Rich Americans live up to 15 years longer than poor peers, studies find

[Garnier Fructis]

Good news - being a hard-working person can prolong your life!
It is really AMAZING. I applaund USA for such options.

Your average office worker doesn't work even remotely as hard as, say, a maid for a house cleaning company. We've also got jokers at the top that spend most of their time tweeting nonsense and taking vacations who don't work nearly as hard as a construction worker.

Hard work alone will not take you closer to the top. Hard work and skill are factors, but the greatest factor is simply luck.

[Independent voter]

Rich people are better educated, imo. More likely to go to the doctor too.

[NED funded]

Rich people have better education, better education better health. I'm not sure why the Guardian is hyping up the study.

[Hiricine]

The article merely states that, while there are multiple factors in play to attribute for the difference in Lifespan, proper access to healthcare should not be one.

A large fault of the article to be sure. You'd imagine you'd want to talk about the best preventable ways to raise the standard of living for as many people as possible, not pick the most expensive and least effective of all the problems, presumably.

[Ghostpanther]

I would say financial security in general likely provides a lower stress life which probably leads to longer life on average.

That is true. But Belize is correct also. But then again it goes back to what one can afford. While a insurance may cover some costs of a medical procedure or the cost of drugs, the deductibles can be so damn high, they are still not affordable. :P

[breadisfunny]

No, it isnt. It has nothing to do with socialism. It is social market economy.

which is .....drumroll......SOCIALISM! it is the concept of socialism in action.

- - - Updated - - -

Good news! Being able to afford healthcare can prolong your life!

psh life is a privilege according to the gop.

[Deleted]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here without reading the post and say it's because they can afford healthcare

[Ghostpanther]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here without reading the post and say it's because they can afford healthcare

How daring!!

[Deleted]

That's normal in third world countries, even if it's a rich third world country.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

Shocking. Next they'll tell us that rich people drive better cars.

How plebeian, the true rich person has someone who drives the car for them.
*adjusts monocle, goes back to stuffing $100 bills in the kitchen garbage disposal*

[chrisfover87]

In today's America, if you are poor, you are simply either lazy or dumb, or both. Living longer is a natural reward for smart and hardworking people, not for the lazy/dumb ones.

[Deleted]

which is .....drumroll......SOCIALISM! it is the concept of socialism in action.

Regarding Marx Socialism is a transitional phase from capitalism to communism. And not social market economy, which is capitalism just with state driven healthcare and welfare system.

Social market economies dont want to become communist systems. So it is no transitional phase, but just capitalism with a human face.

[Hammerfest]

Rich Americans live up to 15 years longer than poor peers, studies find

The conservative's response to this is, "So let's improve economic conditions so more people can get rich!"

[Super Kami Dende]

Poor People live shorter lives? It's almost as if this wasn't common knowledge since the dawn of civilisation.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

In today's America, if you are poor, you are simply either lazy or dumb, or both. Living longer is a natural reward for smart and hardworking people, not for the lazy/dumb ones.

Or born into it. I grew up in a small rural town (pop >4500) in the Midwest, and I know plenty of people who are considered 'poor' for no other reason than they were born into a poor rural town. Not everyone can climb out of that, and at the end of the day there's simply shit that needs to get done and people needing to do it because they need to put food on the table but you're just getting by and qualify as poor on any metric, regardless of how hard you work.

[Not A Cat]

In today's America, if you are poor, you are simply either lazy or dumb, or both. Living longer is a natural reward for smart and hardworking people, not for the lazy/dumb ones.

Except being hardworking rarely leads to wealth. You need a tremendous amount of luck or to be born into it.

[Puupi]

Maybe the poor are poor and live shorter lives because of how they live.

People live their lives in X ways and live 15 years longer compared to Y.

People live their lives in Y ways and live 15 years shorter compared to X.

It just happens that people who live in X ways tend to also accumulate more money. They live more healthily and are more educated.

We have this same discrepancy in Finland, a country with free health care and free education for all. Not being able to afford health care and education is not an excuse.

[Protean]

they needed a study, a likely gov't funding study to figure this out??? Pretty sure world wide the richer you are the longer your life expectancy is.

How would you know unless a study was made? It's only common knowledge for you because there's already a mountain of these studies. A new one to confirm old findings isn't in any way a problem except for people who don't know what studies are, or who thinks government funded studies is a problem.

Especially since times are changing so fast most studies are in some form outdated before they're even released.

[Luckx]

No, it isnt. It has nothing to do with socialism. It is social market economy.

In many western European countries rich people and middle class paying taxes, but poor people getting part of those money for free healthcare, and even free money from dole/unemployment benefit if they dont have official jobs.

In some countries they even getting free houses to live

Arent that socialism?

[endersblade]

Who's throw away account is this?