What does "Third world" mean ?

?   Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:43 pm GMT
I heard this term a lot on this forum, in some insults, but I dont understand it. Can anyone help me, sorry for my ignorance
Guest   Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:22 pm GMT
Usually the term third world is used to refer to poor countries (like Africa some areas in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America) depending of the context it can be an insult.
Aldvs   Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:02 pm GMT
That term was made up by the higher economies who think that people's worth is based on what they have and not in what they are. In any context it is insulting.
Steve   Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:23 pm GMT
It has nothing to do with people's worth. There is no doubt that say, Stockholm is a better place to live than Baghdad. Why is it insulting to quantify that?
Aldvs   Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:59 pm GMT
No, I'm not a communist, quite out of style term btw, but for sure you are an idiot.

Steve, right now any place in the world is better than Baghdad. But why is it necessary to quantify it and then tell it to an Iraqui ?
Steve   Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:30 pm GMT
If state run tv here in Africa can refer to Africa as the third world, then I'm pretty damned sure that i can.
Benjamin   Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:30 pm GMT
The usage of the term 'third world' dates back to the Cold War, when it was apparently first coined by the French demographer Alfred Sauvy. Basically, 'first world' referred to the wealthy capitalist countries which were largely aligned to the United States, 'second world' referred to the communist countries which were largely aligned to the Soviet Union, and ''third world' referred to those countries which were not really aligned with either side. These definitions are now obsolete.

Today, the term 'third world' refers to the less economically developed of the world. The term 'fourth world' is also occasionally used to refer to the least developed areas. It's rather politically incorrect though, so terms such as 'less economically developed countries' (LEDCs) tend to be preferred instead.
Steve   Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:37 pm GMT
I think, perhaps, that it is more taboo to use the term in countries other than my own.

If you'd like to question why it's necessary to quantify it and tell it to an Iraqi, ask the UN why it does studies on which countries are the best and worst to live in.
greg   Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:21 pm GMT
Benjamin a raison. Sauvy a utilisé la stratification politique en vigueur dans l'Ancien régime (avant la Révolution = 1789) pour créer la métaphore du tiers-monde : la noblesse, le clergé et le tiers-état.
Aldvs   Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:52 pm GMT
Big deal! We all know who controls UN, OAS, NATO..etc,etc,etc. Of course it doesn't sound bad if they put you in the first place, isn't it ?
LAA   Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:22 pm GMT
"We all know who controls UN, OAS, NATO.."

Are you implying that these international orginizations are phony, and merely instruments of the big bad U.S.? I would say that they are instruments of the entire Western Capitalist world. NATO and the IMF are definitely American puppets, yes.

But why are you so sensitive about the term? Calling the world's most destitute region the "third world", should not be offensive.

That argument is something like not calling the Ghetto, "the Ghetto", because it could be offensive to some people. That would be like not calling the sky blue, or evil for what it is, because it might be offensive.

I am from the Ghetto, and only recently escaped it. Does that mean that I wouldn't call that part of town "the ghetto"? No of course not. That would be ridiculous. The high rate of violence and crime from my old neighborhood is directly linked to poverty, and poor economic conditions. So yes, regions where people are more economically prosperous are better places to live. Where I live I now, I don't have to worry about getting in a fight every single day. I can feel safe riding the bus for the most part. This personal security is a major factor of one's quality of life.

People really have to lighten up sometimes.