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And still waiting for an answer to the question:
"What country once a 1st world leader in natural and human resources, infrastructure, and social benefits has ever devolved to 3rd world-status or collapsed entirely due to exploitation -- or even internal mismanagement?
And still waiting for an answer to the question:
"What country once a 1st world leader in natural and human resources, infrastructure, and social benefits has ever devolved to 3rd world-status or collapsed entirely due to exploitation -- or even internal mismanagement?
I can be patient.
[screaming] Nonnnneee! Now you can stop waiting! LOL In all seriousness, someone brought up the fact about income disparity and if we take that into consideration, then yes, I would have to say that there are some, and I stress "some" very small percentage of people in the U.S. who live in impoverished "Third World-like" conditions based upon their level of income! However, I honestly believe they live in these conditions because they choose to... given the fact that the U.S. is saturated with an over-abundance of social programs to probably take care of another small country or two.
I live in Los Angeles, and if you take a trip to skid row, homeless encampments, our look under just about any freeway overpass, you will see people living in third-world "conditions". However, this is a condition only. However, the data clearly shows the United States (as a country) is not even close to being a third-world country, not when we are #2 in the world in per capita GDP.
Although the US appears to be going to hell in a hand-basket because of the dismal economy, I was finally able to find the numbers I was looking for to support the argument that the US is not as bad off as we feel or think. Of course these numbers are prior to the real estate collapse, the 2007 per person GDP levels (measured in 2005 Purchasing Power Parity U.S. dollars) of the top High-income countries is as follows:
Norway $49,359
United States 43,055
Hong Kong 39,953
Switzerland 37,581
The Netherlands 36,956
Canada 36,260
Ireland 36,118
United Kingdom 33,717
Germany 33,181
Japan 31,689
France 31,625
Italy 26,682
Although the U.S. growth rate hovers somewhere in the middle at 2.0% and is not as high as China at 9.4%, who has the largest growth per person GDP based on 1990 - 2007 figures, the U.S. still ranks #2 as a High-Income Developed country.
Because of time constraints I was not able to do much research, although I plan to look at the trend, and to look at the more current figures for the period of 2007 - 2011.
Poverty in itself does not define economic third world ... living conditions, civil rights, law, protection, social services, medical care, etc. -- social infrastructure -- are all definers of economic third world. We are not third world. If we continue to devolve into corporate neo-feudalism, as we are doing, and become a welfare society, we will still not be third world as long as such extraordinary infrastructure, such as has never been seen in history, continues. The ruling class requires the infrastructure to maintain themselves in the manner they wish to live ... they require control of the masses ... that's what they get off on ... they can buy control through providing basic acceptable living conditions ... and they do.
You're comparing apples to oranges! You cannot compare third world Africa to third world America. You compare America to America. We have the richest rich of the world. So yes America poor are always going to live better than the poor of over countries. That doesn't mean America hasn't or isn't becoming a "third world" nation compared to it's past glory and prosperity. THAT'S THE POINT!
Right, because so many of the world's successful nations are run by Conservatives.
You do realize almost every nation with the highest quality of living in the world is controlled by socialists, progressives, liberals, and secularists right? The worst nations on earth are controlled by religious conservatives.
Without liberals and progressives dragging you right wingers into the next century, the United States would quickly become the new Iran.
Strangely almost every nation with the highest quality of life is also ethnically homogenous Northern European; Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland. The fact that they're "socialists" has little to do with anything, since most of those states and their "quality of life" have existed long before the political concept of socialism/liberalism.
And paradoxically the religious nature of these countries lead directly to their becoming liberal, enlightened societies, ie: Ireland during the middle ages and Italy during the Enlightenment. Heck the Puritans in America morphed almost directly into what we call Secular Progressives today.
It almost seems like simply plugging "Socialism" into a country or culture isn't a magic recipe for success, eg: USSR, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Zimbabwe etc.
Third world countries have few, if any, libraries to cut back hours, only major highways paved at all ever, little if any trash collection to reduce, pot holes are never filled except by trash, few if any public parks, extremely limited police and fire departments and those that exist are corrupt arms of totalitarian control, street lights are rare as hen's teeth, education is barely visible, -- etc. Don't get it yet?
Which 3rd world countries are we talking about? I thought Central America was 3rd word, and I failed to see any of this down there, traveled to the rural areas, never rode a bus on a dirt road, only paved, and the majority of roads I traveled had no potholes, and saw very little problems with trash, and no problems walking around at night without street lights.
I live in a true 3rd world city, Las Vegas, with our unofficial 20%+ unemployment rate/extreme disparity between the rich/poor. Both my roommates work out of Craigslist (Slave's List), begging everyday for a day job of any kind. $30 to dig a trench all day? Yup!
If you look at some of these ads, you'll see it plain and clear: It's not that we're becoming a 3rd world country, questions should be: when did we become a 3rd world country?
Bus ridership is the highest since the 50's. More proof! More and more mopeds on the streets. More proof! More and more vacant commercial space, taken over by evangelical churches. More proof! More and more thrift stores. More proof! A couple living in a tent for the past 2 years in back of a neighbor's house! More proof!
I love 3rd world countries, been traveling to them for many years, and now I must rectify my travel experiences and delete a few from my list, as Central America doesn't seem to qualify, from my experiences.
For all of you that don't think that the USA is already a third world country or at the very least heading there
very shortly, come on down to South Carolina.
Come on down if you want to see what a true Republican "Right to Work" and be screwed state looks like.
In 2010, 33 percent of every child in the state of South Carolina DID NOT graduate high school.
Two income households, both wage earners, make about 38K a year. Two incomes.
Health care? Only for the old on Medicare.
Mabey if your lucky, a church will help you with an expensive test.
The death rate from disease? High!
I met a man from Canada, his wife was a consultant to the Department of Energy, she was a
US citizen, anyway, he said he had never in his life seen the disparity between rich and poor
as he does in South Carolina. He was shocked.
So if you want to see what the entire nation is heading towards, without the food stamps
and Socail security benefits, nad the Medicare cut for all the old people,
Come on down to South Carolina!
I live in a pretty poverty stricken area in Indiana. I see a lot of people who make poor decisions regarding sex. It seems having sex is the thing to do in my area. Many of these people are poor already. Most of the jobs in this area pay $8-$10 an hour. I have personally seen girls as young as 13 walking around pregnant. If you are already in poverty, having sex and getting pregnant almost always guarantees you remain in poverty. Our government will happily subsidize their sexual activities because if you are poor and pregnant, you qualify for Medicaid, WIC, food stamps, section 8, and welfare.
Now if you are poor and don't have any kids, well no help for you. You must wait until you are 65 for healthcare and go live in a tent somewhere or perhaps mom's basement. It almost seems like carelessly reproducing while poor is encouraged.
There is disparity between the rich and the poor in my area as well because even if a poor person does make the right choices, he/she has to know someone to get a good job in my area. If you have been in poverty your whole life, chances are that you don't know the right people. In my area, employers tend to favor people who came from "the right side of the tracks" if you know what I am saying.
Which 3rd world countries are we talking about? I thought Central America was 3rd word, and I failed to see any of this down there, traveled to the rural areas, never rode a bus on a dirt road, only paved, and the majority of roads I traveled had no potholes, and saw very little problems with trash, and no problems walking around at night without street lights.
Hey that's pretty cool, your own individual experiences on vacation means none of these things exist in third world countries.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover
I live in a true 3rd world city, Las Vegas, with our unofficial 20%+ unemployment rate/extreme disparity between the rich/poor. Both my roommates work out of Craigslist (Slave's List), begging everyday for a day job of any kind. $30 to dig a trench all day? Yup!
Ahh your poor suffering third world roommates. You guys have a full sized fridge? Four burner stove? Garbage disposal? How cool is your air conditioning right now? Are all of your convenient indoor flush toilets in working order? Why don't you enjoy a glass a tap water while pondering your answers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover
I love 3rd world countries, been traveling to them for many years, and now I must rectify my travel experiences and delete a few from my list, as Central America doesn't seem to qualify, from my experiences.
Obviously your "experiences" are warped, as I've traveled thru Central America as well and seeing someone call Las Vegas third world while rural areas of places like Honduras/El Salvador are not makes me just shake my head in disbelief.
Is America becoming a third world country? I don't know, when I can't drink the water coming out of my tap for fear of contracting cholera and people start dying from diarrhea I'll let you know. So far, no one is dying from diarrhea in the U.S. The poorest Americans live better lives than the poor in Haiti.
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In all seriousness, someone brought up the fact about income disparity and if we take that into consideration, then yes, I would have to say that there are some, and I stress "some" very small percentage of people in the U.S. who live in impoverished "Third World-like" conditions based upon their level of income! However, I honestly believe they live in these conditions because they choose to... given the fact that the U.S. is saturated with an over-abundance of social programs to probably take care of another small country or two. 
