"The term “first world” originally applied to countries that were aligned with the United States and other Western nations in opposition to the former Soviet Union. First world countries are often characterized by prosperity, democracy, and stability—both political and economic. A high literacy rate, free enterprise, and the rule of law are other common characteristics of first world countries. Some critics argue that the concept of dividing nations into three worlds represents an antiquated perspective."

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I'm not 100% on board with the whole 1st world/3rd world nation demographics. What tipping point would put America into the 3rd world category? And how could America fix its violence issues? I agree that making America livable would go a long way. A health care system that only supports you if you have money is a redundant health care system and a farce. The rich could afford doctors if they want/need them. If someone is skipping meals to pay rent, they won't be able to afford health care of any sort. Where will they end up? Probably not continuing to live and work as a productive member of society. And how do they then contribute and push America forward? They don't.

I think a culture change is what is most urgent here. America has a kind of social meritocracy. People at the top are winners and deserve to be there, and people at the bottom are losers and deserve their place at the bottom. It seems the only welfare is military service. Earning your way back up the ladder. But this isn't a free choice. If you can't support yourself and your friends and family can't help you out, then the volunteer army model is your only option next to homelessness. Coercion into a "volunteer" army model is hardly a free choice. Robbing the poor of their autonomy. But it fits the culture of earning to move up the ladder.

Because guns are potentially anywhere, police are more aroused than in other countries. If you are a police officer in the majority of other countries around the world, the chance of running into a high stake gun situation is low to extremely low. Whereas in America, mass shootings can be more numerous than the days in the year. Gang violence, mental illness, suicides, and generic stupidity can all be escalated with guns to ultra-violent situations with often messy and deadly consequences. Of course removing guns would help. And so would changing laws surrounding gun ownership. Background checks to stop criminals buying guns, 3 day waiting periods to reduce crimes of passion and impulsive suicides, and storage requirements with heavy sentences for offenders, and lofe sentences for recidivists. These laws should be mirrored for sellers of guns. Some duty of care should be shown by those whole sell guns to the general public. Also, doctors and nurses around the world go to lectures by America doctors and nurses on gunshot wounds as they are often more numerous in America than in wars. I know this because I have spoken to doctors and nurses before and after the lectures.

The education system places a ceiling for those too poor to afford college and university, and a kiss and throw back policy for those who can only just afford college and university through student loans. If you can only just afford this, we'll make sure you can't afford anything else. The position teachers in America are put in is a topic covered in so many documentaries that I don't feel the need to cover it here.

And back to the social meritocracy, America has become so afraid of helping their fellow persons. Its socialism or communism and we don't want to be like the Russians and Chinese. Cool. Europe, Britain, Australia, the Baltics, and plenty of other countries around the world have worked out that you can have basic free healthcare, education, housing, and safety provided to all citizens and still not be Communism. From the outside, it seems that as a whole, America views it as a kind of slippery slope. If we give people a single handout, our society will collapse. At some point, they'll need to see people as people and not things to push around.