Is America a Third World Country?
Froma Harrop talks about the differences between rich and poor countries.
“In poor countries, many people never see doctors…Rattletrap trains take two hours to go 70 miles. Visit the Third World, and you see a struggling middle class shoehorned between shanty-town poverty and a jet-setting plutocracy…What distinguishes poor from rich nations is that the latter invest in health care, education and transportation. They regulate what may go into the environment. These things don’t come for free. They are paid for with taxes…”
Hmmm…Investments in education, health care, infrastructure; regulations to protect the environment and public safety — paid for with taxes. [a wave of nostalgia] We were like that once. Are we still?
Let’s see: Crumbling infrastructure, safety net being cut to the marrow (and then cut some more), coupled with tax breaks for yacht owners.
We won’t be able to enforce airline safety regulations — let alone pass any new stricter rules — unless it’s OK with the airline pimps and their congressional prostitutes.
Froma Harrop’s column ends with:
“Public benefits are what divide a rich-country way of life from the threadbare alternative. Let’s assume that Americans want the blessings of the former.”
We do, but our “elected” “representatives” don’t.
Labels: airline safety rules, America third world country, Froma Harrop, tax breaks yacht owners
posted by Tom Harper @ 1:46 PM
16 Comments:
When people by the millions decide they want things a certain way badly enough to pony up the cost of electing people who vow to provide those things, those millions of people can still get what they want.
And yes, they will have to tune out the incessant demagoging, distractions and propaganda the political right will throw out.
But if we go too long letting the minions of the Koch brothers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Round Table, Wall Street, Grover Norquist, the tea baggers and their ilk erode our democracy, that will no longer be true.
If it comes to that, millions of unhappy campers stuck in our Third World country can go to a mirror whenever they feel the need for someone to blame.
I heard somewhere recently and forget where, we are the richest third world country there is. Been thinking just in the last couple of days also, with the republians talking to their contstituents on You tube video and such, we want to cut the big oil subsidies like you suggest mr/ms constituent and we will do that. No we are not getting rid of Medicare, it's going to be a voucher program or whatever they are calling it today. Um, ok why did you all vote to continue the oil subsidies in this latest budget wet dream of yours. Just within the last month or so we have Bible Spice yakking that we cannot cut funding to big oil etc, it's just a drop in the bucket of where we need to cut, but we do need, REALLY need to cut NPR funding which is what, less than 20 million or whatever it is. Why last year, pubbies, when Anthony Weiner gave you the chance to get rid of Medicare did you not take it then? Just sets my mind to boggling.
In what world does 32 billion and a few million become the same number. Yet, yet these same republicans are voted in time after time after time to screw up governing. It is so frustrating to me, that there are people like the Lisas of the world, that take everything these neocons say as truth and vote against their self interests. Every time they do it and every time they are found to be suckers.
People need to understand that the Boomers, who I call the Lamest Generation, are the most selfish, most self-entitled generation that any society ever produced, and all they care about is what THEY are getting. They don't give a damn about their kids, or their neighbors, or their communities. And they vote in huge numbers.
We have the numbers to overwhelm them, but we have to stop being fatalists and do the job, no matter how often the MSM tells us that we are a "conservative" country.
Do airline pimps wear platform shoes with goldfish in the heel?
Randal brings up a very important question. I wish I knew that answer!! 8-)
As for "Is America a third world country?", I think that if the conservatives are successful in privatizing absolutely everything, the country will look third-world, at least in certain geographical areas where there is less money.
SW: I certainly hope that day will come when "people by the millions decide they want things a certain way badly enough to pony up the cost of electing people who vow to provide those things." And you're right that if this doesn't happen fairly soon, it'll be too late.
Jess: A rich third world country, that's what we are. Medicare vouchers for senior citizens, no more funding for NPR, billions of dollars in tax subsidies for Big Oil -- we're approaching banana republic status.
I can't believe Bible Spice is actually trying to make a comeback. She's a has-been and just doesn't grasp it yet.
JR: Too many aging teabaggers don't seem to grasp that they'll be next if the safety net keeps getting decimated. They're much too gullible if they think their own benefits will be safe and it's just "somebody else" getting the shaft.
Randal: Yup, them's the ones.
Snave: I think we're pretty close already. If this trend of privatizing everything isn't reversed soon, we might as well change our name to North Guatemala.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__VQX2Xn7tI
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Too many aging teabaggers don't seem to grasp that they'll be next if the safety net keeps getting decimated.
That's if you consider 55 and under aging.
Too bad those oil subsidies have nothing to do with the high cost of oil. Maybe with all that money they get from Big Oil they cannot only subsidize all those unemployment checks,they can also get subsidizies for food,healthcare and hopefully home heating oil.
Oh the possibilities are endless.
I have the best plan for Medicare with my own class warfare game. Rich people who don't need it should not get it and Union people with lifetime medical benifits
should have to forgo Medicare.
"Union people with lifetime medical benifits should have to forgo Medicare."
Ah, the brilliance of instant, know-nothing "solutions" where it's only other people's lives anyway.
So, Steelworkers, electricians and others who worked decades for XYZ Corp. before retiring with pensions and medical care, are going along, trying to enjoy their golden years when XYZ gets bought out by a corporate raider like Mitt Romney.
Corporate Raider proceeds to downsize XYZ, canning dozens or hundreds of skilled, experienced employees. He then strips off and sells a couple of especially profitable parts of it. Finally, pleading low revenues and meager profits (guess why), Corporate Raider announces XYZ can no longer honor lifetime medical care for retirees, so from now on they'll get 40 percent — unless that cuts into profitability too badly.
Meanwhile, Corporate Raider is stuffing cash in his bank account and handing out big bonuses to his fellow hatchetmen.
Brilliant, Lisa. On your plan several hundred or thousand XYZ retirees would suddenly have less than half the medical coverage they earned, were promised and counted on, and no Medicare. You're a real Ryan-grade conservative Republican, Lisa. Now, go soak your head.
so how many people will only have Medicare?
aww isn't that a shame,only one health care plan. And here I thought you were all about equality and fairness.
So if the corporate raiders go out of business then they can get Medicare. But if it's all about being fair then let's really be fair.
You don't think Medicare is big business? lol!!!!!!!!
It's one big corrupt waste of taxpayer funds paying for people who just want to sit on their asses overdosing themselves on 800.00 per month of prescription meds.I see it everyday, SPeaking of know nothing people.
And because government encourages uselessness they are also able to get more free shit.
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oh and when 300 million are on the dole ,the fun will only just be starting. If there is big waste now just wait.
That's what happens when you have to pass bills to find out what's in them. Typical liberalism, Big Daddy's got it covered.
Take Sweden your role model. Their governemnt(or should say their citizens)subsidize businesses when people take off work to pay them for sick time. They have the biggest rate of people being sick on Mondays and Fridays than ever before.
Lisa, I don't know what's worse, you're insufferable ignorance or willingness to just make stuff up.
America is actually not a third world country but a First world country - yet I think they are not the most developed First world country. Though there have been many ethics compliance training programs in America and other organizations making them a strong country, Europe and other British country I guess is way more powerful than them.
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