What are your views on third world countries?

I feel sorry for them. No, they won’t stun the world with rapid progress until their governments change.

I think if the US doesn’t shape up soon I’m going to figure out what it’s like to live in the 3rd world the hard way.

My view is that people are people and no matter who you are or where you’re from you’re just trying to make it the only way you know how.

I think that no one remembers what the term “third world country” refers to anymore.

hint: It does not refer to the poverty level.

Once you understand that there are great opportunities in profiting from the miseries of others, third world poverty, becomes readily understood. There is already enough food to go around in even in a world of 7 billion. Now there certainly are never going to be enough hamburgers and steaks to go around. The amount of grain required to produce a 14 ounce steak would feed an entire village. But more basic than the meat factor, is the underlying truth that billions of poor people are REQUIRED in a world that sustains even a few hundred billionaires.

No. Unfortunately not. It is not in the best interest of the free market system to have them come up to the level of the first world countries that are in control. Better to pay off a small elite class and keep the masses for wage slaves.

From what I understand the term third world is out of favor, although I still use it myself sometimes. Many countries over time have improved their economic situations compared to 50 years ago. Some developing countries have made incredible strides, and others have moved slowly. First world countries helping the third world, does help the third world countries to become economically stronger and more independent. The terms first, second, and third world developed as a way to split the world regarding industrialization, and also a lack of a reasonable sized middle class, and also took into considerations capitalism v. communism. There is overlap in the three categories. Most of Latin America is considered to be third world, but if you go to many of their cities they have all the modernatization of western cities, it isn’t like everyone lives in a hit, which I think is the picture a lot of people have in their minds.

Generally, I think the third world fails to educate their entire population and they do not protect the wages of the underclass. This is why so many Americans are nervous about all the sentiment towards not supporting public education and not raising the minimum wage. Just look at the countries around the world, think about which ones you want your country to be similar to, and then you can decide what are the best practices. Consider things like crime, cleanliness, traffic, roadways, electricity, clean water, safety, freedom, and then take a serious look at the political and economic situation in those countries and what is provided to the citizens.

Interesting note: during the Cold War, Switzerland and Austria were considered Third World countries. Originally, the term Third World Country was not the economic stereotype that it seems to be today, but referred to a country that was aligned with neither the Communist Bloc nor NATO.

^^^Did not know that! But it makes sense. So….what would a 2nd world country be considered?

@Yetanotheruser Yeah, it was a little confusing I think even from the beginning. Second world was communist, but third world had some democracies and even some communist countries, and I really think the definition of it all got very messy very fast.

The First World would be a NATO-aligned nation, such as the United States, Western Europe and their allies. Second World would be Communist-aligned, such as Soviet Union, Cuba, or China (remember, this is Cold War terminology!). Third world countries were non-aligned countries.

I guess the current stereotype of the Third-World nation having an underdeveloped economy came about after the cold war, when the alignment portion of the definition was moot.

This has turned into a very informative lesson, guys.

The chances of them having better than Time Warner Cable are very high.