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Life in developed country: Middle class, apartment living, high quality public education, public transpiration, high taxes, safe, lots of entertainment, more culture and education.
Life in developing country: Upper-middle class, big house, private education, cars with possible chauffeur, low taxes, unsafe, a bit more isolated, cheap to have servants to do things for you.
According to your description minus cheap servants, Shanghai is more like a developed world city while Houston is not.
Actually, some developing countries are not that bad in if you're affluent enough to not need social safety net.
A lot of people picture developing countries as war zones full of starving people or people suffering under brutal dictatorships.
I have been to several developing countries that I could easily take over many developed countries.
I for example would rather live in Peru than in Finland.
Peru has top notch beaches, amazing landscapes, good weather, amazing surfing, great seafood, low crime rates, competitive health care, amazing gastronomy.
With a fraction of what a crappy apartment costs in Finland I can buy a beach home in Peru.
Same in Europe. I rather live in a place like Romania or Bulgaria over ultra organized, overruled, hyperfunctional, crowded Netherlands.
According to your description minus cheap servants, Shanghai is more like a developed world city while Houston is not.
I forgot add the public healthcare in developed vs private healthcare in developing. Yes, the US is exemplary since its a wealthy country but some things are more similar to developing countries as opposed to other developed countries.
A lot of people picture developing countries as war zones full of starving people or people suffering under brutal dictatorships.
I have been to several developing countries that I could easily take over many developed countries.
I for example would rather live in Peru than in Finland.
Peru has top notch beaches, amazing landscapes, good weather, amazing surfing, great seafood, low crime rates, competitive health care, amazing gastronomy.
With a fraction of what a crappy apartment costs in Finland I can buy a beach home in Peru.
Same in Europe. I rather live in a place like Romania or Bulgaria over ultra organized, overruled, hyperfunctional, crowded Netherlands.
I forgot add the public healthcare in developed vs private healthcare in developing. Yes, the US is exemplary since its a wealthy country but some things are more similar to developing countries as opposed to other developed countries.
Well, public healthcare in the U.S isn't the greatest in the world.
I'd rather be in Mexico or China if I need some medical help.
I am in Kolkata, India right now. If you like Indian food, then I would say this city has the best tasting Indian food I have had anywhere. Great variety and selection of restaurants as well, including pan-Asian food.
If you know where to look, you can get a lot of “specialty†things in a developing country that you can’t get or will find hard to get anywhere else.
Well, public healthcare in the U.S isn't the greatest in the world.
I'd rather be in Mexico or China if I need some medical help.
Once again I agree with you.
American healthcare system is terribly expensive, your financial capabilities determine your medical outcomes in the US.
A few years ago I was dating a lady from Uruguay who had to get vestibular therapy for vertigo. She was able to get relatively affordable therapy in her homeland.
I remember she joined several support groups for people with the problem, and we often commented on the many Americans we'd come across in those forums with the same problem trying to figure out what to do because it is too expensive to get therapy and they cannot afford it. So they were "stuck" with it.
There was a whole chanel of Americans going to Mexico or Colombia to get treatment for it because in the US they just could not do it. So they would recommend one another doctors who spoke English and who were good at what they did.
For Americans it was like a wake up, they were often amused at how much better these professionals were in Mexico and Colombia compared to overpaid and indiferent American professionals who more concerned about you having health insurance.
I forgot add the public healthcare in developed vs private healthcare in developing. Yes, the US is exemplary since its a wealthy country but some things are more similar to developing countries as opposed to other developed countries.
Not to offend you as an American, but a lot of what the US has to offer is not that great.
I mean, I am not taking away credit where it's due. Americans are the best at customer service, efficiency, top notch systems void of endless bureaucracy (unlike Europeans who drown in bureaucracy).
However there are other aspects of the US where you go like "Am I in a third world country?"
- Bad quality of buildings, homes and how expensive it is for what you pay.
- American roads look like ****. It is almost amazing to drive in the US because how bad the roads are.
- Food quality in the US is ABYSMALLY bad. Tomatoes that lack taste, chickens that taste like water and are full of steroids, extremely sweet pastries that raise your glucose levels to borderline diabetes once you eat them.
- American archaic banking system is stuck in the 80's. Sometimes I speak with people who work in the banking system of even developing countries like India and they literally cannot believe how outdated the US banking system is.
- For all the talk about freedom, the American government sure loves to meddle in the private affairs of its citizens.
- Healthcare is a horror story.
- Education is terribly overpriced, abroad you can get the same quality education for a fraction of what you pay in the US.
- Infrastructure is pretty mediocre even compared to developing countries. I was blown away by how extensive and well connected Santiago (Chile) metro is, it is fast, reliable, punctual, modern, you can literally go anywhere in Santiago for a tiny price in the comfortable, modern, clean, safe metro.
Meanwhile the few metros/subways in US cities look like they came out of the 1940's. NYC metro smells, it's dirty, falling apart, full of rats, urine, with leaking roofs and mold. It is embarrassing! Boston joke of a metro is some old 1930's cart.
I do not want to offend you since you're American, but the USA is in many ways quite overrated. (Not trying to sound like yet another anti-American from Europe, but facts are facts)
Not to offend you as an American, but a lot of what the US has to offer is not that great.
I mean, I am not taking away credit where it's due. Americans are the best at customer service, efficiency, top notch systems void of endless bureaucracy (unlike Europeans who drown in bureaucracy).
However there are other aspects of the US where you go like "Am I in a third world country?"
- Bad quality of buildings, homes and how expensive it is for what you pay.
- American roads look like ****. It is almost amazing to drive in the US because how bad the roads are.
- Food quality in the US is ABYSMALLY bad. Tomatoes that lack taste, chickens that taste like water and are full of steroids, extremely sweet pastries that raise your glucose levels to borderline diabetes once you eat them.
- American archaic banking system is stuck in the 80's. Sometimes I speak with people who work in the banking system of even developing countries like India and they literally cannot believe how outdated the US banking system is.
- For all the talk about freedom, the American government sure loves to meddle in the private affairs of its citizens.
- Healthcare is a horror story.
- Education is terribly overpriced, abroad you can get the same quality education for a fraction of what you pay in the US.
- Infrastructure is pretty mediocre even compared to developing countries. I was blown away by how extensive and well connected Santiago (Chile) metro is, it is fast, reliable, punctual, modern, you can literally go anywhere in Santiago for a tiny price in the comfortable, modern, clean, safe metro.
Meanwhile the few metros/subways in US cities look like they came out of the 1940's. NYC metro smells, it's dirty, falling apart, full of rats, urine, with leaking roofs and mold. It is embarrassing! Boston joke of a metro is some old 1930's cart.
I do not want to offend you since you're American, but the USA is in many ways quite overrated. (Not trying to sound like yet another anti-American from Europe, but facts are facts)
Did OP say he/she is American?
China, a developing country, has the largest high-speed railway network and the US basically has no high speed rail at all(Acela isn't that fast).
OP's notion of transportation/safety/healthcare in a developed world sounds more like Europe(affluent democratic socialist). Speaking of education, the U.S doesn't have the best public education either but English is spoken(I personally don't consider English speaking school = better school).
Actually, I don't think infrastructure in the US is that bad, for instance, there are plenty of airports in small cities, but high-speed railway/public transportation is the weakest part. I don't think a developed country has to have high-speed railway. Australia, New Zealand and Canada don't have high-speed railway either.
China, a developing country, has the largest high-speed railway network and the US basically has no high speed rail at all(Acela isn't that fast).
OP's notion of transportation/safety/healthcare in a developed world sounds more like Europe(affluent democratic socialist). Speaking of education, the U.S doesn't have the best public education either but English is spoken(I personally don't consider English speaking school = better school).
Actually, I don't think infrastructure in the US is that bad, for instance, there are plenty of airports in small cities, but high-speed railway/public transportation is the weakest part. I don't think a developed country has to have high-speed railway. Australia, New Zealand and Canada don't have high-speed railway either.
I do not think the US should have high speed rails connecting places like Amarillo Texas with Tulsa Oklahoma, or Baton Rouge Louisiana with Frankfort Kentucky.
But the US could profit from an eastern board high speed train connecting Boston - NYC - Philadelphia - Baltimore - DC. Another one could benefit Dallas - Austin - Houston. And a pacific one San Diego - Los Angeles - San Francisco.
Other than that I doubt the Us needs any more highspeed rail.
Canada could do with a Montreal - Ottawa - Toronto.
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