Someone posted this (in a discord discussion) and was okay with my reposting it:
From everything I've seen, Japan is an incredible country. They don't have any of these problems that are extremely common in the U.S.:
Japan has the lowest obesity rate in the world (if you exclude the countries where they don't have any food), and the highest life expectancy in the world. They have the lowest rate of imprisonment in the world, and simultaneously the lowest rate of crime (both violent and otherwise) in the world. It's just incredible to me.
So - not my words here, someone else's.
Is the USA really that bad?
From everything I've seen, Japan is an incredible country. They don't have any of these problems that are extremely common in the U.S.:
- Rampant crime in cities, forcing families to retreat into the suburbs where car-centric lifestyles trap kids in the house and contribute to obesity, etc.
- Brutal prison system does little to reduce recidivism, but many people who go inside (whether justly or not) have to join a gang to avoid rape and violence.
- Short hospital stays generate giant bills for the uninsured; medical bankruptcy very common.
- Incredibly high college costs mean lifelong debt for those without rich parents.
- In major cities, the streets are dirty and full of trash because no one gives a shit.
- Huge homeless population; they commit crimes and threaten others with violence, and are in danger of violence themselves.
- Interacting with the government is maddening, especially if you're a small business. No one on the government side gives a shit. You generally have to hire lawyers to advise you on how to comply with government policy, while government employees are more interested in "nailing you" than helping you get into compliance.
Japan has the lowest obesity rate in the world (if you exclude the countries where they don't have any food), and the highest life expectancy in the world. They have the lowest rate of imprisonment in the world, and simultaneously the lowest rate of crime (both violent and otherwise) in the world. It's just incredible to me.
So - not my words here, someone else's.
Is the USA really that bad?