[bananabreakfast]

You've very clearly never been to an actual third world country.

Having homeless people and a high crime rate does not == 3rd world. In fact, it only means many, many people want to live there due to the overwhelming economic prosperity that is clearly not equitably split.

Also fun fact: the three "third world" states you mention have a combined GDP higher than EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD after the US, China and Japan.

[systemvoltage]

Hold on a sec, cut down the all caps. No need to shout. I grew up in a third-world nation and it's far better than the feces ridden shithole that is SF and Oakland, largely the bay area. Needles on walkways, crime through the roof, plastic trash on the road sides, feeling terrified of walking on the street at night, car thefts, the whole 9 yards. It is indistinguishable from a third-world country, I'd argue it is worse.

Sure, GDP is higher, thanks to big corporations and wealthy NIMBYs camping out in their caves, voting for their own demise.

> many people want to live there due to the overwhelming economic prosperity

No one wants to live in Bay Area. In fact, most engineers I've talked to want to leave and they have been leaving in droves.

[nostrademons]

The Bay Area is much larger than SF and Oakland. The Peninsula is lovely, no needles, no shit, good schools, beautiful homes in the hills, we actually support our police departments who generally come when you call them, etc. Even South Bay is great, modulo housing expenses. I never felt unsafe in Sunnyvale, and it and Fremont have some of the lowest crime rates of cities > 150K pop in the U.S.