"Third World"

Since the term is so bluntly misused in this forum, I thought of posting a link that may clarify its use.

I wouldn't worry if it wasn't for the occasional misuse that borders into insult.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World

And yes, Colombia is a THIRD WORLD country (or "in the periphery" as the dependency theorists used to say), and proudly so.

Tertius X Defensor del Tercer Mundo (oh, wait, no, that's the role of the US, I forgot, sorry).

By Sr Tertius on May 13, 2005, 18:07 in Politics & the war.

platano says on May 13, 2005, 20:27:

If you view the world as a capitalist... countries like Egypt, Argentina, Philippines, Peru, Morocco, Jordan, Colombia and Venezuela are "emerging markets"

Plátano, el banano verde
Estudiante del Manual de Urbanidad y Buenas Maneras por Manuel Antonio Carreño
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plátano

Lionheart says on May 13, 2005, 23:32:

humpf I read the Wikipedia "definition" ... it tells me there isn't really one except that it should have been buried with the cold war. And even back then it was full of holes and a crappy term.

cascabel says on May 14, 2005, 08:22:

emerging markets and US aid but then what would you say about China or India?
I am told their bonds are doing pretty well probably so their stock markets
is the US aid around there? I am just asking as you said you have an economic background and your thesis is fascinating

Sr Tertius says on May 14, 2005, 12:18:

Buried with the cold war? The problem is, from the US/NATO and Soviet bloc perspective, the cold war was between them, and everyone around was up for grabs. It was through the work of leaders like Sukarno, Nasser and Nehru that a third front was formed, a front still alive--barely (note the absence of Latinamericans, now guess why). For those in that third front, the cold war never ended: it eliminated one part of the conflict, and left the other relatively intact. The non-aligned movement (http://www.nam.gov.za/) is still there.

I'm not fully satisfied with the Wikipedia definition, because it defines Third World by exclusion, when it is still an active movement of independence in a unipolar world. It is not based exclusively on neutrality, but on a struggle for autonomy and multilateralism.

"El que a hierro mata..."

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)