Australia nudges Switzerland off top of global median wealth list

I think every country has its share of problems, but when you compare, ours are relatively minor.
In regard to cost of living, I agree that its is quite high, but places like Switzerland and Scandinavian countries are higher. We are on par with Japan and larger US cities and much of western Europe for consumable products imho. I can assure you that an average person in Australia is better off than citizens of those places. The yellow jacket protest in France is indicative in a way.

 

We're headed this way soon. My HECS won't be cleared until I'm mid-40s (through compulsory payments, I'm not paying extra) and uni fees are increasing every year. There are many degrees now that cost 100-200k or more - very similar to top US unis. You may as well go there if you can get in!

I don't think too many people on this forum are average or know people who are. If you are a casual or contract worker in Australia, for example, you're pretty stuffed. I'm not sure how someone who doesn't know if they are working next week, able to pay their rent/mortgage or feed their family is well off. So many previously secure good jobs are now casualised or outsourced. It's not the same Australia it was a few decades ago.

 

Yep.....

 

I find a.normal bachelor's degree is $40/50k say a bachelor of Business.

Don't forget
Something extremely important

US college debt is say 7%

In Australia well it's FREE that is CPI.

Interest and indexation | StudyAssist


So in US the College debt is a large amount and the interest rate is well 250% more than Australia. But at 7% your loan doubles very quickly. if





2018, with undergraduate rates topping 6 percent, graduate loans hovering around 7.5 percent and the rates on parent loans hitting 8.5 percent.

To keep rates on education loans from skyrocketing, Congress has set a ceiling. Interest rates on undergraduate loans can never go higher than 8.25 percent. Graduate loans are capped at 9.5 percent, while the limit on parent loans is 10.5 percent. Lawmakers decided several years ago to tie federal student loan rates to the market, rather than setting them

 

by my average I the average citizen, not average forum member. Do you think other first world countries don't have this issue you've mentioned? we are faring pretty good as jobs are plenty and minimal wage is quite good. Atleast we have a very generous welfare system for those who are really in need.

One thing that is always true is that pessimistic people always manage find small things to be upset about.

 

i come from a country that dont have a minimum wage and basic human rights.

im sure i can survive in usa.

actually having lived there.

i survived !

 

good on you... I lived there too and I also come from a country with no minimum wage and no respect for human rights. I was only fortunate to be born to parents who could provide me enough so I could make a respectable living for myself. Having lived in both USA and Australia I only feel proud when I pay more for something which is cheaper in USA because I know the real price of things.

 

Countries with low tax rates have higher charitable giving. Giving is something you do from your heart, not via a coercive re-distributive tax regime.

Taxes do not equal giving. And taxes can't be achieved without "taking" first. So I am not sure that arguing for more tax and redistribution is a particularly well thought through moral argument.

Americans give more in charity than anyone else on the planet.

Low taxes are typically synonymous with human rights, not antithetical.

Unless of course you re-define "human rights" to mean "free stuff from governments". This is, from an Enlightenment perspective at least, the opposite of human rights.

 

I didn't argue for more tax... did I? In fact there is not a lot of difference between US and Australian tax rates. Australia has been closing that gap for years and I like that.

I just don't like that advantaged people make use of the good environment around themselves and exploitative environment around the disadvantaged and then think it is their "right" to "choose" how to contribute to the society through "charity".

 

Charity amount per capita? or as a country? Big difference here.
USA is by far the wealthiest country and have very average income per person. So if per country basis its not hard for the US to top the chart.

 

i believe is based of % of GDP

2nd biggest economy no where near top 20.. china im looking at you !

and lets be fair and give credit where credit is due

australia and nz is also pretty damn charitable and kind-hearted generally.

 

We talk a lot in Australia about advantaged and disadvantaged.

Some times (alot of the time) hard working people that work extremely hard doing extra hours studying more and working two jobs are called Advantaged.

Lazy unproductive people that do little are called disadvantaged.


Of all the places I have been in the world the later are just lazy but we excuse our unproductive members of society as misfortune and disadvantaged. We throw huge amounts of welfare and support at them. In the end some alot are just lazzy and we throwing good money after bad.


This is simply my observation.

 

If you think you cannot work hard and strive to be better everyday it is a disadvantage in my books. Just the way they were brought up unfortunately.

 

I think its per capita. could it be that they feel bad about all those wars they started. hahaha. joke aside. well done to them for being so generous, australia is 3rd so we are to be congratulated too. China per capita wise is still low mid range. But its doing lots of hard infrastructure in the 3rd world that i believe would benefit the local population far more than your typical charity imho

 

china is doing that in exchange for assets,
these are not charities.

 

fair enough, no one builds infrastructure for free. China is doing it on a much cheaper term compared to the rest for the same or better outcome. I guess thats quite a charity dont you agree? who am I kidding I am sure you don't. lol.