Jessica's/Vonnegut's diagnoses provide the symptoms. Mental illness has a variety of causes. As we are kind of and at last learning we are not cured by just fighting a symptom here or there. Instead There's an entire society, economy and political governance that has to change to cure us. Otherwise, as is currently the case, only the rich will be able to "love themselves" and feel better and then blame individuals for being outraged for not "loving themselves" enough when their loved ones are shot or asphyxiated or die under the weight of debt or lack of access to healthcare. So knock off the navel gazing and start to do something effective to change this country for the better. And the easiest way is to provide better models. And those models exist and we should point them out and make change.
Of course, one could take almost any northern European society as an example, but the one that more closely approximates USA in size, economy, complexity, etc. is Germany. It is not without problems but nowhere is. But what kinds of lives its citizens enjoy and the belief they have in what they have is pretty much a perfect example of how we could be vastly better and truly serve as an example to the world. Feel free to share this:
Fun Facts Germany:
- German Federal Budget 2010-2020: 6 surpluses, 1 breakeven, 1 deficit (2020 because of COVID, subsidizing all salaries at 60%)
- US Federal Budget: Last surpluses under B. Clinton 1998-2001, 2002 Bush tax cuts take over and....down it goes
-German Balance of Trade: Never had a deficit
-US Balance of Trade: Last surplus was 1975
-W. Germany's absorption of E. Germany was the economic equivalent of the US absorbing Mexico
-Before the absorption of the 1.2mm ME immigrants, in 2014, 1/4 of Germany are immigrants, mostly Turkish, E. European, and S. European
- Usually between 2nd and 3rd fewest workweeks in the world: 34.7/year vs. 43 for the US
-6 weeks federally mandated vacation, all paid sick leave, 1 year paid maternity leave, 6 months paid paternity leave
-universal means-tested, hybrid public/private HIGHER quality healthcare than US
-fully funded federal retirement
-Education pre-school to graduate degree or professional/practical training and internships FREE and PAID.
-the most unionized country on earth or tied for that honor
-renewable energy federal investment to 2015: $150bb, the equivalent of the US investing $1.9TT, currently invests ~$12b/year
-renewable energy: 51% in 2020, USA: 20%
-comprehensive fast, clean, comfortable, convenient, affordable public transportation
-top quality infrastructure...best roads, bridges, tunnels, etc. in the world by all measures
2020 Stats for Comparison-----------
German Population: 80.62mm
US Population: 318mm
German Land mass: 137,983 mi² (slightly smaller than Montana)
USA Land mass: 3.797 million mi² (27 times larger than Germany)
German Natural Resources: small amount of coal, tiny amount of oil, otherwise practically none, agricultural "museum"
US Natural Resources: Vast oil, gas, ore and other mining, timber, vast coast line with fisheries, vast agriculture
German GDP: 3.86TT
USA GDP: 21.43TT
German Manufacturing as a percentage of GDP (excluding construction): 19.11%
US Manufacturing as a percentage of GDP including construction): 11.39%
German Manufacturing employment as a percentage of employment: 26.78
US Manufacturing employment as a percentage of employment: 8.5%
German Export Size vs. US: in 2011 and 2013, out-exported the US. Prior to 2009, regularly out-exported the US and China
German Exports 2020: $1.489 trillion
US Exports 2020: $1.665 trillion
German Top 10 Exports:
Machinery including computers: US$260.7 billion (17.5% of total exports)
Vehicles: $243.7 billion (16.4%)
Electrical machinery, equipment: $158.7 billion (10.7%)
Pharmaceuticals: $90.4 billion (6.1%)
Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $79.3 billion (5.3%)
Plastics, plastic articles: $63.2 billion (4.3%)
Aircraft, spacecraft: $42.3 billion (2.8%)
Mineral fuels including oil: $34.2 billion (2.3%)
Articles of iron or steel: $31.3 billion (2.1%)
Other chemical goods: $26.3 billion (1.8%)
US Top 6 Exports:
Machinery including computers: US$361.6 billion (15% of total imports)
Electrical machinery, equipment: $343.5 billion (14.3%)
Vehicles: $254.4 billion (10.6%)
Pharmaceuticals: $139.5 billion (5.8%)
Mineral fuels including oil: $130.1 billion (5.4%)
Gems, precious metals: $107 billion (4.4%)
Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $90.9 billion (3.8%)
Furniture, bedding, lighting , signs, prefab buildings: $65.5 billion (2.7%)
Plastics, plastic articles: $62.5 billion (2.6%)
Organic chemicals: $55.9 billion (2.3%)
etc.
