Americans feel poor despite being orders of magnitude richer than most others because our gov. cannot provide cheaper public options to costly private goods. You don't need a big house if there's a vibrant public square, you don't need a car if there's a train every 5 minutes.
Stan Oklobdzijatwitter.comAmericans feel poor despite being orders of magnitude richer than most others because our gov. cannot provide cheaper public options to costly private goods. You don't need a big house if there's a vibrant public square, you don't need a car if there's a train every 5 minutes.
“A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transportation.”
Cole Lubchenko • Why Tokyo Works
Rich kids should go to public schools. The mayor should ride the subway to work. When wealthy people get sick, they should be sent to public hospitals. Business executives should have to stand in the same airport security lines as everyone else. The very fact that people want to buy their way out of all of these experiences points to the reason why... See more
Jason Kottke • Our Unpleasant Privatized Reality
This is why retirement savings goals are frequently in the millions. Those--and they're a majority--who have to pay for every convenience really need that much to replicate a median income lifestyle.