makingUSAbetter.info

What we have now

Prepared with research from ChatGPT (OpenAI).
Sources and references are provided so readers can examine the evidence for themselves.

  • obscene wealth distribution
    • housing crisis
    • bad benefits
    • high cost of living
    • unemployment
    • poverty
    • hatred and scapegoating
  • elections that are a lot like auctions
  • innocent citizens killed by federal officers
  • Freedom of the press under attack — journalists are being threatened, restricted, sued, and shut out for doing their jobs.  
  • the Constitution weakened
  • economic policies countracting efforts to fight climate change.
  • “forever wars“
  • disruptive, arbitrary, amateur foreign policy

National Happiness

🧍 Personal Metrics

1–Finland2–Denmark3–Iceland4–Sweden 5–Netherlands6–Costa Rica24–USA
Universal Health Care (Y/N)YYYYYYN
Health Care RatingAAA−AAN/AC
Cost of Health Care/Person (PPP $)$5.5k$6.2k$5.1k$6.0k$6.5k$1.6k$12.5k
Life Expectancy (yr)82828483828077
Infant Mortality (per 1k)1.73.21.52.42.57.55.4
Average Income (PPP $)$38k$40k$42k$39k$41k$12k$45k
Income Disparity (0–1)0.270.280.260.290.290.490.39
Average Wealth (PPP $)$240k$280k$350k$290k$310k$50k$560k
Wealth Disparity (0–1)0.610.690.740.740.710.830.85
Free Higher Education (Y/N)YYYYNNN
Paid Vacation (wks)554.85420
Sick Leave (paid days)30015424+14+730—0
Family Leave (paid days)3203643654802941200
Paid Unemployment (days)400–500730—300–450730—~182
Subsidized Child Care (Y/N)YYYYYYMixed
Homelessness (per 10k, approx.)453831220
Homicide Rate (per 100k)1.60.80.92.20.6126.3
Gun Deaths (per 100k)1.51.00.51.20.42.812.2
Firearms per Person0.320.250.300.230.220.191.20

🔫 Gun Law Snapshot

CountryLicensingRegistrationBackground Checks CarryAWB/Mag LimitsSafe Storage
FinlandYYYRestrictedNoY
DenmarkYYYRestrictedYY
IcelandYYYRestrictedNoY
SwedenYYYRestrictedNoY
NetherlandsYYYRestrictedYY
Costa RicaYPartialYRestrictedNoY
USANoNoDealer-onlyShall-issueNo federalMixed
  • AWB/Mag Limits: “Assault-weapon ban” and/or limits on magazine capacity (e.g., 10 rounds). “No federal” in the USA = no nationwide rule; states vary.
  • Shall-issue: authorities must issue a carry permit if legal criteria are met; alternatives include “may-issue” (discretionary) or “prohibited.”

🏛️ National Metrics

1–Finland2–Denmark3–Iceland4–Sweden 5–Netherlands6–Costa Rica24–USA
Taxes/GDP (%)42%43%36%41%39%25%25%
Debt/GDP (2024, %)86%33%59%33%44%74%123%
GDP Growth (2024, %)-0.2%2.9%0.5%1.0%1.0%4.3%2.8%

5) 📑 References — ordered, 1:1 with table rows

Personal Metrics (in the same order as the rows above)

  1. Universal Health Care (Y/N): OECD country health profiles — https://www.oecd.org/health/country-health-profiles/
  2. Health Care Rating: Commonwealth Fund “Mirror, Mirror” — https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2021/aug/mirror-mirror-2021-reflecting-poorly
  3. Cost of Health Care/Person (PPP $): OECD Health spending (per capita, PPP) — https://data.oecd.org/healthres/health-spending.htm ; Costa Rica — World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD
  4. Life Expectancy (yr): World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN
  5. Infant Mortality (per 1k): World Bank SP.DYN.IMRT.IN — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN
  6. Average Income (PPP $): OECD Household disposable income per capita (PPP) — https://data.oecd.org/hha/household-disposable-income.htm
  7. Income Disparity (0–1): OECD Income inequality (Gini) — https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm ; Costa Rica — World Bank Gini — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI
  8. Average Wealth (PPP $): UBS/Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report (wealth per adult) — https://www.ubs.com/global/en/wealth-management/our-approach/global-wealth-report.html
  9. Wealth Disparity (0–1): UBS/Credit Suisse wealth distribution tables (wealth Gini) — https://www.ubs.com/global/en/wealth-management/our-approach/global-wealth-report.html
  10. Free Higher Education (Y/N): OECD Family Database (tertiary fees & policies) — https://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
  11. Paid Vacation (wks): OECD Family Database (leave & working time) — https://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
  12. Sick Leave (paid days): OECD Family Database — https://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
  13. Family Leave (paid days): OECD Family Database — https://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
  14. Paid Unemployment (days): OECD Family Database — https://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
  15. Subsidized Child Care (Y/N): OECD Family Database — https://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm
  16. Homelessness (per 10k): OECD housing/urban — https://www.oecd.org/housing/ ; USA HUD PIT — https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/point-in-time-pit-counts/
  17. Homicide Rate (per 100k): UNODC — https://dataunodc.un.org/content/data/homicide/homicide-rate
  18. Gun Deaths (per 100k): IHME GBD — https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
  19. Firearms per Person: GunPolicy (Small Arms Survey summaries) — https://www.gunpolicy.org/

National Metrics

  1. Taxes/GDP (%): OECD Tax revenue — https://data.oecd.org/tax/tax-revenue.htm
  2. Debt/GDP (2024, %): IMF WEO database — https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database
  3. GDP Growth (2024, %): IMF WEO database — https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database

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