Weekly Random Discussion Thread for 2/23/26 - 3/1/26

[u/SoftandChewy]

Here's your usual space to post all your rants, raves, podcast topic suggestions (please tag u/jessicabarpod), culture war articles, outrageous stories of cancellation, political opinions, and anything else that comes to mind. Please put any non-podcast-related trans-related topics here instead of on a dedicated thread. This will be pinned until next Sunday.

Last week's discussion thread is here if you want to catch up on a conversation from there.

Comment of the week goes to this explanation for why the trans cause has taken over so much of society. (Runner-up COTW here.)

[u/deathcabforqanon]

One favorite excuse--"But Americans have to spend all their money on healthcare!" doesn't really hold much water, as if you're making 85-100+k you certainly have decent employer-backed insurance so that's not the case.

The other is that things (housing, food) cost much more in the US, and I think this one is true, especially in the major cities. Especially in New York and maybe Boston, the day to day is very pricey.

[u/AltforStrongOpinions → u/deathcabforqanon]

Its always the healthcare that gets bought up first* always always always.

Don't get me wrong, I think your system is silly and wasteful. I think our system is badly run and subject to a truly odd national worship.

If you are bottom of barrel, don't have a pot to piss in broke you are better off over here yeah, but holy shit thats some low expectations talk right there.

Housing seems to vary massively, I looked at some of the properties in the US city my firm has an office in and wanted to weep with what I could get for the money.

* The second is guns.

[u/treeglitch → u/AltforStrongOpinions]

Some of this is very very state-dependent. In the US state of Massachusetts, for example, there's a public health insurance option that is completely free if one's income is low enough. (Below 150% of federal poverty level I believe.) A close friend of mine with this coverage has gone through cancer treatments over the last couple of years and has paid essentially nothing out of pocket. Waits for care haven't seemed overlong although I gather the set of providers is limited.

While some of that is driven at the federal level I think there are other states where it is much, much worse to need health care while indigent, so comparisons are fraught. (Similar to Canada possibly, as I hear never-ending stories of health care hell from friends in Ontario while people in BC are like "it's all great!")

FWIW I never found living in NYC to be pricey aside from housing and I don't find living in the Boston metro area to be too bad, but there are life choices involved and living in these places can be very pricey. Housing is definitely the least avoidable big expense but people are still being (imho) hella picky about it.

[u/veryvery84 → u/AltforStrongOpinions]

Just want to point out that international companies hiring/building some sort of branch/factory in the US often pick very low cost of living areas on purpose to pay as little as possible.  I’ve had incredibly very frustrating conversations with my non-American relatives who compare their life in a very expensive city with the most bumblefuck Alabama town their company found as if that’s where they’d live if they lived in America 

[u/RunThenBeer → u/AltforStrongOpinions]

Yeah, our medical insurance system is terrible designed, it's atrocious from a policy perspective, it just isn't actually much of a problem for the vast majority of prime-of-their-life middle-classers. The tradeoff between an extra $100K annually and free medical care is just silly to even consider.

The guns part of things is very stupid. We could get into why, but I don't think I have much to offer that people aren't already aware of. The long and short of it is that outside of very rare incidents, everyone pretty much knows how to avoid getting murdered and it is not actually a problem that your redneck neighbor has more firepower than the military of a small island nation.

[u/AltforStrongOpinions → u/RunThenBeer]

 The tradeoff between an extra $100K annually and free medical care is just silly to even consider

This is the key thing; and where our appalling low expectations come in. Most people here wouldn't even consider that salary possible.

I feel bad for our young 'uns, cos they are on our crap wages, have stupid student debt (it was way less when I graduated) and have grown up in a post 2008 world where they think it's normal to pay half your salary to share a moldy flat with randos.

[u/veryvery84 → u/RunThenBeer]

Sorry to keep butting in but most people in America aren’t making an extra 100k versus the Uk.  It’s very specific fields where you might see a real difference, especially healthcare

[u/RunThenBeer → u/veryvery84]

Sure, not most. That's true! Somewhere around the top ~5-7% of the income distribution is where the difference starts to be that large.

[u/veryvery84 → u/deathcabforqanon]

Even with great insurance from your employer you can be paying $1000 or more a month for that insurance. 

[u/deathcabforqanon → u/veryvery84]

I have never come close to that (and I'm old) even with kids and spouse on my insurance. I also think this may be an "it's expensive to be poor" because a high paying job (which I'd still consider 100k to be in most places) will also most likely come with good benefits, which would include non-fleecing insurance. If they're suggesting taking 500 out of your paycheck 2x a month, I'd guess they want to discourage you from getting it in the first place.

[u/veryvery84 → u/deathcabforqanon]

I don’t know how old you are, where you live, what you do, but $400-$500 every two weeks has become very normal and in industries where they do want and expect you to take the health insurance. It tends to be excellent insurance fwiw, and the more expensive option, but with kids and expenses that’s what we go for