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Comment by baq | Hacker News Reader

Europeans also mostly don’t suffer from school shootings and generally don’t go bankrupt when they get cancer or just take an ambulance ride to a non-network hospital. Regulation is not all bad, besides the US has more of it than anybody else.

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The vast majority of Americans don't do either of those things either.

And given what happened in Austria just a few hours back, not the best time for your comment.

There have been 11 mass shootings in the US in the last 7 days so I don't think this disgusting competition is one you're likely to win.

Nobody is claiming the US has less mass shootings. It's just pointless whataboutism in a conversation (economic strategy) that has nothing to do with it.

Ah good, I thought you were trying to imply there is an equivalent problem in the EU. Which would seem to be intentionally dense of course.

Regulation was the point discussed, healthcare and gun controls are two examples where there are massive qualitative and quantitative differences in regulation between EU and USA. E.g. healthcare is a matter of national security in the EU and it's a profit center for pension funds in the USA. Gun controls I'm not too familiar with, I can only see second order effects in the US in the form of an arms race between police and citizens.

No, ECONOMIC regulation was the point discussed. That has zilch to do with something like gun control.

The mental gymnastics here are incredible. Do you really think the regulations inhibiting tech startup creation are the same ones that protect people when they get cancer or whatever?

Yes, the US has a lot of school shootings, but does anyone think loose gun regulations are why the US is strong on tech?

Any time European economic failings are brought up it's always the same thing. "Well at least no school shootings!"

Great, Singapore has less school shootings and homeless people than anywhere in Europe by a country mile and has a soaring economy.

Eh, Singapore's efforts to nurture a thriving startup scene are met with middling success at most.

Are you implying that Singapore is not ultra regulated?

They make Europe look like Texas.

No, you're right, Singapore is both highly regulated and successful. I just meant to highlight that the soaring economy doesn't include many high-tech startups.

Agreed, but Singapore has only 5 million people which limits their potential in that regard.

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