6 ms·

I had the same experience, I was mostly in big, rich cities like NY, SF, LA, Seattle. From other travelers I heard when you travel deep into South Central US, y

I had the same experience, I was mostly in big, rich cities like NY, SF, LA, Seattle. From other travelers I heard when you travel deep into South Central US, you can find full-on third world scenery. It is shocking how many poor people are begging on the streets, in a country that is, on average, richer than where I live.

ravitation 8y ago
The difference between urban and rural America is that in urban America you have the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty and in rural America you just have poverty.
dustincoates 8y ago
> From other travelers I heard when you travel deep into South Central US, you can find full-on third world scenery. Respectfully, the people who told you this were either vastly exaggerating or had zero sense of perspective. You're not finding houses in "South Central US" (not sure exactly what that refers to anyway) without running water or dirt floors. I actually grew up in the small town South and knew plenty of people who commuted into town from the country. Some were poor, sure, but "full-on third world scenery." Come on...
- ravitation 8y ago
  Well, unfortunately, having running water and having drinkable running water are not synonymous in the United States. Also, third world countries are not just countries without running water and dirt floors...
  - dustincoates 8y ago
    Not at all, and I thought about being more explicit, but we both know that the gp wasn't referring to upper class third world neighborhoods.
  - IOT_Apprentice 8y ago
    First world was non-communist NATO aligned countries. Communist countries were 2nd world, non-aligned with either were 3rd world. That said, American having protectorates where citizens don't have power, drinkable running water or cities where there is no drinkable running water are poor examples for a nation with such resources as the US.
    - ravitation 8y ago
      I know the etymology of third world, but it's meaning has also changed significantly since the end of the Cold War... I was referring specifically to American cities (cities in America, not American "protectorates") that don't have drinkable running water...
- arcticbull 8y ago
  Hmm, I'm not so sure that's true. From [1] there are about 500,000 people spread over almost 2,300 'colonias' in Texas who live without basic services like running water or sewer. There's by some measure 1.7 million of them over the US [2]. The photos from that article are very much what is described. There are incredibly poor parts of the US where people really do live in third-world conditions -- though that's definitely the exception. Even within major cities like SF, we battle with the 'encampments' and I routinely walk by planters filled to the brim with heroin needles. Some of my walks home I see people with open wounds, lying on the sidewalk, with obvious mental illnesses muttering to themselves. You definitely won't find this in Europe, and I've certainly not seen something comparable growing up in Canada. There's huge wealth disparity here and massive distrust of the government, which together mean those most in need are not looked after. I believe in income and wealth inequality but only when coupled with social mobility and only when the worst off can live meaningful, healthy lives. I definitely have perspective, having lived in Canada, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the US. I've also traveled all over Europe and Asia. [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-americans-without-running-water/471909/ https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-ame... [2] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-mcgraw/live-without-running-water-in-america_b_8011310.html https://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-mcgraw/live-without-ru...
  - ravitation 8y ago
    I was about to also cite Texas' "colonias". Texas is probably the best example of exactly what this article is talking about. Powerhouse cities with extreme wealth and economic growth (two of the top six American cities in total GRP, and three of the top five American cities in GRP growth are in Texas), while also cutting aid services to these "colonias". I also definitely have perspective on this issue, having grown up in the political class in Austin...
    - dahdum 8y ago
      I have a hard time understanding why Texas as a state should expend taxpayer funds on upgrading the "colonias", the entire budget is built around local taxpayers funding their own services through property tax. They are essentially camps and were far away from services when people moved there. That's my perspective anyway - I grew up in a rural northwest town with no paved roads or water that's still mostly like that. If you wanted water you had to dig a well, add your own septic, and pay for the electric hook up. In the greater area there are plenty of even smaller ones (commonly called "hippy camps"), with roads that become impassable to vehicles in winter.
- diogenescynic 8y ago
  >Respectfully, the people who told you this were either vastly exaggerating or had zero sense of perspective. Respectfully, you're wrong. I've been to parts of California where there isn't even safe drinking water... this was in a farming area too. There are plenty of shacks with dirt floors in desert/rural areas of California. You might be in a bubble if you haven't seen it. It's definitely out there.
- smacktoward 8y ago
  Puerto Rico is part of the United States. People there have been waiting for electricity to be restored for months. Flint, Michigan is part of the United States. People there have been waiting for clean water to be restored for years.
Frondo 8y ago
What's amazing to me is how many people are so quick to dismiss the kind of poverty we have in the U.S., just because people in the poorest developing nations have it worse off. Why this status quo is one anyone would want to defend is so beyond me, I feel like we're on different planets.

ravitation 8y ago

The difference between urban and rural America is that in urban America you have the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty and in rural America you just have poverty.

dustincoates 8y ago

> From other travelers I heard when you travel deep into South Central US, you can find full-on third world scenery. Respectfully, the people who told you this were either vastly exaggerating or had zero sense of perspective. You're not finding houses in "South Central US" (not sure exactly what that refers to anyway) without running water or dirt floors. I actually grew up in the small town South and knew plenty of people who commuted into town from the country. Some were poor, sure, but "full-on third world scenery." Come on...

ravitation 8y ago
Well, unfortunately, having running water and having drinkable running water are not synonymous in the United States. Also, third world countries are not just countries without running water and dirt floors...
- dustincoates 8y ago
  Not at all, and I thought about being more explicit, but we both know that the gp wasn't referring to upper class third world neighborhoods.
- IOT_Apprentice 8y ago
  First world was non-communist NATO aligned countries. Communist countries were 2nd world, non-aligned with either were 3rd world. That said, American having protectorates where citizens don't have power, drinkable running water or cities where there is no drinkable running water are poor examples for a nation with such resources as the US.
  - ravitation 8y ago
    I know the etymology of third world, but it's meaning has also changed significantly since the end of the Cold War... I was referring specifically to American cities (cities in America, not American "protectorates") that don't have drinkable running water...
arcticbull 8y ago
Hmm, I'm not so sure that's true. From [1] there are about 500,000 people spread over almost 2,300 'colonias' in Texas who live without basic services like running water or sewer. There's by some measure 1.7 million of them over the US [2]. The photos from that article are very much what is described. There are incredibly poor parts of the US where people really do live in third-world conditions -- though that's definitely the exception. Even within major cities like SF, we battle with the 'encampments' and I routinely walk by planters filled to the brim with heroin needles. Some of my walks home I see people with open wounds, lying on the sidewalk, with obvious mental illnesses muttering to themselves. You definitely won't find this in Europe, and I've certainly not seen something comparable growing up in Canada. There's huge wealth disparity here and massive distrust of the government, which together mean those most in need are not looked after. I believe in income and wealth inequality but only when coupled with social mobility and only when the worst off can live meaningful, healthy lives. I definitely have perspective, having lived in Canada, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the US. I've also traveled all over Europe and Asia. [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-americans-without-running-water/471909/ https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-ame... [2] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-mcgraw/live-without-running-water-in-america_b_8011310.html https://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-mcgraw/live-without-ru...
- ravitation 8y ago
  I was about to also cite Texas' "colonias". Texas is probably the best example of exactly what this article is talking about. Powerhouse cities with extreme wealth and economic growth (two of the top six American cities in total GRP, and three of the top five American cities in GRP growth are in Texas), while also cutting aid services to these "colonias". I also definitely have perspective on this issue, having grown up in the political class in Austin...
  - dahdum 8y ago
    I have a hard time understanding why Texas as a state should expend taxpayer funds on upgrading the "colonias", the entire budget is built around local taxpayers funding their own services through property tax. They are essentially camps and were far away from services when people moved there. That's my perspective anyway - I grew up in a rural northwest town with no paved roads or water that's still mostly like that. If you wanted water you had to dig a well, add your own septic, and pay for the electric hook up. In the greater area there are plenty of even smaller ones (commonly called "hippy camps"), with roads that become impassable to vehicles in winter.
diogenescynic 8y ago
>Respectfully, the people who told you this were either vastly exaggerating or had zero sense of perspective. Respectfully, you're wrong. I've been to parts of California where there isn't even safe drinking water... this was in a farming area too. There are plenty of shacks with dirt floors in desert/rural areas of California. You might be in a bubble if you haven't seen it. It's definitely out there.
smacktoward 8y ago
Puerto Rico is part of the United States. People there have been waiting for electricity to be restored for months. Flint, Michigan is part of the United States. People there have been waiting for clean water to be restored for years.

Frondo 8y ago

What's amazing to me is how many people are so quick to dismiss the kind of poverty we have in the U.S., just because people in the poorest developing nations have it worse off. Why this status quo is one anyone would want to defend is so beyond me, I feel like we're on different planets.