Canadians now poorer than the poorest Americans per capita

[paxamericana]

This is the price you pay for pretending you're non American. Don't hate the metric, hate Canada's biggotry.

[herbie]

Ih yes, we're all peasamts compared to an Apalachian Hillbilly.

But on the other hand, I spent 5 days in hospital last year, had surgery and got 3 months of followup meds for $27 before Christmas, Just renewed my diabetes meds for $0 and no dispensing fee and today paid my property taxes for $100.
Been car shopping and will buy cash like I always do. The Tesla model 3 Premium looks goof if I can get in and out easily.

Better stop all those hordes of desperate Canucks paddling across Lake Superior in crowded rubber boats yearning to be Americans.

[Barquentine]

Canadians now smarter than the smartest Americans per capita.

We don't need no stinkin' citations.

[paxamericana]

11 hours ago, herbie said:

But on the other hand, I spent 5 days in hospital last year, had surgery and got 3 months of followup meds for $27 before Christmas, Just renewed my diabetes meds for $0 and no dispensing fee and today paid my property taxes for $100.
Been car shopping and will buy cash like I always do. The Tesla model 3 Premium looks goof if I can get in and out easily.

What’s that? You’re explaining how little money Canadians have to spend? Meanwhile Americans are making money. I guess you are right, we’re not the same.

 

[herbie]

More like how gullible,arrogant and easily distracted from reality some Americans can be.
even as their Number One ally and trade partner is now circling the room shaking the hands of everyone else right in front of their eyes.

[paxamericana]

19 minutes ago, herbie said:

shaking the hands of everyone else

uh huh and where's those data ? Canada is a commodity exporter, you don't make anything globally competitive. You're lucky you even get to participate in the North American supply chain to begin with. Out of the kindness of our big American heart I might add. 

[SpankyMcFarland]

When you start looking at other metrics like median wealth the picture in America isn’t so rosy. 

[paxamericana]

3 hours ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

median wealth

We’re not communists 

[herbie]

You simply do not realize the Era of America is over.
You were sold America made great again, you were delivered America Alone.

Nobody cares anymore. Your power is gone.

[paxamericana]

8 minutes ago, herbie said:

America made great again

It’s America first and foremost

8 minutes ago, herbie said:

America Alone.

Not likely, the world is just in a shock phase, until they search around and find there’s no better alternative. China’s economy is on a nose dive. There’s not a single country with a larger consumer market than America. Judging by the massive amount of foreign capital investment I’d say people aren’t having any illusion of who the winning bet is. Despite their irrational hatred of America real or otherwise. 

15 minutes ago, herbie said:

Nobody cares anymore. Your power is gone.

Okay 51ster I’ll take that under advisement. 

[SpankyMcFarland]

14 hours ago, paxamericana said:

We’re not communists 

You think the wealth of middle class people isn’t a vital issue in a democracy where people can vote on the matter? They should trust that Elon will take care of them all from Mars? Ordinary Americans (and people in many other countries too) feel they are falling behind economically and will bestow a poorer and less secure country for their kids. This is one reason why Harris lost and Trump is tanking in the polls. It matters. I can feel the anxiety from ordinary citizens down there even as I sit up here. You surely know what I am talking about if you listen to regular folks and their worries. Look how the US plunges out of the top 10 when the list moves from average wealth to median. 

Edited Friday at 03:15 PM by SpankyMcFarland

[SpankyMcFarland]

9 hours ago, paxamericana said:

It’s America first and foremost

Not likely, the world is just in a shock phase, until they search around and find there’s no better alternative. China’s economy is on a nose dive. There’s not a single country with a larger consumer market than America. Judging by the massive amount of foreign capital investment I’d say people aren’t having any illusion of who the winning bet is. Despite their irrational hatred of America real or otherwise. 

Okay 51ster I’ll take that under advisement. 

The problem for the world isn’t China’s volatility, which is real, but the iron determination of the CCP to ramp up industrial production remorselessly, destroying industry elsewhere and wrecking the global economy. 

[paxamericana]

1 hour ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

regular folks

There’s an economic divergence between the productivity of people that are able to leverage AI yes.  That’s is an issue. That’s not the same as blaming it on Trump. We are in the next phase of the industrial revolution which is now AI driven. People need time to adapt and adjust, what the market looks like 5-10 years from now is not clear. But what is clear is that we need less and less people doing traditional jobs because of the increased productivity. And we certainly don’t need more Canadians doing those jobs. Hence Canada is left out since you all lack the resources to leverage AI. That’s why there aren’t meaningful push to build out Canada’s AI infrastructure. Single digit B isn’t going to be able to build you one, one data center cost north of several B. 

Edited Friday at 03:07 PM by paxamericana

[SpankyMcFarland]

9 minutes ago, paxamericana said:

There’s an economic divergence between the productivity of people that are able to leverage AI yes.  That’s is an issue. That’s not the same as blaming it on Trump. We are in the next phase of the industrial revolution which is now AI driven. People need time to adapt and adjust, what the market looks like 5-10 years from now is not clear. But what is clear is that we need less and less people doing traditional jobs because of the increased productivity.

As I hope I made clear, I think this problem is bigger than Trump. It has soured voters on both parties. Median wealth matters far more to average people than average wealth or GDP - last time I looked, Elon isn’t sharing his dosh across the population - and if median income and wealth are going to decline or stay flat we need to have an honest conversation about that. People will need to spend less and borrow less. Ditto governments. But I don’t hear much of this message from politicians. 

Edited Friday at 03:13 PM by SpankyMcFarland

[SpankyMcFarland]

I just asked Google about median assets beyond equity in the primary residence. Not great:

The median household net worth for Americans, excluding home equity in the primary residence, is $57,900.[1]

When looking strictly at financial assets (checking, savings, money market accounts, retirement funds, and direct investments), the median U.S. household holds $39,000. [1]

Because home equity is a highly illiquid asset that represents the bulk of wealth for middle-income families, non-home assets provide a more accurate picture of liquid or easily convertible wealth. Financial assets are heavily skewed by age, as Americans have had more time to contribute to retirement accounts and investments. [1, 2]

 

So 40k in financial assets. People are right to feel insecure.

Edited Friday at 10:20 PM by SpankyMcFarland

[Barquentine]

22 hours ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

The problem for the world isn’t China’s volatility, which is real, but the iron determination of the CCP to ramp up industrial production remorselessly, destroying industry elsewhere and wrecking the global economy. 

What country doesn't want to "ramp up industrial production"? Production moved from the west to Japan, then Korea, then Taiwan, China, Indonesia... Those countries got or are getting richer along with their costs rising. cost China has cheap labour now, but that will change. How much cheap untapped labour is there in Africa, South America... Nothing to do with remorselessness, just capital looking to make profit. Remember, it was the West wanting and investing in cheap Chinese goods that got us here.

AI: Even now, Estimates suggest that Chinese suppliers account for 70% to 80% of Walmart's general merchandise

[SpankyMcFarland]

14 minutes ago, Barquentine said:

What country doesn't want to "ramp up industrial production"? Production moved from the west to Japan, then Korea, then Taiwan, China, Indonesia... Those countries got or are getting richer along with their costs rising. cost China has cheap labour now, but that will change. How much cheap untapped labour is there in Africa, South America... Nothing to do with remorselessness, just capital looking to make profit. Remember, it was the West wanting and investing in cheap Chinese goods that got us here.

 

But production hasn’t moved on to other countries. As you note, China still dominates at Walmart. In a normal free market democracy going through an export boom, the currency would rise dramatically and consumers would be rewarded for their hard work. China doesn't allow this. It keeps its currency artificially low. The people who run China are not capitalists. They believe in ever greater production on the Soviet model. But they are in charge of the best capitalists in the world. Hence the runaway train. 

[paxamericana]

2 hours ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

But production hasn’t moved on to other countries. As you note, China still dominates at Walmart. I

Yes but it will because there’s simply no reason for the Chinese export model to exist in the scale that it has. China is a victim of geography this was the first 50 years in its history where they could export their way to wealth.

[Barquentine]

On 6/20/2026 at 9:09 AM, SpankyMcFarland said:

the currency would rise dramatically and consumers would be rewarded for their hard work

Maybe the currency is kept low , but average wages have doubled since 2014. China is a hybrid communist-capitalist economy now.

[SpankyMcFarland]

Just now, Barquentine said:

Maybe the currency is kept low , but average wages have doubled since 2014. China is a hybrid communist-capitalist economy now.

It is kept low. There’s no argument that I’ve seen there. Chinese people are not being rewarded for the wealth they are producing. At some point if nothing is done, other countries have to restrict imports from China. 

[herbie]

So don't take advantage of the exchange rate and buy $26 glasses of World Cup wine for only $18 then.
Or wonder why we're buying $39,000 Chinese Teslas instead of $65,000 Dodge Hornets

Edited Sunday at 07:56 PM by herbie