America - Sliding Down The Shitter

[DodosAreDead]

I also have lived in the third world, and I agree that people who have no experience in it would be pretty surprised by what it's actually like. Lima has modern shopping malls indistinguishable from an American mall, and millions I slums. I find that most people who reference the third world (particularly min) have zero experience with it. 

 Even though the US trails behind Western Europe in dealing with extreme poverty, there is a huge difference between extreme poverty here and in the third world. Anyone who thinks differently just hasn't been there themselves to see.

Absolutely. The higher rungs of the third world are much, much better than how the West perceives them to be, but the lowest are still incomparab;e to any place in the 'developed' world. I find it funny how people in the West simultaneously look down upon the Third World and also claim to have similar situations in the lower sections of society... decide one way or the other. 

India is still regarded by many as poor, and was historically nonaligned and thus bonafide third world.  You can point to spectacular slums in cities in India that really has no match in the US.   But so what?   Increasing numbers of Indian graduates from science, engineering and management programs in elite America universities, who could easily find jobs in American economies, are choosing to return to India instead as offering better long term career prospects.

What does that tell you?

It tells me that India, being a growing economy, has more job prospects in STEM fields, (where most Indians still flock to in droves) where they actually need people. People are more affordable here than technology. Wages are nothing compared to the States. Many people I know were fired by Intel to be replaced by technology, they found jobs here in India because here they're not using that same technology, since it's too expensive.