Is America turning into a Third World nation?

[averagejoe]

Your thoughts on this article and future of America.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/09/14/thir ... ica/print/

[Queen K]

The short answer is: yes.

The longer answer is: do they realize it yet?

[averagejoe]

Some do! But most American's are in a deep slumber. The late Great America......and they don't realize it.

The short answer is: yes.

The longer answer is: do they realize it yet?

[dogspoiler]

Do you believe that Canada is not following in their footsteps ?

[kompili]

It's all in the blueprint. They are already most of the way there. What distinguishes the Third World from the privileged industrial minority of the world’s nations?

1 Third World nations import most of their manufactured goods from abroad, while exporting mostly raw materials; that’s been true of the United States for decades now.

2 Third World economies have inadequate domestic capital, and are dependent on loans from abroad; that’s been true of the United States for just about as long.

3 Third World societies are economically burdened by severe problems with public health; the United States ranks dead last for life expectancy among industrial nations, and its rates of infant mortality are on a par with those in Indonesia, so that’s covered.

4 Third World nation are very often governed by thieves. The U.S. has that covered very nicely.

There are, in fact, precisely two things left that differentiate the United States from any other large, overpopulated, impoverished Third World nation.

1 The average standard of living in the states, measured either in money or in terms of energy and resource consumption, stands well above Third World levels – in fact, it’s well above the levels of most industrial nations.

2 The United States has the world’s most expensive and technologically complex military. Those two factors are closely related, and understanding their relationship is crucial in making sense of the end of the “American century” and the decline of the United States to Third World status.

[averagejoe]

The following are 19 facts about the deindustrialization of America.

#1 The United States has lost approximately 42,400 factories since 2001. About 75 percent of those factories employed over 500 people when they were still in operation.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/arch ... -your-mind

[I Think]

As long as they keep celebrating and embracing "stupid" (as in sarah palin, christine, beck et al) they will continue the slide. They are very heavily armed, both privately and militarily. My fear is that they will behave like a cornered rat, and start using their weapons to destroy the competition.

[averagejoe]

Good point Nibs.

As long as they keep celebrating and embracing "stupid" (as in sarah palin, christine, beck et al) they will continue the slide. They are very heavily armed, both privately and militarily. My fear is that they will behave like a cornered rat, and start using their weapons to destroy the competition.

[tsu]

America is turning into second world nation,

Third: most have poor or barley acceptable living standards.
Second: mostly poor, a handful of ultra wealthy
First: most have acceptable or good living standards

[Woodenhead]

Third: most have poor or barley acceptable living standards.

Truth - their beer isn't as good as ours.

Honestly, I agree that they're well on their way. Don't tell them that, though - they don't like hearing it & most will deny it vehemently. It's just a matter of time, and it feels like it's speeding up a bit the last few years. We'll see.

Their glorious version of greed power capitalism isn't so great after all, much less indefinitely sustainable.

I just hope we don't get dragged down too deeply with them (we'll definitely be negatively affected to some degree, at minimum) and my bigger concern is us getting swallowed up by them, either by military (I doubt that) or by them raping us of all our resources (quite likely) via agreements already in place / yet to be signed.

We live in interesting times.

[Smurf]

I would have to agree Woodenhead. They already own a lot of our country, production and natural resources through companies. We also have a second possibly even larger problem looming, China. They are starting to invest huge dollars in Canada. The oil fields being a good example. The Chinese government already has huge investments there. I'm not to sure if other countries governments should be investing directly in our businesses, natural resources etc.. One big reason for this, is I believe, the failing of the US infastructure. It is putting North America in a vulnerable position. Whether we like it or not Canada would have a hard time going it alone. I fear that as the US goes we go also, sooner or later. The US and even Canada to a certain extent have to control their "free" enterprise a bit. They are moving towards being a second world country "mostly poor with a handful of wealthy" and I'm sure if not put in check that movement will continue towards third world.

[Captain Awesome]

America is turning into second world nation,

Third: most have poor or barley acceptable living standards.
Second: mostly poor, a handful of ultra wealthy
First: most have acceptable or good living standards

Meh. While a lot of money was lost in this last economic downturn, US is far from stepping down as the world's richest nation. Losing some sprinkles on your donut doesn't mean going hungry.

[tsu]

America is turning into second world nation,

Third: most have poor or barley acceptable living standards.
Second: mostly poor, a handful of ultra wealthy
First: most have acceptable or good living standards

Meh. While a lot of money was lost in this last economic downturn, US is far from stepping down as the world's richest nation. Losing some sprinkles on your donut doesn't mean going hungry.

A second world nation doesn't have to be poor, just have a lot of poor people.

See China

[Captain Awesome]

A second world nation doesn't have to be poor, just have a lot of poor people.

There will never be a rich nation without poor people. US always had people. By that definition, US was the never the richest nation.

[I Think]

Regardless of semantics, the US is sinking fast and many many people are making sure that the deck chairs are all lined up.