[mesk]

> The US, as a resident, skews wildly from the popular narrative in many ways much of the time

Much of the time, thats it, you named it. To me the worst case scenario (I work in IT, so I often think in the worst case scenarios) in few relatively common situations, _seems_ to be much worse in the US.

Common, like being ill, visiting hospital, going to school, being stopped by the police.... (headlines again).