From the New York Times:
Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Finds
By GINA KOLATA NOV. 2, 2015
Something startling is happening to middle-aged white Americans. Unlike every other age group, unlike every other racial and ethnic group, unlike their counterparts in other rich countries, death rates in this group have been rising, not falling.
That finding was reported Monday by two Princeton economists, Angus Deaton, who last month won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences, and Anne Case. Analyzing health and mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from other sources, they concluded that rising annual death rates among this group are being driven not by the big killers like heart disease and diabetes but by an epidemic of suicides and afflictions stemming from substance abuse: alcoholic liver disease and overdoses of heroin and prescription opioids.
Steve Sailer writes: “Remember, merely saying “All Lives Matter” is racist. Thus, the concept that “White Lives Matter” is close to unthinkable.
The suicide of novelist David Foster Wallace might be an example of the impact of the demoralization of white Americans.”
Comments to Steve Sailer:
* White people don’t thrive in captivity.
* I know a lot of people here will blame economics or diversity, but the true culprit is feminism and sexual liberation, which is infinitely more harmful.
You can survive just about anything if you’ve got a wife and kids in your life. That’s why the suicide rate in the Middle East is pretty much 0.
* Excellent point, but think about it: why should a guy in, say, the bottom quarter of the attractiveness distribution (and a quarter of guys are) bother trying to ‘man up’ and raise a family?
The only women we can get are porkers. If we marry them, we risk paying alimony for years if things go wrong.
And remember, someone will always be in the bottom quartile.
Comments at NYTimes.com:
* Some of the comments by readers of this article mention the poor economy, the great recession and the lack of jobs is a contributing factor in the rise in death rates for middle-aged white Americans. I grew up in a steel and coal town in West Virginia. As a young person I witnessed layoffs, the closure of coal mines and steel mills. This made quite an impression, and this was in the late 70s and early 80s, so the loss of jobs and the impact on the middle class is nothing new to me. What I got from it was the following five points: First, commit yourself to life-long learning to upgrade your skills; Second, don’t rely on any government programs to pull you up or improve your life, Third, don’t be dependent on your employer to sustain your lifestyle. Change jobs frequently and challenge yourself. Fourth, stay out of debt at all costs. Fifth and last point, don’t make your life worse than it is. This in reference to the increased use of drugs like heroin and the use of opioids. I understand life can be difficult, but I can’t understand the need to turn to drugs. No government program exists that can intervene on a persons behalf to prevent them from such bad decisions. The economy is still bad. While the unemployment rate is considered “low”, if you take into account those that are no longer looking, the rate is about 8 to 9%. Given the length of this recession, I can understand the difficulties people are having, but no reason to get addicted to drugs.
* Much of the hopelessness that leads to this situation is based on lack of work. It is an absolute sin that USA companies are allowed to use the H1B visa program to bring in staff from overseas when there are hundreds of thousands of Americans ready, willing and able to take these jobs. This program should be eliminated and the sooner the better.
* It’s probably all of your former readers giving up from the constant negative mentioning of their race and sex in your titles and articles. You certainly contribute to the overall cultural angst and stress. Every time I read something nasty in your paper, I read a paper from your archives (an issue from 1950, for instance). It proves to me that your writers and editors didn’t used to heap out so much bias and negativity on any given group (this heaping being a new form of racism.) In the meantime, and on the positive side of this equation, I’m gaining in my cultural education by having access to your old, good writing.
* The changes we’re experiencing in what we used to call middle class life are at least partially responsible for this. The massive layoffs and loss of funds since late 2007 were devastating, and the so-called ‘recovery’ has not restored anyone’s faith in the system. There is a tremendous amount of insecurity now, jobs have no benefits, medical insurance is readily available but still costs a fortune, even those with jobs fear another layoff, and when you’re middle-aged a layoff in this country means: start treading water until Social Security kicks in. That sort of stress is damaging, both physically and mentally, and no doubt contributes to the mortality rate.
* Why is this surprising? Because many people – including those in my neighborhood – think if you are white you are well to do and comfortable? If you are white, that means you’ve never suffered, right? The face is that MANY people in my generation in this very age range are living hand to mouth while balancing on the edge of a cliff. Have family members in Florida who are well aware of my living two steps from the gutter, but do they care? Nah, they’re too busy have fun in the sun in FLORIDA.
* Our labor participation rate is at one of the lowest levels in living memory — whom do we suppose make up that large number of people who are not merely long-term unemployed but no longer make serious efforts ever to be employed again? What do people who are capable of employment, were once employed often at significant incomes but can’t find jobs any longer, supposed to do other than be depressed? What happens to the deeply depressed when independence becomes involuntary dependency but fall victim to substance abuse and commit suicide?
I wonder whether this has happened at every boundary between ages, when the assumptions that supported labor in one age give way to new assumptions that some can’t embrace? We may leave a large number of people who can’t cross the boundary emotionally marooned.
* If we work at it by continuing the negative drumbeat of media messages about lower-class whites being worthless people, then, with any luck we can raise their mortality rates per 100,000 to equal that of black people, thus achieving true equality for a good percentage of our population. Isn’t equality what we want in America?
* I presume that lower educated whites are most threatened by illegal immigration. Seems it isn’t good for their health or welfare.
* Can we stop talking about white privilege and, worse yet, supremacy now?
* Oh, do they mean those middle-aged white Americans, especially males, who have repeatedly been told they are the problem with the country and the entire world, so they do not deserve jobs or health care or any helping hand whatsoever, because every single one of them is part of The Patriarchy?
* I think that on 9/11/2001, many middle aged white Americans, males in particular, found out a very depressing truth. The U.S. was not untouchable. And they had no control over it. Then the housing bubble burst. Again, beyond their control. Add to that the jobs and pensions lost during the Bush recession and the future got more bleak. Then that black man got elected, not once but twice!!! And with Congress is doing it’s best to insure he fails, there will be no SS or Medicare for them to depend on if Republicans have their way. Well, it is a pretty bleak future.
Too bad Congress isn’t willing to invest in America, outside of defense.
There could be millions of secure jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, but that would harm those 138,000 taxpayers at the top.
* It may be the degradation of our small- town communities that is contributing to this problem. Small towns, especially in rural America, once were the pride for many Americans–now they have few resources to “lift people up” because there are few quality jobs in many of these communities. Choices? Work in a fast food restaurant or big box retail establishment for minimum wage. It’s depressing and, therefore, it is no surprise that many rural communities are experiencing an epidemic of meth labs and drug/alcohol addiction. Communities are losing their unique identities, and I feel strongly that personal happiness is intertwined with a vibrant community which offers decent jobs, good nutrition, education, and neighbors who look out for one another.
* The epidemic of suicides among middle-aged white males is hardly news to those of us who follow these things. It’s been known for nearly two decades now. And it would be considered a social catastrophe if it were happened to any other group.
* Perhaps the difference in death rates between middle aged white males and those of other races is caused by life expectations.
In America, white males have always ruled–at home, at work, in social settings, etc. But no more. And the white males who have experienced the greatest drop in status thus far were born in the 1960s and are the least educated. By contrast, death rates for Black and Hispanic males have not spiked because their expectations and status are relatively unchanged from the past: American life has always been hard for a black male.
Thus, so long as white males have higher expectations about their lives, and those expectations tend to be unrealized, then, as compared to other groups, this spike in suicides, and drugs and alcohol abuse, will probably continue and even worsen.
* It couldn’t have anything to do with the lousy economy, the fact that many of us know that we’re not going to be able to retire, afford any health care we might need, leave anything behind for our children if we have them, or live lives that are at least as comfortable as our parents had? Nah, that’s not it at all. It’s not the fact that our politicians refuse to do anything to help the middle and working classes, that affordable housing has become hard to find all over the country, that we can’t take any vacation or sick days without worrying about being fired. It’s probably just the fact that we’re being told on all sides that we’re useless and the country would be better off without us. Just the subtlety of the messages I heard when I was unemployed: it was my fault, I was stupid and useless, too old to learn, didn’t take the right subjects, etc. I still think of suicide every other day and I’m working now. But, like any person in America, I know how quickly a job can vanish and how long I can remain unemployed: forever since I’m now over 50 and businesses don’t want to pay for experience and we have no real safety net. Being dead would be better.
