Does America have a third world mentality?
I went to a foreign country one time. Everywhere was extremely dirty, dogs were running everywhere, the police didn’t do their jobs, care or even seem to be around. You could find a business anywhere, even in neighborhoods. Crime was rampant, people drove like it was Nascar and it seemed like a depressing place to live.
Funny thing was, I noticed there were a good number of people who had expensive, luxury cars and were wearing expensive designer clothing. It seemed like people were either really poor, or really rich.
Which leads me to my question? Are Americans encouraging a third-world mentality in this country? I see many Republicans argue that everyone has the right to be as rich as they want. I really wonder how knowledgeable they are about the way an economy works? I’m wondering if they are under the impression that wealth is infinite, and that rich people getting richer will have no impact on them whatsoever.
Then why does the third world nation have so many problems? Why does America have so much rampant poverty compared to places like Canada and Australia? If anything, America is reminding me of that third-world country now. You have people like the Republicans cheerleading Reaganomics, when in fact, it is a total scam designed to fool rubes. It’s a pyramid scheme. You are encouraging people to get very rich, but don’t realize that you never will be!
What about 50 Cent? What about the Facebook guy? What about Lebron James? Here’s a lesson: Get the name of about as many rich Americans as you can, then figure out what percentage of 300 Million people they are.
Those are your odds of getting rich. Does that sound like it benefits America, or emulates Somalia?
19 Responses
Dennis C
10 Feb 2010
El Tecolote
10 Feb 2010
Except that in America, you have the right to pursue the dream of getting rich. It’s just that too many people don’t bother to pursue it and instead whine about how their situation is somebody else’s fault.
In other countries, if you’re born in a pool of piss, you don’t have the opportunity to ATTEMPT to pull yourself out of it like you do here.
In a caste system, you’re born in a puddle of piss and you die in a puddle of piss. You’re born in a castle and you die in a castle.
Here, you are born in a puddle of piss, and you can go get a job if you want to. You can use the money from that job to go to college if you want to. Too may people choose to wallow in the puddle of piss because they don’t see their own opportunity.
Jared (RIP MJ)
10 Feb 2010
The ever-rising rich-poor divide needs to somehow be regulated. 0.25% of our population controls half the wealth. There are people buying private islands for their kids, but across the street, others are dying in the gutter.
Problem is, neither side can come up with a way to remedy this situation that the other can agree on.
God Told me so,
10 Feb 2010
I was with you till you blamed Reagan.
Yes, people buy clothes and tv,s and ipods, and cell phones and 19" rims and chrome spinners they don’t need so they can maintain the appearance of a certain social class, ultimately making them more poor overall than if they had prudently spent and invested that money with long term wealth in mind.
Sheesh
10 Feb 2010
no, you’re wrong. republicans reserve the right to WORK HARD to become as rich as they can without the government confiscating their earnings.
republicans want everyone to have the same opportunities and reach for the same standards of excellence as everyone else.
america doesn’t have ‘so much rampant poverty’. our poorest people are in better shape and get more assistance than most ‘middle class’ people in other countries!
its good to be r
10 Feb 2010
Cry me a river. If you want all the toys and drugs (pharmaceutical) that fills your life, don’t rag on the rich. Without the dream to be someone what makes you think that any of these things are possible? Just because you didn’t think of it first does not mean you have to be a poor sport. Get some self respect.
Shy & Danger
10 Feb 2010
No. They have a kick butt military.
Water Over Gold
10 Feb 2010
You almost got it.
But "Reaganmoics" is nothing but deficit spending.
It started A LONG time ago, it continues today.
Democrats are Republicans are donkey’s are elephants………..they all protect the SAME political aristocracy. (Which is bankrolled by the Federal Reserve–which is the most successful banking cartel in history) They sweet talk voters once every two years, and all the time in between try to squeeze all they can out of us.
Treeleaper
10 Feb 2010
The most you can aspire to in the USA is to be moderately well off. The rich have 85% of the money and by Jesus they are going to keep it.
Matthias
10 Feb 2010
Greetings from Germany
You´ve been to "a foreign country one time"? Wow. What a vast experience. But it is possible that some people become very rich without "rampant poverty" of others. The standard of living for the average citizen in the US is very high.
xxxtremejoeanima
10 Feb 2010
our Society has been Dog Eat Dog ever since we massacred the Indians and the Buffalo…….!
people will step all over other people to get up the Ladder and then Pull it up Behind them………
THAT is what Neo-cons Admire and Respect~!
Dads boy
10 Feb 2010
I don’t think so . Im 53 and when i was young we had mostly Americans living here there ancestors lived here . But now we have 70% people from the 3rd worlds here spreading there way of life . I think we let to many in to fast to americanize them all . Especially mexicans . Hell they even run around with mexican flags have mexican holidays . They even tried going on strike for 3 days trying to force companies or show companies and the states that we need illegal immigrants . It didn’t work life went on as usual
BigDog
10 Feb 2010
The biggest lie ever perpetrated upon America, is that even if you’re born dirt poor, you could end up being wealthy. It’s a bunch of BS and they know it. America’s wealthy realise that in order for more people to become wealthy, they will have to end up with less. About 70% of rich Americans are Paris Hilton rich, 4% marry into it, and only about 26% started out poor or middle class.
Egg on face Obam
10 Feb 2010
So if the rich stop trying to be rich, walk away from their businesses and fire everybody, what will happen? will the poor have more money or less? Wouldn’t there be a lot more unemployment than before?
I was born dirt poor, and now I have a business. I have realized the American dream. Since the mid-1990s, small businesses have created 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs. The ones that created those jobs are people who wanted to get rich.
winnemuccamommy
10 Feb 2010
In some ways yes in other no.
In the yes ways as we have to cut spending you will see less law enforcement not just cops but schools will be lax mare stray animals as there is no longer animal control derelict cars. The list goes on and on.
And No because in this country you can have a chance at great wealth. But, you have to work for it . And rich is just a state of mind. If my bills are paid and I don’t have to struggle I consider that awesome if we leave something behind to our kids that is a legacy.
Sure I would love a couple million but that would just be spent.
srdongato2
10 Feb 2010
The main reason you see such poverty in the U.S. is NOT because of reaganomics. It’s because of the policies of the ever growing federal government and the socialistic programs like social security, medicare, medicaid and several others. If we had a true free market capitalist representative republic, people would be a lot better off.
Everybody has the opportunity to become rich(not as much as in a true free market, but the opportunity is still there). If they work real hard and don’t spend or invest foolishly they may become rich. Of course the more you earn the more the government punishes you for your success. They confiscate a higher percentage of YOUR money to give to those that THEY feel deserve it. That means you have to work a lot harder and longer to reach your full potential.
Not everybody is going to get rich. Some are quite content earning what they need to live comfortably and to be secure in their retirement. Some people just love the work they do despite the fact that it isn’t very lucrative. There are some who are driven to earn as much as they possibly can and still others who are passionate about their work which just happens to be VERY lucrative.
NOBODY is claiming that everyone can be rich. By that I mean that every human being in the country is going to get rich. However, everybody has the opportunity and the freedom to try, if they CHOOSE. Ahhh, freedom, the forgotten benefit of the capitalist free market United States of America.
Dilligas
10 Feb 2010
Spoken like a true socialists, If somebody has something better, he has to give his up, until someone gives you one like it. To hell with working for one yourself.
Greg P
10 Feb 2010
The United States gives more foreign aid than any other country in the world. Do you live in this country? Why did you come here? People I know who are from other countries come here because while not everything is equal in terms of wealth they have a chance to make a good life for themselves.
If you think we are on level with a third-world nation maybe you should emigrate to another country. A country you think has a better mentality than the U.S.A.
aCeRBic
10 Feb 2010
America affords everyone equal opportunity and freedom to reach and achieve these goals, inexorably many will squander and waste away this precious opportunity (most in the world dont have), while others will sacrifice for today, work hard, dream big and achieve tremendous success like myself (I come from a poor family). You have no one to blame but yourself if you failed to achieve these dreams however big or small.
It is also UNamerican to impinge on MY rights as an American by confiscating my money I have earned thru my own labor and talents and redistribute among those that havent. Todays welfare state is a big bloated bureacracy of inefficiency, slothfulness and GREED among the poor who contribute nothing, and expect everything.
wow… u must be a loser… if you measure wealth by the amount of money you have. Republicans beleave in freedom… and freedom is not free… republicans beleave in opportunity… to succeed or fail and rise to the level of your ability… MLK… would be glad to embrace this idea… you sound like a banker trying to sell a loan no one can pay back… we used to call them loan sharks… now its preditory lending… and its all democrats… the mo in the center of democrat is for monster… and in case you dont realize it … any state dominated by religion or government… is by its very nature intolerant of anyone better then they are… muslim leaders in iran murder for power… because they have no money… we are blessed with the basic rite to succeed or fail… and jesus held a roman coin with ceasars head on it when he said … render unto ceasar what is ceasars and render unto god what is gods… and for the rich… it is easier to put an elephant threw the eye of a needle then it is to get a rich man into heaven… so who is wealthier … rich or poor?