In fact I do. However I felt it will be deeply unfair to compare the life of those who struggle in America with the life of those who struggle in Scandinavia. There simply is no competition. It would only make America look horrible in comparison. It would make by comparison look completely one-sided.

And anyway this story is really about the different life somebody could have who has a real choice in where to live. That typically means well educated professionals. That means a sensible comparison is between middle-class lifestyles in both parts of the world.

Ironically despite your concern that I have sugarcoated American reality, many Americans have in fact complained that’s my depiction of America is to negative and stereotyped.

That’s it is ironic that when I describe an average American life as involving barbecue parties corner offices and a swimming pool, some Americans think that isn’t positive enough. Some seem to demand a characterization without downsides. In fact this was in many ways one of the more negative things about living in America I think. This frequent insistence that America had to be a number.