2020 Elections

[downer]

But the USA is looking more Third World by the day.

It can be empirically demonstrated that the US of A is in fact the most advanced Third World country! :-)

Do we still use the phrase "Third World"? I'd be interested in the definitions.

[dismalist]

But the USA is looking more Third World by the day.

It can be empirically demonstrated that the US of A is in fact the most advanced Third World country! :-)

Do we still use the phrase "Third World"? I'd be interested in the definitions.

Third World was a political term, the unaligned. Was once contiguous with Developing Countries, Less Developed Countries, Underdeveloped Countries, poor countries. Many such countries have become much richer per capita since WW II, so on economic grounds they are not nearly as homogeneous as they once were.

I can rephrase: The US of A is the world's most advanced Underdeveloped Country.

So, no, the term is not used much anymore. But no worries, it's just a woid! :-)

[fourhats]

Yes. Better health outcomes, food, and overall quality of life, far less gun violence, stronger communities. Less willful ignorance. My wife is technically a dual-national; her homeland is a repressive dictatorship. We have no urge to migrate there. But the USA is looking more Third World by the day. Canada would be nice.

As for Covid-19, according to the data collected by Johns Hopkins, the USA's deaths/100K ratio is just slightly behind that of the UK, and higher than that of Italy, Sweden, France, Netherlands, etc. And this pandemic will eventually burn itself out; the most vulnerable will have died off in the initial wave of infection and vaccines will be available.

True. I'm working hard at the language, since my SO already speaks it and we've spent time in one of those countries, and I'd like to convince them to go.

[downer]

Yes. Better health outcomes, food, and overall quality of life, far less gun violence, stronger communities. Less willful ignorance. My wife is technically a dual-national; her homeland is a repressive dictatorship. We have no urge to migrate there. But the USA is looking more Third World by the day. Canada would be nice.

As for Covid-19, according to the data collected by Johns Hopkins, the USA's deaths/100K ratio is just slightly behind that of the UK, and higher than that of Italy, Sweden, France, Netherlands, etc. And this pandemic will eventually burn itself out; the most vulnerable will have died off in the initial wave of infection and vaccines will be available.

Regarding health outcomes: How much of that is due to income differentials and racism in the US compared to the EU? The US is still largely a segregated country.
How does quality of life compare for for college professors between USA and EU?

I will immediately concede that cheese and bread selection is far better in the EU. But at least if you have access to a big city or wealthy suburbs, I'm not so sure about other food differences.

[Cheerful]

And this pandemic will eventually burn itself out; the most vulnerable will have died off in the initial wave of infection and vaccines will be available.

I needed to hear that today, thanks.  Pandemic fatigue.  Very sad about the losses but your post gives me hope.  Also hoping for rapid-acting, excellent therapeutics to defeat the virus at onset of known infection.

Political leaders from both parties are doing poorly (horribly) with virus messaging.  I listen mostly to Dr. Fauci, whenever he speaks.

[dismalist]

The US is still largely a segregated country.

Try France; try a ban-lieu. Please tell how it goes.

[spork]

Yes. Better health outcomes, food, and overall quality of life, far less gun violence, stronger communities. Less willful ignorance. My wife is technically a dual-national; her homeland is a repressive dictatorship. We have no urge to migrate there. But the USA is looking more Third World by the day. Canada would be nice.

As for Covid-19, according to the data collected by Johns Hopkins, the USA's deaths/100K ratio is just slightly behind that of the UK, and higher than that of Italy, Sweden, France, Netherlands, etc. And this pandemic will eventually burn itself out; the most vulnerable will have died off in the initial wave of infection and vaccines will be available.

Regarding health outcomes: How much of that is due to income differentials and racism in the US compared to the EU? The US is still largely a segregated country.

Per the health economists, there is the usual Pareto distribution: 80 percent of health status is driven by factors other than medical care; i.e., housing, income, diet. But countries like Sri Lanka, China, and Vietnam have higher childhood immunization rates than the USA, while several EU countries immunize children at the same rate as the USA but have higher per capita GDP and life expectancy, suggesting that people in those places are both wealthier and healthier. They also get shot to death far less frequently.

How does quality of life compare for for college professors between USA and EU?

That I do not know. But I would happily take some other job.

I will immediately concede that cheese and bread selection is far better in the EU. But at least if you have access to a big city or wealthy suburbs, I'm not so sure about other food differences.

In the USA, I can buy tasteless apples shipped from New Zealand or South Africa at any supermarket. Same for gallon jugs of colored sugar water. I'm willing to forego that convenience.

But the USA is looking more Third World by the day.

It can be empirically demonstrated that the US of A is in fact the most advanced Third World country! :-)

Do we still use the phrase "Third World"? I'd be interested in the definitions.

I do. I make sure to define it to students so that they can at least come across as semi-educated imperialists rather than totally ignorant ones. When my wife and I talk with each other, which sometimes happens in front of students, we don't bother. We stick with "You people . . ." generalizations because it's quicker and makes the point more effectively, as in "You people were living caves when my people had an empire." Just so I'm clear, my people are the ones who lived in caves.

Edited to add: and right now she is yelling at me in a language I don't fully understand, using characteristic Third World hand gestures.

[mythbuster]

The definition of the "worlds" that I learned in high school as related by Oxfam International in the early 1990s.
First world has ample resources and the mechanisms to allow for a relatively free distribution of those resources to the populace.
Second world may have resources, but the political structure is such that distribution is limited because of the power structure (think the USSR).
Third world lacks the infrastructure to either harvest the resources available and/or distribute them to the people.

It stuck with me. Based on these definitions, I feel the US is moving solidly into second world, or we are already there.

[hmaria1609]

DC has put its official ballot drop off boxes. Saw one today!
Maryland is next up here in the capitol region:
https://wtop.com/maryland/2020/10/ballot-drop-off-boxes-start-arriving-in-maryland-how-safe-is-your-vote/

[aside]

I am going to vote in person despite the health risk so that my vote has the best chance of being counted.

[dismalist]

First world has ample resources and the mechanisms to allow for a relatively free distribution of those resources to the populace.

This must be a joke.

[mythbuster]

Free as in open and possible. Free flow. Not monetarily.

[dismalist]

Free as in open and possible. Free flow. Not monetarily.

What else in god's name is hindering people getting stuff, except they have no cash?

[Langue_doc]

Posted by: mythbuster
« on: Today at 09:08:49 AM »Insert Quote
The definition of the "worlds" that I learned in high school as related by Oxfam International in the early 1990s.
First world has ample resources and the mechanisms to allow for a relatively free distribution of those resources to the populace.
Second world may have resources, but the political structure is such that distribution is limited because of the power structure (think the USSR).
Third world lacks the infrastructure to either harvest the resources available and/or distribute them to the people.

It stuck with me. Based on these definitions, I feel the US is moving solidly into second world, or we are already there.

New York has solidly settled into the third world as anyone riding the subway or even walking down a street can attest.
Now we have the absentee ballot fiasco, where the ballot you received had your name and address on the envelop, but another voter's information on the return envelop. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/nyregion/brooklyn-absentee-ballot.html
According to the local news voters in other boroughs have received faulty ballots as well.

[pgher]

My TV stations are based in a metro area that crosses two states. Neither are swing states, but both have other contentious races. The only time I see Biden or Trump is in ads attacking a candidate for being too much like them. What I don't understand are when I see the same ad--not an ad for the same candidate, but the exact same ad--during every commercial break. Surely they have more useful things to say than to just run the same thing over and over again.

I wonder how the presidential election will affect these other races. Some are for Senate or the House of Representatives, but others are for state-level offices. As I said, we're not swing states, so the presidential piece is a foregone conclusion (almost). But the rest of the ballot? Who knows.

(Assuming it's OK to quote myself here.) Interestingly, this week I've seen a number of ads. Mostly Trump, a few Biden. I wonder if one or both of them think that one of the two states is now in play, or if it's just a GOTV play.