Is US just a third world country wearing a Gucci belt?

By seinfeld - updated: 2 years, 5 months ago - 14 messages

In order for a country to be considered a first world country, it needs 3 things. 1) It needs to have a first world country infrastructure, which means high quality roads, high quality homes, high quality buildings, top of the line power grid, top quality internet, etc. 2) A first world country needs to have extremely low poverty rates. This means that it cannot be above 5%. If it goes above 5%, then that’s a warning sign, and once it goes above 10%, said country is no longer a first world country. 3) It needs to have high quality of life. This means top quality food, education, technology, and comforts.

So let’s look at number 1. America’s infrastructure throughout 80% of the nation hasn’t been updated and upgraded for over 40 years now. Roads, homes, buildings, power grids, are all extremely dated and using materials that hasn’t been considered viable in over 20 years. Compare this to countries like Singapore, South Korea, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, and London, and it quickly becomes apparent that America has stagnated while the rest of the world surpassed us years ago.

Number 2 is the big one as that’s how a country is truly determined to be a first or third world nation. America’s poverty rate hits above 40% as of 2019, 30% HIGHER than the standard. Now, compare this to America back in the late 40s to 70s, and poverty rates were between 3–7%, give or take. This is majorly impart due to how, until Reagan’s policies, cost of living kept up with the minimum wage, which meant that even the lowest earners could earn enough to thrive. Add in extremely inexpensive education, cheap homes, cheap cars, cheap gas prices and food prices, and it starts to become extremely apparent just how far gone America has become, where until the 80s, a minimum wage salary working 40 hours a week could afford a new home, new car, tv (which was really expensive), food to feed a family of four, and be able to pay for your kids education as well as buying them used cars, and with only needing one person to work in the household.

Number 3 is again an issue. America’s quality of life has become lacking in many ways. Food for example is low in quality, where if you want high quality healthy food, you’re going to pay double or triple the amount for those unhealthy meals, and this in major part is thanks to major corporations. Better homes have also become fairly non existent unless you’re willing to pay a pretty penny.

The only reason people still consider America a first world country is sadly because of the stock market and military, which America is very good at those two things, but the things that actually matter, America is lacking harshly in and is something we as a country need to fix bad.
By jcas092 - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

I was born in Houston in '92. I've always thought of the US as a second world country. It was once a first world, and we seem to be steadily on our way to third world. I don't think we're entirely there yet, but I don't see the journey slowing down.
Updated 2 years, 5 months ago
By jcas092 - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

Glad to see the most controversial of us back on the forum again! Keep stirring the pot, Seinfeld.
By smokemifugottem - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

All good as long as I can ride my four wheeler and shoot my AR-15 in the sky in my underwear!
By shacacoora - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

I think a majority of your arguments fall short because of two aspects the USA has in comparison to the countries/city you listed above. 1: The United States is ranked 3rd in the world in terms of population. 2: The United States is the 4th largest country in terms of total area. So why do these things matter? Since the US is such a large country, focusing on infrastructure like roads is a major challenge as compared to a country like Japan or a city like London that you mentioned above. I will admit, China has been really good about expanding its infrastructure lately, but that's all I'm going to praise China for. Think about all the companies that are built on practically "slave labor" and how many of those come from China. And you want to complain about our cost of living/quality of life? A higher population also equates to less effective handouts. And to address your argument about the rising cost of food, shelter, and transportation. Those costs are rising partly due to inflation, but a majority of the reason is that if people are willing to pay those costs and there's sufficient demand to back that up, the price will rise. I'd encourage you to take a look at people's lives in India and China and see if you still have it really bad here in the US.
By user567589 - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

Not saying your point is wrong but where the hell did you poverty rates above 40%? Literally every site that I checked shows poverty rates in the U.S to 8 - 12% and a couple of sites had around a 15% poverty rate, but nowhere near the 40% you said.

https://www.census.…
https://www.statist…
https://www.poverty…
By user567589 - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

But I do agree with your infrastructure point, and I DEFINITELY agree with how the quality of food is horrible.
By smokemifugottem - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

I feel like when it comes to infrastructure, roads specifically, we actually do okay for what we're dealing with. There's A TON of roads. So so so many roads. It's hard and expensive to keep up with them. Especially on the eastern side of the country. Go on google maps and pick up the little streetview guy and that whole side of the country is like just roads lol.
By user567589 - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

Yeah, I actually didn’t know that U.S had so many more miles of roads compared to other other countries, like I knew that the U.S most likely had the most roads. but the U.S has like 5x the amount of roads than Russia, and the only countries that come even close is India and China. But I still find it crazy to me there are some (50%) bridges up since the 1970’s, and a good amount of bridges in poor condition (7.5%). But yeah, now I think the U.S is not doing bad, but definitely could do better
By user567589 - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

Oh sorry kinda forgot you were mostly talking about roads, not bridges, in roads I think we’re doing pretty good.
By smokemifugottem - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

No worries. The bridges are a good point. That's a dangerous problem to have. We also have a lot of bridges like the one on Washington St. in Ann Arbor that are super low and constantly get hit by tall trucks.

Tbf though that particular bridge is a beast and can take the beating lol.
By joe_papermaker - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

Do you have a source for the 40% poverty rate thing. I can find nothing that says more than like 12-13%
By smokemifugottem - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

I think he either made it up, is going from some Russian source, or is using his own special definition for what wage constitutes poverty.

Because 40 percent is indeed completely bogus. There's probably certain areas that hit that in a local setting, but nationwide no way.
By chronocasio - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

If we're asking for sources for such a loaded question, let's start at the sources for the criteria of being a first world country. And most important of all, why does a first world country immediately drop to third world country? Where's the second world?
By smokemifugottem - posted: 2 years, 5 months ago

I don't think there is a cut and dry criteria for a first world country.