The term “first-world country” has come to mean a developed and industrialized nation characterized by strong and free democratic institutions, a healthy public education system, affordable healthcare, acceptance of the rule of law, a stable economy, and a decent standard of living for most of its citizens. Think Germany, Great Britain, Finland, France, etc.
A second-world country’s educational system is often theocratic or politically controlled; their healthcare is non-inclusive and inequitable. Their political infrastructure is less open than first-world democracies, often featuring a single dominant party and centralized government power. The “rule of law” depends on who is in power. Think Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Iran, etc.
Is the United States still a first-world country?
In the past couple of weeks, our Supreme Court has ruled that states can send tax dollars to private and religious schools, that states may not enact certain handgun carry laws, and that states may mandate that a woman carry a pregnancy to term, even in cases of rape and incest. The majority of justices on the court put their Christian/Catholic beliefs ahead of the law and were appointed by two presidents who did not win the popular vote. Oh, and our healthcare system is flawed, expensive, and inequitable.
Our first-world allies in Europe and elsewhere are still reeling from the Trump years, shocked that America could elect such a person. Now they see the highest court in our country acting like a rogue grand jury in Boise. Even the United Nations is alarmed, with human rights officials there describing the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision as a “shocking and dangerous rollback of human rights that will jeopardize women’s health and lives. The Supreme Court has completely disregarded the United States’ binding legal obligations under international law, including those stemming from its ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
In the January 6th Committee hearings, more mind-boggling evidence continues to emerge of President Trump’s relentless, multi-faceted, months-long attempt to stage a coup and keep himself in office, overturning the will of the people. That shouldn’t happen in a stable first-world democracy.
The truth is that we are currently ruled by a minority, thanks to gerrymandering, the Electoral College, the absurdity of each state having two senators (Wyoming, e.g., has half the population of Memphis), and the SCOTUS ruling that corporations are “people” and therefore can contribute millions to buy politicians.
The most recent Gallup poll shows that more than 80 percent of Americans say that abortion should be legal under all or some circumstances. The number of Americans who say that abortion should be illegal in all cases is 13 percent, an all-time low. More than 70 percent of Americans are for some type of gun reform. On issue after issue, state legislatures and the Supreme Court go against the will of the people under the guise of “states’ rights.” You remember states’ rights, don’t you? We fought a civil war over it. Now Tennessee will soon have harsher abortion laws than the Taliban.
But it’s not all the Republicans’ fault. Democrats are also to blame for their decades-long disorganization and simple, stupid trust that the GOP would play by the rules. Mitch McConnell hustled three SCOTUS justices in under Trump, all Federalist Society approved anti-abortionists.
Democrats wail and rage and demonstrate in the streets, but they lose the big battles because they think there are guardrails, some “rules” that must be followed. McConnell and the GOP don’t care ’bout no rules. Amy Coney Barrett, anyone?
Why didn’t President Obama rage and go on national TV and demand justice when he was denied a legitimate SCOTUS nomination for 10 months? Oh, the Democrats thought Hillary would win. Oops.
The Democratic response to these crises is always “VOTE!” which is becoming the party’s version of “thoughts and prayers.” Yes, there needs to be a huge voter turnout in November, but Democrats need to quit playing by rules the other party ignores. They need to reach the people who aren’t reading The New York Times and watching cable news shows. They need to hammer the country with what is at stake: women’s autonomy over their own bodies, more gun fetishism, a theocratic takeover of our public schools and courts, and the potential destruction of our electoral process. These are not first-world problems. But they are now our problems. And they are second to none.
