Forum Index > Full Moon Saloon > First, Second, Third whirled countries
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Numb Brr
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Numb Brr
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PostFri Sep 20, 2002 9:55 pm 
OK, we all know what a third world country is. And I've seen the US refered to as a first world country. What the heck is a second world country?

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Geographer
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PostSat Sep 21, 2002 9:00 am 
That would be Ballard, sir.

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JimK
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PostSat Sep 21, 2002 10:42 pm 
I was going to say the Communist countries, but now that I think about it, maybe it is Ballard....

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Kid Owner
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PostSun Sep 22, 2002 5:06 am 
My kids looked it up in their world geography books and sure enough, it's Ballard.

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Stomp
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 5:10 am 
Where does Everett fit in?
If Ballard is a second world ... uh ... country, what does that make Everett? Fourth world? suuure.gif In all seriousness, Everett is a great city. Why, a local woman at the downtown bus transit center once confided in me that I was her only friend, and insisted on giving me a kiss. Unfortunately, she was quickly distracted by a passing teen with a puppy. I wonder if that girl ever got her puppy back.

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Allison
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 10:40 am 
Socialist countries are Second World. Typically with a sort of planned economy. Interesting, I think these terms have sort of fallen out of fashion after they called off the Cold War. You just don't hear them very much any more.

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tk-421
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 10:46 am 
I've always associated "-world" ratings with standard of living, health care and general economic prospects of the country. I suppose technically (and looking at it from a strictly North American view point), Europe would be the "First World" and America, being the "New World" would be the "Second World". Ergo, if you're not in Europe or North America, you're in the Third World.

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Allison
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 1:55 pm 
Well, that may be your take on it, but that's not actually what it means. First World: Capitalist. Democracy. May have some socialized things like mail service, health care, welfare. Second World: Socialist. Many more socialized services, possibly planned economy. There are not a lot of places that are truly socialist anymore, it's pretty incremental between First and Second these days. Third World: Communist, or dictatorship, or both (I think I'd put China in the 'both' box, for example) These titles were obviously developed by the Capitalists.

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tk-421
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 3:25 pm 
allison wrote:
Well, that may be your take on it, but that's not actually what it means.
Where did you get this from? Sounds like course notes from a bad Political Science 101 class. What we refer to as "-world" labels stems from the need for a broad brush with which to refer to and deliniate "us" and "them". The connotations placed by "Third World" have nothing to do with the country's system of government or political status. Gabon, for example, is a democratic republic, as is the United States. Gabon has a bicameral legislature, a Supreme Court/legislative branch and a separate executive branch. Elections are held every seven years. It has twice the rate of death and 15 times the infant mortality rate. The HIV/AIDs infection rate is five times that of the United States. The United States pays out billions of dollars in foreign aid per year and plays an active role in international politics where Gabon has neither the influence or resources to do so. They are better off than a lot of countries, but they do not fit the established pattern of "First World".

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Scrooge
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 8:51 pm 
Sorry, Allison. First, second and third world deignations are related only to level of economic deveopment, and have nothing to do with politics.

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polarbear
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 9:19 pm 
Good thing we have such a great research tool at our fingertips to resolve these thorny issues lol.gif Here are a couple of references that might help clarify things. http://www.idiomsite.com/thirdworld.htm http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w111/3world.htm

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Numb Brr
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Numb Brr
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PostTue Sep 24, 2002 11:30 pm 
Thanks, Pbear. A documented answer! And exactly what I thought the answer would be. Sure is funny reading the various slams from the "experts" in the gallery... but that's the internet, eh?

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