Do American families struggle to make a living like the underclass in the U.K?

The post is clearly from one of those typical young people who feels sorry for himself all the time and imagines he has it worse than anyone else anywhere in the world. He never bothers to check things like FACTS--ie, the UK is nowhere near the top of the rung for taxes and the most highly taxed countries such as Scandinavia, are in fact considered amongst the best to live in.

He also doesn't like answers from actual Americans telling the truth--that it's not easy for most people, that many people live in trailers and struggle.What he'd also be shocked to find that the generous paid holiday he receives in the UK (4 weeks min) doesn't exist in the USA, and that he would have far less protection in keeping his job. A lot of people who lose their jobs in the US, also lose their healthcare. And perhaps he should know that many Americans go bankrupt when they get ill...something that never happens in the UK.

He probably has some fantasy dream of moving there and becoming mega rich despite having no education and skills, and is too lazy and whiny to go out and get a stem degree.

You're not watching the right shows or films. There are plenty that depict less affluent lives.

Most Americans are just middle-class and some are low-income. Of course Americans struggle. The very rich, the people who live quite comfortably affluent lives, are very much in the minority, as they are in the UK.

Do all British speak with Received Pronunciation? Do they all attend Oxford and Cambridge? Do they all have titles? Of course not. However, I know that not only because I've visited the UK, I also read British literature and newspapers, and I see a wide range of British films and television shows.

On the other hand, the US did come through the world-wide Great Recession that began in 2007 rather better than other countries, including the UK, did, and is not currently dealing with any "austerity" measures.

Most American families struggle.

I’m american and i have hardly ever had financial security. At worst times, collected cans for deposits, lived in my car (but didnt always have one) and bearly froze to death in winter, eaten in soup kitchems or just not eaten, etc

There are more poor Americans than poor Britons. Not seeing on TV just means they are more oppressed.

Don't believe the hype. Around 13% of the US lives below the poverty line and another nearly 30% are struggling to pay the bills. Young Americans are likely to be working two or three jobs plus a side hustle or two just to get by. If we believed all the UK media we're fed we would believe that everyone is highly educated and all Brits love the royals, which I know from having lived in London for two years isn't the case.

All Judge Judy tells me is that rich Americans suing other rich Americans, which is dealt with by a very wealthy judge. Americans pretend to be poor, especially when visiting the U.K so as to fit in and not offend the working underclass, understandable, but Americans haven't got a clue about poverty.

There are many Americans living in Trailer Parks in utter poverty, There are the ghetto and projects where mostly the poor blacks live, they live off of about 600 a month. Then the lower middle class that often live in neighborhoods with 900sf houses built in the 50s, etc, struggling to make it from week to week. The middle class live well. The rich live very well. Taxes? Mine is around 22%(federal,) 11% State tax,. Gasoline, in my area around $2.40 a gallon. Sales tax varies but usually 5-10%., personal property for me is around $3000 a year, my health care is only around $200 a month. There is also a capital gains tax for when you profit from investments like stocks, it is 15% on the profit

The biggest reason for high UK taxes is free health care. I will be undergoing a lung cancer treatment in 2 weeks that will cost over 40K. My insurance will cover about 60% of that and I will have to pay the rest, many cancer patients can expect to be billed in excess of 50K per year...it will take them many years to pay it off if they live

As for prison, its true there is no prison if you owe a company a bill, but, if you don't pay your income tax you are def going to prison

An example of a rather poor working class american is he goes to work is paid 7.25 hr for 40 hr week earns 290 gross, take out taxes of around 35% which includes SSA, Fed, State= 188.50. Can't afford a car, must take bus, lives either with parents or rents a room.

You must watch very little American TV and only a certain type of movie! Of course there are poor Americans.

Surely you can't really be that naive?

And by the way - 'literally' means 'exactly' what you say - and no-one is really taxed to death. You mean 'figuratively'.

You must watch a very limited range of movies! Of course there are millions of Americans living in poverty, but please please don't use the word 'literally' again until you've learned its meaning. If we in the UK were indeed being taxed 'literally' to death, both you and I would be lying dead in our graves, not sitting here typing on Yahoo. You mean 'almost' to death, or 'figuratively' to death.