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Or, just go to Flint Michigan, land of unsafe drinking water. There's also Detroit and Saginaw Michigan, Gary Indiana, these old Rust-Belt cities have terrible poverty. Pretty close to Third World status.
Also East St. Louis, Pine Ridge (https://youtu.be/w_LSoxpw0PU), Brownsville TX, pretty much any residential trailer park...
I still wouldn't classify these as actual third world though. I would say more like on the poor side of the second-world.
Well, there is a difference between countries like Chile and Mexico and countries like Haiti and Sierra Leone. ... In Haiti or Sierra Leone, what we conceive of "middle class" does not really exist. There are a few elites, then there are poor but not destitute and then there are the destitute. ... The U.S. looks more like Mexico in the sense of its widening gap between the elite wealthy and everyone else. There are immense gaps between the middle class in Mexico and the truly wealthy. The U.S. appears to be moving in that direction.
Sierra Leone 62.9
Haiti 59.2
Chile 52.1
Mexico 48.3
United States 45.0
Slovenia 23.7
(Lower is better.)
The core question that the OP is raising is whether the United States will devolve into one of those nations where a handful of rich people will enjoy the fruits of the economy, while the bulk of the rest live in relative privation. The reality is that we're already there. While Canada and practically the entirety of Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, India, and most of the Middle East and northern Africa enjoy a relatively low level of economic injustice, the United States joins Mexico, almost all of Latin and South America, the vast majority of sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and China suffering from middling to high levels of poverty mixed in with high levels of affluence. The trend in the United States is toward further increasing of the disparity.
Sierra Leone 62.9
Haiti 59.2
Chile 52.1
Mexico 48.3
United States 45.0
Slovenia 23.7
(Lower is better.)
Yup. Shows that our wealth distrubution is badly skewed. The only think papering over it right now is that we're so much generally richer than a place like Mexico or Slovenia, a worse distrubution of 50X the money they have still looks okay.
With globalization - that is going to start weighing on Americans. It already is which is why you see Bernie on the left and Trump on the right.
So, maybe we are not sliding into the extreme poverty of Sierre Leone, but probably close to what you see in Khazakstan and other eastern European countries. it is qeuite difficult to ascertain because it is a ssumed that well over half of the working class income is made through the underground economy. And not taxed because it is hidden. in addition, bartering, sharing, buying local, and lack of waste contributes to the average persons well being.
I live in a working class area in Pueblo Colorado. I have only lived here a few months, but probably about half the people I know make their living "off the books." They just cannot make it on $8 an hour. My neighbors share, trade, barter, and buy from each other. Backyard bbqs' are cheap and fun neighborhood entertainment. What is going on in khazakstan, I see going on here. I can see it spreading throughout the nation, and for many reasons, can see that it is not altogether a bad thing. I believe that we'll see a huge rise in entrepeneurship [ legit, after a few years of being otherwise] less emphasis on material acquisition, and minimum wage workers making significantly more in income because of a shortage of minimum wage workers. for these reasons, I am not terribly concerned. In the meanwhile, we need to remember to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked, and heal the sick [no, I am not a Christian, but the man said some incredible things that I try to follow]
Why would you not be a christain if you are living the life style?
Anyways, we do this where i live too, we go to the costcos and buy bulk stuff and have get togethers at a housing complex. I make more than some of the others so i will buy more of the bulk booze, etc.
There is a huge proliferation of under the table stuff because its hard to be a viable buisness if you are getting fleeced in taxes. Alot of advertisement on craigslist or local lists. My cost of living is very low other than buying materials to start my own side buisness, building materials are not cheap, they are cheaper than they have been but when compared to buying stuff at costco its alot to get machinery and equipment set up.
I just recently saw a commercial to travel and invest in khazakstan, it looks like a nice country, it is land locked so my fiance would never go there lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky3vicky
So, maybe we are not sliding into the extreme poverty of Sierre Leone, but probably close to what you see in Khazakstan and other eastern European countries. it is qeuite difficult to ascertain because it is a ssumed that well over half of the working class income is made through the underground economy. And not taxed because it is hidden. in addition, bartering, sharing, buying local, and lack of waste contributes to the average persons well being.
I live in a working class area in Pueblo Colorado. I have only lived here a few months, but probably about half the people I know make their living "off the books." They just cannot make it on $8 an hour. My neighbors share, trade, barter, and buy from each other. Backyard bbqs' are cheap and fun neighborhood entertainment. What is going on in khazakstan, I see going on here. I can see it spreading throughout the nation, and for many reasons, can see that it is not altogether a bad thing. I believe that we'll see a huge rise in entrepeneurship [ legit, after a few years of being otherwise] less emphasis on material acquisition, and minimum wage workers making significantly more in income because of a shortage of minimum wage workers. for these reasons, I am not terribly concerned. In the meanwhile, we need to remember to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked, and heal the sick [no, I am not a Christian, but the man said some incredible things that I try to follow]
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