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Comment by ptah | Hacker News Reader

it sounds like it is self-inflicted?

Decreased economic opportunity is self-inflicted? It seems to me that many people are far more comfortable attributing blame to people that could very well be victims to a certain degree--and not the main perpetrators, in fact--than to make an unbiased and braver observation of the facts.

There are no perpetrators. In 2019, anyone with a pulse in the United States can find a $15/hr service job. In most of the country that’s a living wage. (Except for California, ironically, one of the places instituting the policies people here advocate for). In fact, a couple making 60k is in a position to buy a house in most of the country.

Now, will most of these people save up and become millionaires and by a condo in San Francisco? No. But life isn’t fair. I wish I could afford a few Supercars and an oceanfront villa, but I can’t and I don’t blame that on income equality.

>In 2019, anyone with a pulse in the United States can find a $15/hr service job

Source?

responses to decreased economic opportunity is a choice

Yeah, that's easy to say when you are a privileged person belonging to the bourgoisie instead of a dude born in the middle of God knows where. You think people living in poor countries have any reasonable margin to act on their lack of economic opportunity?

I'm done with this site.

i'm originally from South Africa, having lived through apartheid as a black person. i am certainly not privileged. these americans are way more privileged than I am and are still killing themselves

This is exactly what I saw too. I'm surprised that obesity isn't up there with how Americans eat and our food culture. Food is as much a drug as actual drugs or alcohol. Don't I know it.

Edit - Obesity does contribute to liver deaths, so it's there.

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