Riddle me this.

[SW-Shooter]

Not really a riddle.

Was North America or The U.S.A. ever a Third World Shit Hole?

In my understanding of history I say can no! Emphatically. There was always a form of community, culpability, and religion.

Why is it then that countries (like those in the news), seem based on a history of being just another TWSH? I won't mention which other countries nor on which continent, but there are a few that come to mind.

[rickrock305]

a lot of it has to do with slavery.

[SW-Shooter]

Slavery? Sounds like someones seeking reparations. I don't suffer from white guilt, my ancestry on one side is European, and on the other is good old fashioned Ohio Indian(a long way down the ancestry ladder). I've never owned a slave nor oppressed a people.

[Collegefour]

A working definition of TWSH would be in order to have a meaningful conversation on this....

For example, I could make an argument that "civilized Europe" in the 16 and 1700's would have considered "the colonies" as a TWSH that they could ship off convicted felons to, and rape for its natural resources as the mother country saw fit. Ben Franklin was hailed in France as something we might term today as a "backwoods country f**k" (no offense to any modern peeps who might live in the north 40!).

[bkb0000]

america was colonized by already "civilized," wealthy, established empires.. had it not been for that, the natives would have been on their own to develope and compete with europe, and America would be a "third world shithole" just like any other independent, non-european country today.

america had rich white parents.

[Dunderway]

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

Not really a riddle.

Was North America or The U.S.A. ever a Third World Shit Hole?

In my understanding of history I say can no! Emphatically. There was always a form of community, culpability, and religion.

Why is it then that countries (like those in the news), seem based on a history of being just another TWSH? I won't mention which other countries nor on which continent, but there are a few that come to mind.

We are a very large country. Mostly civilized, but it's not to hard to find at least one "TWSH" in almost every state. I have worked in a few of them that were worse than their actual third world counterparts.

[perna]

Vile, ignorant statements such as the first one here are an excellent summary as to why people hate America....

Slavery? Uhm it happened and yes people hate America because of it, many of which actually live in AMERICA.

[Outlander Systems]

Does Detroit count?

[rifleman2000]

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

Slavery? Sounds like someones seeking reparations. I don't suffer from white guilt, my ancestry on one side is European, and on the other is good old fashioned Ohio Indian(a long way down the ancestry ladder). I've never owned a slave nor oppressed a people.

You asked a question, and he answered it. His answer had nothing to do with reparations, or white guilt, or any of that crap. If you can't analyze the answer, maybe you should not ask the question.

America was never a, as you call it, TWSH. It was first started as European economic ventures that became very profitable, in a large part due to slavery. America, in its early days, was a burgeoning frontier, prosperous and expanding.

Modern politics are making parts of it just as bad as some third world areas I have seen.

[Cohibra45]

Originally Posted by rifleman2000

You asked a question, and he answered it. His answer had nothing to do with reparations, or white guilt, or any of that crap. If you can't analyze the answer, maybe you should not ask the question.

America was never a, as you call it, TWSH. It was first started as European economic ventures that became very profitable, in a large part due to slavery. America, in its early days, was a burgeoning frontier, prosperous and expanding.

Modern politics are making parts of it just as bad as some third world areas I have seen.

I will have to take exception to this statement. Slavery played a part, but it was our fantastically rich natural resources and abundant fertile lands that made America the land that people killed over.

Having grown up in the 'South', most homes couldn't afford slaves. Our family was very poor from 'Scots-Irish' descent as were most of the settlers in the Appalachia's. We eked out a living and so did out neighbors.

Slavery was abused by big agriculture and big business. It was just like big business vs the small independent business. Slavery has not been in use for over 150 years here in America!!!!!!! Let it go!!!!!!!!

If people can't, they should look very hard at Africa and Asia where it is still widely used/done today.

[rifleman2000]

Originally Posted by Cohibra45

I will have to take exception to this statement. Slavery played a part, but it was our fantastically rich natural resources and abundant fertile lands that made America the land that people killed over.

Having grown up in the 'South', most homes couldn't afford slaves. Our family was very poor from 'Scots-Irish' descent as were most of the settlers in the Appalachia's. We eked out a living and so did out neighbors.

Slavery was abused by big agriculture and big business. It was just like big business vs the small independent business. Slavery has not been in use for over 150 years here in America!!!!!!! Let it go!!!!!!!!

If people can't, they should look very hard at Africa and Asia where it is still widely used/done today.

The OP's question referred to "ever", and I think that points to past history. It is very true that most people did not or could not afford to own slaves. But the money making cash crops were largely dependant on large plantations using slaves. I am neither condemning it or applauding it, just pointing out that our early wealth was in part gained by an industry that used a significant amount of slave labor. Granted, other sources of wealth such as fur trapping, trading, and ship building did not use slaves.

To answer the OP's question, NO, the United States of America was never a 3rd world country.

[BiggLee71]

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

Slavery? Sounds like someones seeking reparations. I don't suffer from white guilt, my ancestry on one side is European, and on the other is good old fashioned Ohio Indian(a long way down the ancestry ladder). I've never owned a slave nor oppressed a people.

I dont suffer from "white guilt". Anyone who does is a fucking idiot. I didn't do anything to anyone to have "white guilt". The world is a fucked up place and fucked up shit happen's. Thats life. Humans have been teating each other like shit since the dawn of time. Why the hell should I have guilt about something someone else did 300 years ago??? I have my own, real world problems to solve and I certainly to not have the time nor inclination to buy into some line of bullshit.

[BiggLee71]

[quote=Terminal Effect;552173]Vile, ignorant statements such as the first one here are an excellent summary as to why people hate America....



Europe owes America a huge debt of gratitude. You'd all be speaking Russian if it wasn't for America!!

[LockenLoad]

Originally Posted by rifleman2000

You asked a question, and he answered it. His answer had nothing to do with reparations, or white guilt, or any of that crap. If you can't analyze the answer, maybe you should not ask the question.

America was never a, as you call it, TWSH. It was first started as European economic ventures that became very profitable, in a large part due to slavery. America, in its early days, was a burgeoning frontier, prosperous and expanding.

Modern politics are making parts of it just as bad as some third world areas I have seen.

If slavery made us so great, why was the north richer, more manufacturing, better railroads, the south was underdeveloped, and it's only resource was tobacco and cotton. I guess if U believe that tobacco and cotton kept us from being a TWSH, u could make that argument.

[LockenLoad]

Originally Posted by Terminal Effect

Vile, ignorant statements such as the first one here are an excellent summary as to why people hate America....

Take a minute to reflect on your TWSH theory. Given the fact that 100,000+ Haitans are dead, you might want to take a minute to reflect on the after-taste your statement leaves.

There are even places in the USA that qualify as TWSH, from a European's perspective.

Really and everything is perfect in Europe, I am sure you guys have modernized all of Eastern Europe, at your expense of course, please come and show us how great you are, how many Haitians is Germany taking in, how many euros have you thrown at Haiti?

[SW-Shooter]

Originally Posted by Terminal Effect

Vile, ignorant statements such as the first one here are an excellent summary as to why people hate America....

Take a minute to reflect on your TWSH theory. Given the fact that 100,000+ Haitans are dead, you might want to take a minute to reflect on the after-taste your statement leaves.

There are even places in the USA that qualify as TWSH, from a European's perspective.

Have you ever contemplated that natural disasters are natures way of culling the heard? Over population is plaguing parts of the world that cannot sustain such numbers.

While I do feel sympathy, I think forces are at work here. You cannot sustain life, plagued with corruption,........ cleansing will follow. The world needs an enema, I doubt you could disagree.

[Gutshot John]

If memory serves First and Second world economies are industrialized, the only difference being capitalism or communism. Third World economies are agriculture based.

Given that the US was founded well before the industrial revolution in Europe ~1780 (it came to the US ~1820) and was primarily an agricultural economy until the 20th yes the US can be considered to have been third world economy at some point, more significantly many Presidents (Jefferson) didn't want an industrial/capitalist economy.

All told the distinction is ahistoric since the terms 1st, 2nd and 3rd world weren't used until the Annales Schools of the 1950s.

[thopkins22]

At this rate you should just wait a decade or two and you'll get to experience America the third world country.

I'm not sure how religion and community are somehow exclusive to developed countries.

[rickrock305]

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

Slavery? Sounds like someones seeking reparations. I don't suffer from white guilt, my ancestry on one side is European, and on the other is good old fashioned Ohio Indian(a long way down the ancestry ladder). I've never owned a slave nor oppressed a people.

reparations and white guilt?


you can't deny that a big part of America's prosperity is due in large part to slavery.

[Gutshot John]

Originally Posted by rickrock305

you can't deny that a big part of America's prosperity is due in large part to slavery.

Actually you can. The overwhelming majority of America's wealth was generated long after the Civil War ended. Nevermind that most of that wealth was generated in the North.

Sorry try again.