I'm not saying someone else has it worse.

It's like, if someone says America sucks because it snows so much, and it would be so much better if only it were more like Sweden where the weather is always warm and sunny.... then you're just wrong. You need to update your knowledge and expectations about the world.

This discussion started as a comparison to other places.

I mean, China achieves this homeownership rate via liberal use of imminent domain power, cheap labor, shoddy construction, and a lack of worker safety regulation, which allows them to construct large amounts of housing quickly and cheaply.

In, say, France, the government is far less likely to displace people and tear down their homes in order to build a 40 story apartment building. And if someone does decide to build a 40 story apartment building, they need to ensure it won't create a significant negative impact on the environment, that it will be safe and structurally sound, that the workers are paid decently and mostly go home with all their fingers and toes. France used to be able to build huge amounts of housing - but then they decided they valued human life over making buildings quickly.

So there are trade offs, is what I'm saying