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Which City is America's Worst

Which City is America's Worst

  • Atlanta

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Chicago

    Votes: 8 11.3%
  • New York

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Los Angeles

    Votes: 4 5.6%
  • Detroit

    Votes: 40 56.3%
  • Washington DC

    Votes: 5 7.0%
  • Miami

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Cleveland

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Memphis

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other, please explain

    Votes: 11 15.5%

  • Total voters
    71
Gloat if it's fun for you to play, just don't piss us off or the wrath of Hell will come down on your worthless country.

I have no idea what you are trying to say. Funny, this post originated at 11PM at Saturday night. Should I read into that? Maybe a Sunday post after a good night sleep (off) will clear this up.
 
I'm pretty sure that we are still considered a 1st world country, but we are certainly not number 1.

Countries of the First World

It is... and I don't dispute that is "considered that".... I am making the provocative assertion that maybe it shouldn't be....


Hahaha you obviously haven't traveled much.

30 countries in 4 continents and 45 states is not as much as many but a lot more than most... that said, lets take this out of the level of anecdote.


If you honestly think America is not a first world country than I don't know what to tell you.
I have also been to quite a few areas in Europe as well as Canada Japan and South Korea and while yes they have some very nice places they also have some very crappy ones just like in the US. I have seen some horrible infrastructure in parts of Canada and Europe. Parts of South Korea and Japan look more third worldish than anywhere I have ever been in this country. And than to try and use China as an example. Have you never even seen a picture of rural China.

Also just look at the sheer size of this country vs many country's in Europe and else where. If this country had only as many miles of road to maintain as pretty much all those countries we could repave our roads yearly. The same goes for things like power grids and internet.
Thinking that this country is not first world is either blind hatred of this country or extreme ignorance.


OK, we are debating anecdotal views of the world, that is all fine, but its just impressions. That said, I find no points in Japan comparable to the urban plight of Detroit; rural China does not look any more impoverished than Appalachia or Flint or Detroit or any number of mid-sized eastern cities struggling in the post-industrial age. This argument about size is weak; as the smaller countries also have smaller budgets. Maybe if the US is too big to deliver the goods, it is too big? Don't think so.... But, forget the anecdotes, lets raise the bar with real evidence.... The US consistently ranks in the low 20s to high 30s in most world assessments. I personally consider that out of 1st world territory status and into 2nd tier. Please note, I am not making the argument that the US is a 3rd world country; I am making the argument that it is not a 2nd world country)

Let's look at the facts, shall we:

US Infrastructure Behind Developed World - Business Insider
2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure
Failure to Act Economic Studies
10 Signs That US Infrastructure Is A Disaster - Business Insider
America’s infrastructure gets a D+. That’s not as bad as it sounds. - The Washington Post
U.S. Infrastructure Down In World Rankings Since 2008
Why Broadband Service in the U.S. Is So Awful - Scientific American


I can love my country and be critical of it.....Making the point that someone being critical of their country means they have "blind hatred" toward it or extreme ignorance is pretty weak. Even Forbes, that American hating magazine cites the ASCE study saying we are $1.7T in spend short of a 1st world infrastructure...

"...The Society of Civil Engineers (Failure to Act Studies) gives its price tag for restoring a first-world infrastructure. It would take $1.7T to correct our current infrastructure deficit and an extra $160 billion a year – or $1.1T — to meet our infrastructure needs through 2020......" Infrastructure Gap? Look at the Facts. We Spend More Than Europe - Forbes

Its not just physical infrastructure, our education, healthcare and crime rates all lag most 1st world countries....

World education rankings: which country does best at reading, maths and science? | News | theguardian.com
Education Index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
World Health Organization’s Ranking of the World’s Health Systems | thepatientfactor.com
These 10 Countries Have The World's Highest Murder Rates

I look in the mirror everyday and see me (my good points and my bad). I can be self critical and put that energy to good use. It does not mean I hate myself. The idea that I critical of American priorities is an exercise of my right as an American. Reacting because I offended your Polyanna view is right, but......

I put forth a provocative proposition, which I can support. Now you can chose not to agree with this proposition, but you can say I am operating with "extreme ignorance" that is nothing more than name calling, which in and of itself, is a tactic one uses when they are out of rational arguments (maybe because they suffer from the very thing they accuse others of suffering from).

Perfectly acceptable to be satisfied with ranking in the 20s and 30s in these categories. Its also reasonable to say this is 1st world territory. I am just pointing out, that as a country, we are get bald and fat and too many us do not seem to care.
 
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30 countries in 4 continents and 45 states is not as much as many but a lot more than most... that said, lets take this out of the level of anecdote.

lol where did you stay? Yeah, if you stay at Grand Hyatt in Mumbai, you'll think India is great.

OK, we are debating anecdotal views of the world, that is all fine, but its just impressions. That said, I find no points in Japan comparable to the urban plight of Detroit;

Hell, there's parts of Okinawa that look like that. Japan's Hawaii.

rural China does not look any more impoverished than Appalachia or Flint or Detroit or any number of mid-sized eastern cities struggling in the post-industrial age.

???? What? Where have you been in China?

I personally consider that out of 1st world territory status and into 2nd tier. Please note, I am not making the argument that the US is a 3rd world country; I am making the argument that it is not a 2nd world country)

???? What do you think First and Third World mean? Hint: it's impossible for the US to ever be a Second or Third World country, by definition.
 
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