and least family-friendly countries, the couple rated 35 OECD countries (part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development forum) according to safety, happiness, cost, health, education and time. The US clocked in at an abysmal 34th place, just ahead of last-place finisher Mexico, whose murder rate jumped to the highest in nearly two years as drug cartels have run amok during the coronavirus lockdown. Leading the pack of overall fam-safe nations were Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. “I think if we, as Americans, are truly honest with ourselves, we might understand why the United States ranks solidly as the second-worst country to raise a family,” said Benson-Fergusson. [OCS: To my way of thinking, whenever you see the words “honest” or “truth” used by a progressive media outlet, it is a red flag. I turn on my bullshit detector and prepare to re-visit the talking points of the progressive socialist democrats.] Case in point: The red-white-and-blue came in dead last in terms of time — which the RAFI gauged by maternity leave, vacation days and other factors — and cost, as measured by out-of-pocket health spending, cost of living, income ratio and more. [OCS: How many of those countries have a smaller, more homogenous population, more socialist and union-dominated governance, and generally do not have people tearing down their borders to enter the country?] The study noted that the US is the only country that doesn’t require employers to offer maternity leave. Even worse, the average household blows 31.79% of their income on child care compared to the 4 to 10% spent by Scandinavian nations. [OCS: Comparing the United States to Scandinavian nations is like comparing apples to motorcycles.] Most surprising was America’s global safety rating, which was, according to the research, the second-poorest after Mexico. Despite statistics showing that reported crimes have been on the decline nationwide, the US homicide rate is still eclipsed only by Mexico, per the research. And America reportedly tops the list in school shootings with a whopping 288 incidents from 2009 to 2018, with Mexico placing second at eight and all other countries recording zero, per the study. [OCS: One, the crime statistics are fudged and do not accurately reflect the fact that most of the homicides are disproportionately located in the inner cities governed by progressive socialist democrats under the most stringent gun control regulations. Ironically, gun possession by felons or illegal aliens is rarely punished, criminals are released back into communities, and drug gangs rove the inner cities at will. Two, it appears that school shootings have more to do with middle income white teens and young adults who are frequently prescribed psychotropic medicines and have severe mental health issues. Noteworthy is the fact that the inner cities, awash with guns – even fully automatic weapons – do not spawn school shootings by blacks or other minorities. If you were serious about gun-related crime, you would lock up the criminals and prevent easy-peasy plea bargains of gun-related charges. ]  The Land of the Free also came in “fourth-worst” for human rights — here defined broadly across several categories including “protection against enslavement, the right to free speech and the right to education.” [OCS: Last time I checked China had at least one-million Uyghurs in concentration camps, engaged in organ harvesting from unwilling participants, used child labor, and was a totally repressive regime. There is no question about free speech in the United States so that claim is bullpucky. As for the right to education, I seem to remember that public school is mandatory, low-cost community colleges abound, and it is the radical progressive democrats that are pushing “free college.”]  The Fergussons attributed the United States’ nationwide mood dip to record “income disparities,” 20% of Americans suffering from mental health issues each year and a suicide rate that has “increased by 33% between 1999 to 2017.” [OCS: Made worse by the repressive actions of progressive socialist democrats. As for income disparities – I will address that below in my own version of an infographic chart.] “I have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that America is a deeply challenged and troubled country,” Benson-Fergusson lamented. “It doesn’t, and maybe never did, line up with its own ideology.” “My aspiration is that something will substantially change in my children’s lifetime,” she said. <Source> [OCS: Pack your dissatisfied ass up and move to one of the “better” countries on your list. Additionally, if you notice, the inner cities and many major metropolitan areas have been governed by progressive democrats for decades with little or no improvement – and voting for these miscreants is unlikely to change anything in the future. For the New York Post: It seems that your Marx-spouting communist Mayor and idiot-governor are rapidly destroying New York while all of you useful idiots clap and claim America is such a bad place. Check it out for yourself …   Raising a Family Index.

After reading this, I am convinced that anyone can pull numbers out of their ass, so I decided to make my own infographic, which roughly corresponds to Pareto’s Principle, better known as the 20/80 rule…

My conclusions are simple:

(1) It sucks to be poor – even though the most impoverished American is likely to be far richer than many of the poorest individuals in other nations. (I have always wondered where the poor got their iPhones and large-screen televisions.)

(2) Human nature is based on inequality (weak vs. strong, smart vs. dumb, able vs. disabled, rich vs. poor, etc.) and that the only thing equal about socialism and communism is shared misery.

Bottom line…

Get on with your badass and depart from the nation to the communist paradise of your choosing. Perhaps, China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, or any of the strict Muslim countries will be more to your liking. Try out your free speech and demand your rights to maternity leave, healthcare, and free school.

We are so screwed.

-- steve