America becoming 3rd world?

How is America becoming a 3rd world country? Some of you are thinking that the title of "3rd world" or "developing world" is like a stage in life that is passed. Like turning 18 and, legally, no longer being a "child." Or turning 40, and no longer being "young." O-ok, ok (winces at the cries of protest being leveled at computer screens everywhere,) maybe "young" is a state of mind. The point is, some may think that America can never be 3rd world again - it has been and still is the greatest nation on Earth. Having lived in a 3rd world country for over 15 years, the poverty and corruption I saw made me appreciate the good ol' U.S. of A. There was no middle class - you were either rich or poor. The rich, simultaneously, ignored the poor and used them as cheap labor. This "arrangement" was serialized in television and films as acceptable. The poor lived in outlying villages at least a days travel by bus from the city or, if they lived in the city, they resided in shanty houses by train tracks, or worse, like trolls, lived underneath bridges. The provincial poor were farmers or fishermen. The urban poor were servants, beggars, or grifters. The poor preyed on each other and crime was rampant. The police were no help as they were underpaid and corrupt - playing gang leader to local thugs and taking bribes as a regular means of subsidizing their incomes. Unlike the U.S. judicial system, there were no juries - judges made the final decision in cases. Thus, bribing the judge was regularly recognized as the way one won in court. The only people unhappy with the system were the poor, as they could not afford to pay for proper "justice." Unfortunately, since the rich politicians were also corrupt, there was little in the way of changing that system. How could the citizens allow this to continue? Once, in a conversation with a frustrated cab driver wherein he was pointing out a dirty policeman to me, I asked, "If you know that the system is rotten and know the identities of those that contribute to its crookedness, why don't you guys do something about it?" He answered, "I'm just a lowly cab driver. If this is what God has allotted to me in life, who am I to question it?" While I haven't specifically seen a corrupt cop or judge, in recent years, I've seen the same characteristics popping up in this great country of ours. As an American I did not want to believe that such rot could tarnish our shining star-spangled facade, but, in truth, it's all around us now.

Some of the characteristics that help define a 3rd world country that can be seen in 21st century U.S.A are:

1) The growing divide between rich and poor - a.k.a. the disintegration of the middle class
Do you think you are in the middle class bracket? Have you ever driven through the richest neighborhood in your area? How rich are the rich now? I'm sure you know that the executives of the companies that we bailed out (meaning that they sucked at their jobs) made hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses? How big was your bonus last year? Rich people are Billionaires. Multi-billionaires. Did you know that a billion is a thousand million? How much has your life improved over that of your parents? How much has the rich tycoon's son's life improved if his father was a millionaire and he is now a billionaire? Still think you're middle class? If his life has improved so much, how come yours didn't?

2) The corruption of those in power
Do you think that the politicians in office really represent you? Have any of the enacted policies in the last few years benefited you directly? Please refer to the questions above.

3) The control of moneyed interest / special interest
Who do you think controls the politicians? Is there any doubt in your mind that if you follow the money you'll find out?

4) The apathy or hopelessness of the people towards obvious corruption and blatant injustice and the culpability of the media
We've all heard of the many, many demonstrations in the 60's and 70's against the Vietnam War. Some of those reading this may have even lived it. Did you see much of a fuss over the Iraq war? How about now when we're on the verge of economic collapse? Oh yeah, I think some Berkeley students gathered to complain about the increase of the cost of their textbooks or something... Hrrmm

5) The use of religion to control the population
Let's meditate on this point... oh, wait, dont! If you meditate and not pray, someone at FoxNews will call you a socialist, maoist, nazi somethingorother... Those that aren't nodding their heads after reading that are currently cursing me for blasphemy. Point for me either way.

6) The reduction of political parties from each one representing ideals to the party in power and the party that opposes the party in power
All right, that's confusing...

7) Poor economy
Nuff said

So, still think America is not 3rd world? OK with me if you don't. I think we're, at least, headed in that direction if we're not there now. Who should we blame for this? Let's talk about that anon.