How can you tell if Americans are "poor"?

Is that a typo? Because with the Electoral System Wyoming and Montana do NOT have as much say as New Jersey (Rhode Island seems a weird addition since they have very little say). Although this would never happen with the electoral system it would be possible that if only 5 people in New Jersey voted and every person in Montana that can vote did New Jersey would still have a bigger say in the outcome of the election. BTW Montana gets 4 votes, Wyoming gets 3 votes, New Jersey gets 14 votes and Rhode Island gets 4. Its all determined by population size.

Local news yes, but I assume she means THE Fox News cable channel. That's the same everywhere.

My cousin lives in LA and she said you can't hang washing outside because of the smog.

How does Trump stand for the poor though? My understanding from his last term was that he made the rich richer.

Same in NZ, although I have met a few strange people who use their dryer all the time.

I've just been chatting to my neighbour at the clothesline (we live in adjoining flats).

@crowisland
Fox is not monolithic. Different media markets experience very different versions of Fox news.

Why are the images of American poverty always a very specific type of visible rural poverty? Yes, it's the kind that's easiest to visualise, but when you consider where people actually live, it's not really representative. Poverty is becoming harder to see in some ways, as it moves into the suburbs.

Another point: If your house has natural gas, you can get a gas dryer, which is cheaper to run than electric. This may be affected by municipalities seeking to ban natural gas in new construction.

I am not up for running all the calculations for my dryer, but a quick Google on running costs says the following: "In the U.S., it costs approximately 45 cents to dry a load of laundry in an electric dryer, based on a 5,600-watt dryer, 40-minute run-time, and a 12-cent-per- kilowatt-hour rate."

For those curious about how Trump et Al are so popular try reading Derr Hunting with Jesus. It’s pre Trump but a fascinating insight into class in the US.

There's a much more obvious rich/poor divide in America than there even is in the UK. American TV shows don't usually depict the people who live in trailers with rubbish piled up outside, who can't afford air conditioning so they will have a fan.

There are also more people who don't even have a home.

I reckon most people in Australia with a backyard will hang their washing outside. Everyone I know (clearly a small sample) only use the dryer for emergencies. It’s so expensive to run! Also we love our clotheslines - all Aussies have a hills hoist in the backyard!

Do American audiences get confused my things like this when watching UK or European dramas?

Not TV but the former US ambassador to Denmark thought that the Danish middle classes were poor because they "can't afford to drive a car". Er - no, the reason that they ride bicycles for local trips is that it's the most convenient way of getting around the city. Nothing to do with wealth, not everyone views cars as status symbols.

Given that she only got the job because she donated lots of money to Trump she is an unusually thick outlier though.

Exactly. Totally. Sure.
And that’s why Donald lost the House and the Senate and the White House and President Biden won by over 81+MILLION votes.
Because people in the US lack “critical sensibilities.“

There is no such thing as a 'national comfort zone' though.

People live in wildly varied regions, and can be as surprised by the culture and ethos of the state next door as they would be if they were plonked down unexpectedly in Amsterdam.

People from the Ozark region visiting Chicago with an open mind will likely find themselves questioning assumptions, and vice versa. Even people visiting other major cities or other rural areas can experience a culture that is new and surprising. There are big differences between New Orleans and Dallas, rural Kentucky and Wyoming.

Roseanne once called herself “white trash with money.”
I agree wholeheartedly.

Because it's the United States of America, i.e. a union of fifty states.

It's a federal republic, not a direct democracy.

The tension between the 'republican' and 'democratic' elements has existed since the immediate aftermath of the war of independence. These days, it suits Republicans to emphasise the republic and downplay the democracy.

It's been my observation over several decades living here that Americans tend to avoid politics and any topic that touches on politics in conversation unless they are sure they know their company well. Religion likewise.

People are happy to put out lawn signs in support of candidates for all levels of local, state, and national elections where I live, but conversation isn't going to happen outside of an actual canvassing or meet the candidate event.

The hesitancy over politics doesn't come from an overweening sense of patriotism imo. It comes from a desire to stick to topics that promote connection and harmony - you have a 50-50 chance of ending up in an argument if you dip your toe into politics at a social gathering.

The relative absence of (expressed) revolutionary spirit comes from a sense that they have as good a chance as the next person to reap the fruits of living and working in the US - in a home that is probably big enough, driving a car that is fairly new, in a neighbourhood that is pleasant and peaceful, with their children attending good state (public) schools with a prospect of heading to university, joining a fraternity or sorority, fetting a solid degree, and eventually achieving the same lifestyle as they did, surrounded by public amenities that are well maintained and adequately funded, possibly with extended family not too far away, and a circle of friends to liven up their lives. Many achieve this ideal, which breeds optimism.

Americans are also more likely than Brits to belong to an organised religion, and this can contribute to a sense that their lives have meaning, as well as providing a ready-made community. The same goes for local sports tribes. Americans value harmony and tend to try to promote cohesion in their relationships.

to me the electroral college system seems so undemocratic. why should wyoming or montana, states with hundreds of thousands of unpopulated acres have as much say as densely populated states like New Jersey or Rhode Island?

@knitnerd90
For Chicago try Englewood and Austin.
Also the southern reaches of Martin Luther King Drive and Garfield Blvd just west of the University of Chicago campus/Washington Park, and east of the Dan Ryan expressway.

I used to think Malcolm was rich

Even for comedy, Malcolm in the middle is what made consider poverty in the US - being scared of your unruly children injuring themselves on sometimes one shit income really hit home for me.

I've learned an awful lot since then and it's mental - being seen as quite poor because you are middle-class 😱.

Even rabid GOPers will admit things are wrong. They just won't say it to a Democrat and their complaints will be different.

If you want to see what different kinds of poor neighbourhoods look like, look some of these up on Street View:

Nickerson Gardens & Watts, Los Angeles

South Bronx, NYC (if you want to see traditional apartment houses that are now being repaired and gentrified, look at Washington Heights in Manhattan).

West Baltimore (there's a whole swathe of this sadly -- try Sandtown-Winchester)

Not sure of the best choice for Chicago these days. Maybe Lawndale or South Shore.

Kensington, Philadelphia, which is home to an infamous open air drug market. Fairhill as well.

Reddit is full of Anti American vitriol, mostly by Americans themselves. All the Americans I know are very aware of the shortcomings of their country.

@CarolinaInTheMorning They don't understand the fact that Trump became president in 2016 even though he did not win the popular vote. I think the worst thing to happen in the past 50 years is to not remove the electoral college.

Heating and air conditioning! And we aren't afraid of using it.

Absolutely- but look how many voters STILL reject the legitimate results and tried to overturn the results on Jan 6! Sure, it’s a huge country with fascinating diversity, from Navaho land to Chinatowns to Miami. But it’s an entirely different thing to leave one’s national comfort zone with an open mind, and to question one’s taken-for-granted assumptions