We are still very underdeveloped in this country.  So much of our economy is based on cutting down forests, extracting minerals, and gas and oil from the ground, slaughtering seals, farming and slaughtering cattle, pigs, and chickens, slaughtering the US's horses.  You'd think we'd want to leave our sad, primitive past behind but no, our governments collude with our industries to keep us firmly in the 19th century.  And we allow it.