Why do you admire the USA?

Why do you dislike the USA?
What have we done very well?
What have we done which you think is bad? Top thing, good and bad.

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NenaRussa · 22-25, F

I was there for 8 months. I think it’s gold plated. You have talentless people like the Kardashians always in the spotlight to support this idea that capitalism is the greatest thing in the world, and that anybody can become rich. While also hiding the behind the scenes.

Most average people have no savings and lots are even in debt. I watched somebody take an Uber to a hospital because they couldn’t afford to take an ambulance. The standard of living for a good chunk of the population is worse than in countries that the POTUS would call a shithole.

REMsleep · 41-45, F

@NenaRussa You are partly correct. As an American I've never seen our country that way. It is foreigners who do. Why do foreign people often believe the " gold plated" image from Hollywood and reality TV stars which is the example that you mention?
Its not just you. I've seen this from many people.

SW-User

@NenaRussa I think you hit on a lot of good points about savings and debt. Our interest rates have always been deplorably low (since I've been an adult) and there is no incentive to save.

REMsleep · 41-45, F

@SW-User Isint keeping the shirt on your back during hard times and planning for your future the best incentive to save?
I don't know many Americans who spend more due to low interest rates ( buy things they are needing such as car, home etc yes)

NenaRussa · 22-25, F

The fact that 50 million people don’t have health insurance is pretty troubling. Going to the hospital could put someone in debt for the rest of their life. The fact that the richest 10 people in the country have more wealth than the bottom 90% (or something like that). The fact that a lot of the state governors and the president believe that the stock market is more important than hundreds of thousands of lives.

America worships its celebrities to prop up the story of the “American dream” but it doesn’t care about the average citizen.

Just my thoughts @REMsleep

SW-User

@REMsleep

[quote]I don't know many Americans who spend more due to low interest rates [/quote]

Just google the terms "low interest rate" and "economy" and then come back when you can make a slightly more informed argument.

REMsleep · 41-45, F

@SW-User I am informed on this issue but perhaps I did not explain myself very well.
What I am trying to say is that spending or saving is more so about optimistic outlooks regarding the economy, job prospects, inflation and the like rather than low interest rates.

In my original response to you I already did mention that of course if we want to buy a house or a car or some other major purchase we might feel a greater urgency to buy it when interest rates are low but the percentage of household savings is not directly correlated to the percentage of interest rates.

Americans have been saving more for the past 12 plus years regardless of interest rate.
The USA personal savings rate rose from 3.7% in 2007 to
6.5% in 2010 to 8.2% in the first half of 2019.

The interest rate is a minor factor in how much Americans tend to save. Maybe very wealthy Americans consider the interest rate when deciding to save or spend, to the average low and middle income American it is not a factor what so ever.