Has America lost its status as a first-world country?

For the first time in my life, I do not feel like I live in a rich country.

No matter how hard I try, I can't find work. I've almost given up on trying. How can I? I'm a 19 year old kid with almost no experience going against people who have lost their six-figure jobs and are looking for peanuts to feed their families.

Has America become a second-world country?

I am 17 also have been unable to find a job. The number of unemployed people in the U.S. is just staggering. What exactly make a first world country though?

reply to post by Donnie Darko

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No. If America was a second world country, things would be like they are in Hungary, for example. I lived in Hungary for a year and, trust me, Hungarians have it worse off than Americans do.

[We are way better off than Vietnam, which is a second world country as well.]

Map

**Blue = First World, Red = Second World, Green = Third World.

The sad thing is that you think this is bad right now just wait or go visit a real 2nd world or even 3rd world country. We are living like kings compared to them, and that includes our poor and out of work.

Your 19 and have no job yet on a computer, that puts you well ahead of the curve right there.

reply to post by dominika

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First World Countries are those that were allies during the First World War. They also happen to be the one's that are the most industrialized and has the largest incomes.

If your 19 with no education and no experience, what makes you think that you would be able to get a good job anyways? Even in the early 2000's and late 90's you wouldnt have been able to find a much better job than sales or Wal-mart....

So sorry to hear about your job situation, Donnie.... Looks like you are in the same boat as the rest of us. The options at this point, are work for yourself.... or join the rest of us in going to school.

Really though, I do a bit of both. It's fun!

As for the 'rich country' part, I have felt for a while now that we are simply neutralizing with the poor world. It will take some time, but this 'depression' may end up being for the long haul.

Shame that. I really enjoyed my collections, jobs, easy money, and meals out. It was good while it lasted. Our children and their children will never know the childhood we had, I feel.

Of course its a first would country..

The average income per capita is over $20 - 25k in developed countries as far as I know.

Isn't the US something like 35k or 40k or something?? Obviously a bit less now after the recession and the substantial debt but the infrastructure is still there and the fiscal debt is shared through generations.

There are plenty of richer countries per capita with a lot less debt but the US is not like China or Russia.. they are emerging, almost first world.

Edit to add:

Sorry to hear about the Job thing.

I have a lot of friends around that age that cant get work here because the bottom has also fallen out of my country.. but the government will pay for them to live and push them through various education schemes, certificates, degree's etc in order to ensure they get the best job possible when the economy turns back around... then tax the crap out of them to get the money back.

I know I know.. We're "Socialist"


[edit on 18/6/09 by Dermo]

reply to post by dominika

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The terminology being used is incorrect...


Core Nations


Weak reference, but it will do...I have several poli sci books that give a better definition, but I can't PDF them and post them...so, there.


Then you Semi-Periphery and Periphery countries...these are what is being referencedin terms of nations that are in deep poo poo...

reply to post by whoshotJR

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In Glenn Beck's An Inconvenient Book, he mentions something along the lines of this. He even has a graph of a ladder with stick figures climbing up it, representing a worker in a country and how much they make, compared to the average "poor" American. Just a sampling is:



In this same chapter he gives the following statistic that I think is interesting.



Not to mention that every person in America has a cell phone, flat screen TV, car, etc.

reply to post by Donnie Darko

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We became a third world country when the ignorant uneducated masses elected a third world tin pot dictator as president. 3.5 years to go...

reply to post by octotom

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Average American: $43,000 Average Brazilian: $8,600

Everyone likes to throw out those statistics but you aren't taking into account the fact that it costs a whole lot less to live in Brazil than it does in America. I was there last year and there are some very nice condos and homes you can pick up on the beach and in very nice areas for 30,000 or 40,000 dollars. They also have paid healthcare, lower food costs and very low fuel and energy prices unlike America.

Ah yea, but have you ever been to Europe? The older city streets have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years and are very narrow which in turn lead to small dwellings. Also, suburban houses are mainly brick built, therefore smaller because of expense if you know what i mean..? When I was first in the states, i was shocked at spaces between buildings in city centres..

We all have mobile phones, plasma screens and cars as well.. we just keep them in our smaller, better built houses

Don't forget about the billionaires.. that brings it to around 35k

reply to post by Dermo

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I live in Europe. I know that things are "smaller" here. But, I've seen large buildings here too. In fact, the apartment that I live in now is larger than my apartment was back home in Florida.


But not everyone in Europe lives in these city centers. Naturally, in the older days, people lived in the city walls and had to cram everything together.

I think that the point that Beck was trying to get at though was that the American poor don't have it as bad off as everyone thinks.

America is still a 1st-world country. I say this because, despite the economic problems that we are having right now, many people are generally as well off as they have been for quite a few years. I feel that we're in a most definite decline at the present, but things seem to be pretty stagnant right now and I personally feel that it's just a matter of time before they get worse. However, considering that the next economic meltdown hasn't hit yet, the average American is likely living just as they have for at least a decade or so now.

I definitely feel that our 1st-world status will be challenged over the next few years, as our leaderships' decisions concerning all of the recent economic crises finally take their toll on the dollar etc.

reply to post by wyleecoyote

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Tell that to the people that are just getting by. It's less to live there to us because of our currency and our standards. To the average Brazilian, it's not so easy. Here on German TV, there is a TV show where the show the stories of people immigrating. Once, a family moved to Venezula because, "oh it's so much cheapter to live there!" One month after moving there, they became homeless.

reply to post by Dermo

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True thanks, and I also forgot they aren't forced to pay auto insurance so those rates are much lower also -should they wish to pay for it.

And yes, homes are smaller but who really needs a huge house? 2 and 3 bedrooms are pretty much the norm anywhere I go, except in America where it's 3 and 4 bedrooms with living room and family room needed.

reply to post by Dermo

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Honduras poverty

farm1.static.flickr.com...

US poverty

img61.imageshack.us...

reply to post by octotom

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How did I miss the 'Deutchland'?
Thought you were just bragging

reply to post by whoshotJR

Holey Moley.. I never saw any of that when I was in the US..

Then again, every city has horrendous poverty in various areas (well, apart from sweden and such), its slightly easier to handle it in Europe because of the social welfare policies in most states.

Its still shocking to see it though, anyone born into those areas have no chance in life.



[edit on 18/6/09 by Dermo]