Is America turning into a Third World nation? Read this, then decide.

It started under Ronald Reagan, rapidly accelerated under George W. Bush — and Barack Obama is doing far too little to stop it. For example, here are some of the characteristics common to many Third World nations. Check out the links for just a taste of how the United States stacks up.

1. In the Third World, many people sleep in the streets like those in the photograph.
   
2. In the Third World there is a small middle class, with a huge gap between per capita income of the rich and poor.
   

3. Third world countries have a small or nonexistent manufacturing base

4. Third World Countries are thought of as having poor educational system with enrollment at the best universities essentially limited to the wealthy.

5. The nation’s raw materials are exploited without environmental concern, but natural resources get devastated largely for export.

6. In the Third World there is wide spread unemployment with little predicted change in the near future.

7. Typically, Third World nations are characterized by a military too weak to sustain resistance to invasion by significant foreign forces.

8. Rotting (or almost no) infrastructure.

9. Under repressive Third World governments, people “disappear” into torture dungeons while officials have little or no fear of being brought to justice for their acts.