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Interesting question...

As an overall answer: humans are incredibly adaptable, so as a person living in the US, it almost never subjectively feels bad. For goodness' sake, I knew people who lived in Chicago's Hyde Park (one of the most dangerous neighborhoods) and happily biked to work. I personally lived in what people would describe as a "hood" and a "third-world country" for a good year and a half, and honestly felt really safe over there. Because of this, I honestly don't think anyone can give an objective answer solely from their living experiences.

Objectively, the US is a developed country and is not terrible, but regarding your specific points:

Yes, the government passed shitty laws, and chose to not pass a lot of not-shitty laws.
Yes, there are more mass shootings than the country should have. I'm not going to say why.
Insured healthcare isn't expensive. However, uninsured healthcare is incredibly expensive, and unfortunately people without employment/self-employed have to purchase their own insurance... which is also stupidly expensive. Also, a lot of things that should be insured aren't.
The different states are certainly different. US politics is very polarized, so heavy-blue and heavy-red states are quite different in their approaches to... many things in life. Whether they are good or bad is up to you.

I mean, people living in Switzerland complain about their countries all the time, even though almost everyone else in the world envy the way they live... so it is possible that some might be a bit overblown.

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Nemo@midwest.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Calling Hyde Park one of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods makes this comment impossible to take seriously.

For reference, Hyde Park is the neighborhood where President Obama taught law and got his famous haircut. His home was a few blocks outside the neighborhood in Kenwood, one of the richest neighborhoods in the city; also the location of Louis Farrakhan’s mansions and former mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s house.

You might have already figured this out from the law school thing, but Hyde Park is home to, and dominated by, the University of Chicago, one of the best schools in the world. It’s got buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright and other famous architects. It’s pumped to the gills with historic wealth and private security.

Muggings are a problem. Gang violence is not. Get real.

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Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

Insured healthcare isn't expensive.

Yes it is. I have "good" insurance and it still cost me $3,000 for a few stitches, a CAT scan, and a night in the hospital when I slipped and hit my head. That's on top of the almost $600 a month I'm paying, and the $1200 a month my employer is paying.

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