It was thinking in terms of those kinds of countries that caused me to use the expression "developed and civilised nations". Not a satisfactory expression I know - but my point is that in these kind of matters a country as prosperous and technically advanced as the USA ought to measure itself against countries such as those in Western Europe rather than against struggling developing countries of one sort or another.

After all, leaving the USA has a good claim to be the oldest established (more or less) democratic society.