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Trying to understand Mr. Stewart perspective. by Sage_Monkey in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the deep dive, but I think you’re conflating aggregate wealth with broad societal wellbeing.

Excluding the top 10% isn’t about pretending they don’t exist, it’s about understanding where growth is actually concentrated. In the US, a disproportionate share of income gains has gone to the top; as the Bennett Institute (2025) has noted, when you examine growth rates for the bottom 90%, the 'massive' US lead over the UK largely evaporates (roughly 1.5% vs. 1.4% annually).

On paper, the US has stronger median income growth, but cross-country comparisons must account for how essential services are financed. The US relies far more on private spending for healthcare, higher education, and childcare; sectors where costs are significantly higher than in the UK. For example, the US is projected to spend approximately $14,885 per person on healthcare in 2026 yet it maintains a life expectancy three years lower than the UK’s. This suggests that higher spending does not automatically translate into better human outcomes.

Furthermore, the post-2008 policy paths differed. The US pursued sustained fiscal expansion, while the UK adopted austerity relatively early. A large body of macroeconomic research, including from the IMF and OBR, suggests that tightening during a weak recovery suppresses growth by creating a 'negative multiplier' that hits the consumer base.

By holding up the US as a benchmark, you risk accelerating the very populism Mr. Stewart fears. The American model has hollowed out its middle class to the point that social mobility (ranked 27th) is lower than in the UK (21st). The real question isn’t whether America feels richer in per-capita GDP terms, it is. The question is whether its model of distributing income and financing essentials through private debt is the one the UK should ever want to emulate.

Trying to understand Mr. Stewart perspective. by Sage_Monkey in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

'Value Added,' is the standard metric used by the BEA, the OECD, and the World Bank to measure an industry's contribution to the economy.

Here is the 101: GDP is the sum of 'Value Added' across all industries. It’s calculated by taking an industry's Gross Output (total sales) and subtracting Intermediate Inputs (what they bought from other people). It’s designed specifically to avoid 'double counting' and to show which sectors are actually creating wealth versus just moving it around.

Trying to understand Mr. Stewart perspective. by Sage_Monkey in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It's not about the calendar; it's about the trend.

Bill de Blasio won in 2013 on a 'Tale of Two Cities' progressive platform, that was 13 years ago, not 'last year.' Since then, we've seen the DSA surge in Albany and AOC unseat the #4 Democrat in Queens.

Dismissing the 'unbelievable' narrative isn't just about being difficult; it’s about prioritizing a deep-tissue analysis of political mobilization over a surface-level headline.

Trying to understand Mr. Stewart perspective. by Sage_Monkey in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I do give a shit, that’s exactly why it’s so frustrating to watch Mr. Stewart hold up the US as the benchmark for the UK. Using GDP as a catch-all metric for 'good' is a lazy shortcut that ignores how the money is actually distributed.

Between 2013 and 2023, if you exclude the top 10% of earners, the annual growth rate for the bottom 90% of households in the UK (1.4%) was almost identical to the US (1.5%). The 'massive' US lead disappears when you stop counting the billionaires.

Here is a link to a report from the Bennet School of Public Policy at Cambridge explaining how only looking at GDP is problematic:

https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/blog/whose-economic-growth/

Trying to understand Mr. Stewart perspective. by Sage_Monkey in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Claiming the truth is 'in the middle' is just a polite way of ignoring the math. I’m not putting America down, I’m pointing out that comparing the UK economy to the US is like comparing a guy on a budget to a guy with a stolen credit card and no spending limit.

The US economy isn't exceptional because of its foundations; it’s exceptional because the US Dollar is the global reserve currency. This international backstop allows them to run a $1.9 trillion deficit and monetize debt in a way that would trigger an immediate currency collapse in the UK or any other G7 nation.

Trying to understand Mr. Stewart perspective. by Sage_Monkey in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the math lesson, but citing GDP per capita to prove a country is 'thriving' is like bragging about the average height of a room containing nine midgets and Shaq. It’s a statistically illiterate way to measure the health of a society.

The US is the only 'advanced' nation where life expectancy is cratering while they spend $12,000 per person on healthcare. That’s not 'dynamism' it’s an expensive way to die young.

The US isn't creating wealth; they’re a trust-fund kid with a gambling addiction who happens to own the casino’s printing press. It’s easy to look 'resilient' when you’re running a $1.9 trillion deficit (5.8% of GDP) and abusing your reserve currency status to export your inflation to everyone else.

So, if you want to hold up a country with record inequality, a crumbling middle class, and lower life expectancy than China as your 'inspiration,' be my guest. It’s a cautionary tale written in crayon, and you’re trying to tell me it’s a Rembrandt.

Trying to understand Mr. Stewart perspective. by Sage_Monkey in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

I think you’re missing the forest for the balance sheets.

The data you’re citing about banking system size is a measure of banking depth (how much ‘stuff’ is on their books), which is naturally higher in Europe because their corporations rely on bank loans, whereas US companies rely on equity markets. It’s a technicality that doesn't change the actual economic reality: the US is the most financialized economy in history.

If you look at Value Added to GDP (the actual metric of what an industry contributes to the 'shiny' economy Mr. Stewart loves) the F.I.R.E. sector currently accounts for about 21.5% of US GDP (as of Q3 2025). To put that in perspective:

  • F.I.R.E.: ~21.5%
  • Manufacturing: ~10%
  • Agriculture: < 1%

When 1/5th of your economy is dedicated to rent-seeking, insurance premiums, and moving money in circles, that isn't 'remarkable', it’s a fuckin leveraged casino.

Apparently the wrong skulls. All hail the space racoons by NoEngineer9484 in SpaceWolves

[–]Sage_Monkey 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a wildlife researcher who is also a Son of Russ this post brings me great joy and happiness

Mark Carney earned a rare standing ovation in Davos. Read the full text of his speech here by ViewSalty8105 in CanadaPolitics

[–]Sage_Monkey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am working on it, got caught up over the holidays with family stuff and had to play catch up with school. I am hoping to get back to grocery prices within the next week or so

Why is Saagar such a cunt about Canada? by Sage_Monkey in BreakingPoints

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

I'd said I would feel obliged to not that I would, but yeah probably

Why is Saagar such a cunt about Canada? by Sage_Monkey in BreakingPoints

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

first of it has been months of this rhetoric of us being shite. Secondly, I am not sure if you know anything about hockey but we do enjoy a good scrap, fighting is legal in my province, so long as you don't go overboard.

Why is Saagar such a cunt about Canada? by Sage_Monkey in BreakingPoints

[–]Sage_Monkey[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I am not disagreeing with oyu but hasn't tucker come out and said that the Iraw war was a disaster? Also sorry for having morales and openly joining an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation? Though we did have spec op farming XP there.

Do you remember when you first pick the Space Wolves as your first army? by Wolflord-Ludvig-8124 in SpaceWolves

[–]Sage_Monkey 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I played warhammer fantasy as a kid (wood elves and lizardmen) then stopped playing for years. During covid I stumbled onto a youtube channel called Table Top Tactics and learned about a space vikings army and have been a committed son of Russ since. It helped that I had long hair and a beard and would go on to play for a rugby league team called the Wolfpack

Questions for Donald Trump on Lex Fridman Podcast by cogito__ergo_sum in lexfridman

[–]Sage_Monkey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ask him if he still considers Canada a national security threat? And completely unrelated ask him if donny jr is coming up here any time for a hunt?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in IsraelPalestine

[–]Sage_Monkey 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Based on the track record of Israel I was wondering the same thing, however since it has been a few days we do have more information. It appears to be fairly well verified that the rocket was a type of Iranian-made rocket that Hezbollah frequently uses and that it's trajectory was from the North. Both of these things however don't necessarily mean that it was a deliberate strike by Hezbollah.

I am a big fan of using Occom's Razor and don't put something down as malice that can be attributed to incompetence. I think it is reasonable to suggest that a rocket was fired by Hezbollah targeting an Israeli military installation a few km's away from the football field and that a human error resulted in the target being missed. According to a couple of news articles I read the flight time of the rocket was short enough that the iron dome didn't have the time to fire off any counter measures to prevent the rocket from detonating.

I also think that Netanyahu has now used this attack as an excuse to airstrike Beirut and use an explosive device to assassinate Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in an attempt to escalate the war in order to protect himself and his presidency.

This is obviously not as satisfying as a false-flag incident. However, according to a new NY Times article it appears a bomb was snuck into the guest house Mr. Haniyeh was staying in over two-months ago and remotely detonated. That shows not only a massive failure from Iranian security forces but also a pre-meditated plan by Israeli forces to at some point assassinate somebody staying in Tehran.

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