Living conditions in third world versus industrial countries

¶ … Living in Different Societies

The experience of life is tremendously different depending on where one lives. One of the most important difference in that regard is whether one lives in a so-called "first world" industrialized nation such as the United States or in a "third world" nation that is comparatively undeveloped such as large regions of the world, on the African and Asian continents in particular. Unfortunately, in Sub-Saharan Africa and in various parts of East Asia and Southeast Asia, hundreds of millions of human beings still live in abject poverty. Naturally, their lives are tremendously different from the lives of those of us fortunate enough to live in the United States and in other modern countries.

In many third-world nations, the government authorities have comparatively little ability to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the population. When illness of natural disasters strike, there are few resources available to provide relief and assistance and victims are often left to fend entirely for themselves. Generally, when similar situations occur in first-world industrialized nations, the government authorities have extensive capabilities to respond and to minimize the damage and rescue those affected. In fact, when governments fail to do so in modern countries, it is a source of outrage and shock, as demonstrated by the failures of the federal government in connection with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

On a local level, law enforcement and the protection of government authorities can be non-existent in many third-world nations; sometimes, their governments are actually infiltrated by the very criminal organizations the government is supposed to police. By contrast, in first-world nations, citizens generally have the safety of being protected by police from criminals. The same is true with respect to civil processes such as business licenses or building (and other types of administrative) permits. In first-world nations, government processes are usually conducted honestly and in a manner that is consistent with formal rules, laws, and regulations. While they may not always be administrated perfectly, they are conducted legitimately for the most part. In third-world nations, governments are often so poor that those in virtually any position of administrative power or authority tend to routinely use their positions improperly to solicit bribes and kickbacks. In some third-world countries, it is impossible to open businesses without paying off government officials.

Healthcare in the U.S. has obviously been the source of tremendous problems and political controversy. Practically all parties to the argument recognize that the American healthcare system is extremely flawed and in need of immediate improvement in many respects. However, in comparison to the availability (and quality) of healthcare in third-world nations, citizens of any modern country such as the U.S. are extremely fortunate in terms of the healthcare services that are available. In many third-world countries, only the most rudimentary healthcare and disease-prevention services are available and large percentages of the population may live several days' travel away from the nearest medical facility, treatment center, or hospital.