# Is America actually the wealthiest nation on earth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-actually-the-wealthiest-nation-on-earth/693172>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 15, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-actually-the-wealthiest-nation-on-earth/693172 "2014-07-15T16:19:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-actually-the-wealthiest-nation-on-earth/693172/41 "2014-07-16T01:16:08Z")

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> [@Grim\_Render](#):
>
> It seems entriely reasonable to characterize it as lousy.

That’s only because you’re letting the _lazy_ Americans wreck the curve.  
Y’know, the poor ones.

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**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-actually-the-wealthiest-nation-on-earth/693172/42 "2014-07-16T02:20:36Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> That’s only because you’re letting the _lazy_ Americans wreck the curve.
> 
> Y’know, the poor ones.

This is where the poor efficiency of the system kills us. See, in terms of actual real life resources (human labor, energy, raw materials), a lot of helpful medical procedures are not very expensive. (some are)

But, since the medical system has countless ways to squander money and charges insanely inflated prices and gives little back, the poor simply cannot afford even the most basic of helpful care.

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