I do not believe that the United States of America is a first world country. After too much time thinking about it, I am convinced that America is a second world country. By my own classification, of course.

My classification is based on two variables: industrial development and social/cultural maturity. A country that has both is a first world country. A country that has only one is a second world country. And, naturally, a country with neither is a third world country.

To me, one of the easiest ways to judge a country’s social/cultural maturity is by how clean its cities and countryside are. Mature and responsible people keep their homes and surroundings clean and presentable. The United States is certainly industrially advanced, but we do not have a matching social/cultural maturity. Our cities and countryside are filthy with rubbish.

As society evolves, it is natural for a country to advance technologically first, requiring it’s social/cultural structure to catch up. And disturbances like war can destroy the industrial structure while leaving the advanced social/cultural structure intact.