Is America a third world country?

[Teacher Terry]

That's not true. My one SIL didn't have insurance or Medicaid & she spent 3 months in the hospital being treated for intestinal/stomach issues. Since her only income was SSI & she couldn't pay her bill, the hospital wrote it off.

The only people being cut from medicaid are the ones who shouldn't been on it in the first place. If you think about it, those who shouldn't have been on it have been taking money from those who need to be on it.

Unless you live in a 209B state of which there are very few once you qualify for SSI you automatically are put on Medicaid. If you live in a 209B state you do have to apply for Medicaid separately. Only poor people qualify for SSI.

60% of people in nursing homes are also on Medicaid. It is not true that the only people cut from Medicaid will be those that don’t deserve it. Interesting many of the cuts are not going to happen until late in 2026 and many people are going to find out that what they were told is not true.

 

[Quackers]

Thank you! I am sure that is probably what it was. I know he was quite upset and not prone to lie about things. They did get her in the next week to see whomever it was she needed to see and was in the hospital for tests for about 4 days. She did have surgery, home to recuperate. Then had a pleasant vacation to Spain with her son, my friend. She has passed since, about 2 years later. Thank you for clarifying. Once again Meanings of words in 2 different places caused a total confusion. I am very grateful for you responding.

Aaaah - I'm so sorry to hear she's no longer with us - but I'm glad to hear she did received treatment so quickly.

 

[gruntlabor]

why was that necessary... I was just showing a video of places that are deemed to be poverty stricken.. why are you attacking me ?

It was not necessary, it was just desirable.
Before we criticize, we should perhaps look in the mirror

 

[hollydolly]

It was not necessary, it was just desirable.
Before we criticize, we should perhaps look in the mirror

why should I look in a mirror?.. I don't live in a slum but clearly this has hit a raw nerve with you, so I can only presume... that it's very close to you....

For a start the thread is about the USA why would I post anything about the UK on USA thread/?.or are you saying everyone else can post comments but NOT anyone in the UK..or is it just a personal attack on me ? .. and secondly..if you'd bothered to read the whole thread you would see that I had previously mentioned that parts of the UK has problems as well...but then I don't have to justify anything I post to you..... so I don't know why I'm even giving you the time of day

 

[papa tiger]

So many are doing drugs and Felonies.
Children are adopted out by Social Services / Court judges to give em a chance.
Panhandlers on most all major intersections in Cities wanting just to do their jobs. Grifters.

 

[oslooskar]

But it's a good idea to keep your wallet on a sturdy chain.

Only if you’re a drunken tourist in certain nightlife areas of Pattaya or Bangkok. Bottom line: you’d be far safer on the streets of Rayong than on those of San Francisco.

 

[Lilac]

Unless you live in a 209B state of which there are very few once you qualify for SSI you automatically are put on Medicaid. If you live in a 209B state you do have to apply for Medicaid separately. Only poor people qualify for SSI.

60% of people in nursing homes are also on Medicaid. It is not true that the only people cut from Medicaid will be those that don’t deserve it. Interesting many of the cuts are not going to happen until late in 2026 and many people are going to find out that what they were told is not true.

She worked her entire life & lost her job after a back injury that left her unable to do anything. Without any income to support herself & pay bills, she had to move back in with her mom who supported her. She tried to apply for SSI herself & was denied. Then she went to an attorney for help. I know her medical bills piled up after she was on SSI & she couldn't pay them & they ended up written off.

As far as who will loose benefits, we will have to agree to disagree of what may or may not occur.

 

[Murrmurr]

Only if you’re a drunken tourist in certain nightlife areas of Pattaya or Bangkok. Bottom line: you’d be far safer on the streets of Rayong than on those of San Francisco.

I've never had a problem in San Fransisco, and I've been there countless times to various destinations all over the city as recently as last December. The only thing that wasn't great was the traffic.

 

[oslooskar]

I've never had a problem in San Fransisco, and I've been there countless times to various destinations all over the city as recently as last December. The only thing that wasn't great was the traffic.

You mentioned keeping your wallet on a sturdy chain. So, out of curiosity, did you ever actually have a problem in Thailand? Because I haven’t, and neither has anyone I know here. Meanwhile, San Francisco’s crime statistics speak for themselves. I was born and raised in San Francisco and lived there most of my life. I’ve personally chased and apprehended violent criminals on its streets, and I was robbed at gunpoint twice — shooting the last guy who robbed me.

 

[seadoug]

For anyone that thinks the US is a Third World country, try visiting a country like Cambodia where multiple generations are living in one house with no windows, sleeping in the same room and doing their cooking outside. We visited such a family, along with an elementary school where none of the students were distracted by social media because they didn't have cell phones.

And yet they seemed happy and didn't complain nearly as much as we do. "First World Problems". Americans need some perspective.

 

[seadoug]

I suspect the principal obstacle to adopting a national healthcare system lies in the formidable influence of insurance industry lobbying. These entities would undoubtedly mount vigorous resistance to any such reform. Yet, it's worth noting that the United States already operates two quasi-national healthcare programs—Medicare and the Veterans Health Administration—demonstrating that the foundational infrastructure is not only feasible but already in place. Scaling these systems to serve the broader population would be a matter of strategic expansion rather than invention.
Furthermore, the anticipated tax burden associated with a national system may be less daunting than commonly assumed. When one accounts for the substantial sums currently paid by employees and employers toward private, employer-sponsored health plans, the net fiscal impact could be significantly mitigated.

This!

 

[Gardenlover]

For anyone that thinks the US is a Third World country, try visiting a country like Cambodia where multiple generations are living in one house with no windows, sleeping in the same room and doing their cooking outside. We visited such a family, along with an elementary school where none of the students were distracted by social media because they didn't have cell phones.

And yet they seemed happy and didn't complain nearly as much as we do. "First World Problems". Americans need some perspective.

Family trumps wealth every time.

 

[Teacher Terry]

She worked her entire life & lost her job after a back injury that left her unable to do anything. Without any income to support herself & pay bills, she had to move back in with her mom who supported her. She tried to apply for SSI herself & was denied. Then she went to an attorney for help. I know her medical bills piled up after she was on SSI & she couldn't pay them & they ended up written off.

As far as who will loose benefits, we will have to agree to disagree of what may or may not occur.

That’s really sad and actually if she had 40 work credits, she would qualify for SSDI, which actually pays more than SSI, which is for people that lack credits to qualify for the other program. After you are on SSDI for two years, no matter your age, you are automatically qualified for Medicare for health insurance, which is great. I hope it’s actually SSDI that she qualifies for because it will be more money.

 

[Teacher Terry]

For anyone that thinks the US is a Third World country, try visiting a country like Cambodia where multiple generations are living in one house with no windows, sleeping in the same room and doing their cooking outside. We visited such a family, along with an elementary school where none of the students were distracted by social media because they didn't have cell phones.

And yet they seemed happy and didn't complain nearly as much as we do. "First World Problems". Americans need some perspective.

I have been to Third World countries as I have been to many Caribbean islands and Thailand. Two of my three kids have been to India and have told me what that is like and I have no desire to visit there. the poverty that I have seen in other countries is heartbreaking.

 

[seadoug]

I don't disagree, but I would argue that propaganda and generational dependence on welfare are also big factors.

Factory work pays a decent wage, and we do have factories producing various things from plastic bags to automobiles. Entry-level workers are paid upwards from $18-$20/hr. I can only guess that no one is telling young men and women that those jobs are out there. And alot of those factories only require they pass a GED test. Some of them are in dire need of workers.

Also, kids can still get grants to get skills-training in construction, plumbing, cement work, nursing, medical assistant, medical transcribing, etc. And many workers unions offer free training and apprenticeships. My grandson joined the iron workers union, and has an excellent job after 9 months of paid training. He's still considered a trainee, but even with their entry-level jobs, he's making good money.

Right now, there are over 300-thousand job openings in skills jobs like construction, electrician, nursing, etc...a long list.

Opportunities are there, it just seems like nobody's telling the kids.

Agree with you but it's not like the kids can't find out on their own. It's that they are more interested in making an "easy buck", like the social media influencer who started this whole conversation. Many of the trades are filled by immigrants who are willing to work hard, didn't receive "participation trophies" and haven't been coddled.

 

[Murrmurr]

Agree with you but it's not like the kids can't find out on their own. It's that they are more interested in making an "easy buck",

I'd estimate that 199,999 out of 200,000 of them get nothing but disillusionment, eventually. Probably around the same time their parents tell them their broke. Coincidence?

I might be a fool, but I think we'll get past this bullcrap. I'm not lying when I say I've talked to 30-somethings still chasing that dream and 14yr-olds who are already over it. It's been a long, insufferable phase, but I think we're coming out of it.

 

[oslooskar]

I have been to Third World countries as I have been to many Caribbean islands and Thailand. Two of my three kids have been to India and have told me what that is like and I have no desire to visit there. the poverty that I have seen in other countries is heartbreaking.

I hitchhiked across India twice in the 1960s, and it was a Third World country then, and probably still is today. By contrast, I just don’t see Thailand as belonging in that category, and every so often I end up debating that point with my son.

 

[Lilac]

That’s really sad and actually if she had 40 work credits, she would qualify for SSDI, which actually pays more than SSI, which is for people that lack credits to qualify for the other program. After you are on SSDI for two years, no matter your age, you are automatically qualified for Medicare for health insurance, which is great. I hope it’s actually SSDI that she qualifies for because it will be more money.

She had her credits (35+ work years) & I may have called it by the wrong name. After a while, all of the acronyms it all runs together.

 

[Murrmurr]

I hitchhiked across India twice in the 1960s, and it was a Third World country then, and probably still is today. By contrast, I just don’t see Thailand as belonging in that category, and every so often I end up debating that point with my son.

You're right about Thailand not being 3rd-world. Thailand has a strong economy and healthy industries. I'm pretty sure they have the strongest economy in that whole region.

Like a lot of countries, drugs and drug addiction are a problem there. Most of the drugs come in from Mayanmar ?? I think that's what it's called...it's one of the neighboring islands. And, in my experience, there's a lot of petty theft, and visitors are their favorite victims, obviously because they tend to be careless. And petty thieves probably assume most visitors are rich...just like everywhere there's a lot of tourism.

I haven't been there in a long time. I used to go there to do some scuba diving. The under-waters were gorgeous and lively. A friend of mine, a former scuba buddy, lives there with his Thai wife, and her parents lived with them til they passed away. I stayed with them whenever I'd visit. It was a beautiful place, and it still is.

 

[Packerjohn]

There is no answer to this question because there are poor people and there are rich people. However, the fact is that the upper 2 or 3 % are getting richer, the middle class is disappearing and the lower class, well, they are getting more and more despair. I have spent time in Texas and there sure are a lot of gated communities. The rich are afraid to let the riff raff in.

 

[oslooskar]

Most of the drugs come in from Mayanmar ?? I think that's what it's called...it's one of the neighboring islands.

For future reference, please note that Myanmar was formerly known as Burma, and it is not an island.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I went to Thailand in 1998 and Bangkok was extremely polluted. Luckily I didn’t have asthma then. The air was brown and the river stunk something awful and there was sewage floating everywhere. I took a boat ride and it was an unpleasant experience.

The country is beautiful and I enjoyed seeing the presidential palace, temples, etc. we went in November, which was the winter and it was 90° with extreme humidity. I can’t imagine what it would be like in the warmer months.

 

[Been There]

One would certainly hope so. The U.S. military budget stands at roughly $900 billion annually. When you divide that by the 153 million tax returns filed in 2022, it amounts to approximately $5,882 per taxpayer. The figure might shift slightly depending on how many returns represent joint filings, but the takeaway remains clear: American taxpayers shoulder a substantial financial burden to fund our military.

The U.S. taxpayer shoulders the expenses of several different categories, including undocumented aliens, for which we have no such category. Because the U.S. has many enemies and adversaries, it’s super important to keep our military strong by keeping our equipment and ordinances in ready shape. We must supply our ground troops with the very best equipment. For this reason, a lot of money is necessary.

Thankfully, our recruitment is back on track in all branches with recruitment back up in 2025 I learned a few months ago that the female recruitment into the Army has exceeded their goal. Although the females have surpassed their goals, our male recruits into the Army are slightly behind their goal. The other branches are doing ok. The Army missed their numbers by about 25% during COVID and a few years afterward.

 

[Been There]

@Knight

My son got out of the unskilled labor pool and joined the iron-workers union right after he went to part-time with the navy (switched to the reserves). While the union trained him, he earned around $40K/yr. After 5 years, he was earning around $60K, but he kept signing up for their training courses, one after another, qualifying him for better, higher-paying jobs.

Today he earns over $150K/yr, has excellent benefits, and several weeks of vacation time annually. In addition, he's bring in his navy retirement, but the average American can live comfortably on what he earns from his "real" job. It took time to get to where he is, but it was all good from the get-go. And most young adults can do this.

I know that while I lived in California, the cost of living, especially housing was much more expensive than some other states where I lived. Hawaii was even more expensive. Gas and some groceries and utilities were very high. I was lucky enough to receive some living allowance.

 

[Been There]

For anyone that thinks the US is a Third World country, try visiting a country like Cambodia where multiple generations are living in one house with no windows, sleeping in the same room and doing their cooking outside. We visited such a family, along with an elementary school where none of the students were distracted by social media because they didn't have cell phones.

And yet they seemed happy and didn't complain nearly as much as we do. "First World Problems". Americans need some perspective.

Several countries in that part of the world could fit into the same shoe in some respects.