About the three worlds issue

[Delenda Carthago]

I just saw this video on TED,showing that the whole "3 worlds" thing does not excist anymore(even though I never understood the concept,what connects lets say Nigeria with Palestine,but anyway).Please check it out and tell me what you think...

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen .html

[theblackmask]

So, because people are living longer and having smaller families, that means they still aren't working 12+ hours a day for pennies? These technologists and their fancy graphs...

[Kiev Communard]

I just saw this video on TED,showing that the whole "3 worlds" thing does not excist anymore(even though I never understood the concept,what connects lets say Nigeria with Palestine,but anyway).Please check it out and tell me what you think...

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen .html

Well, actually the whole "Third World Theory" arose during the Cold War to denote the so-called "non-aligned" nations previously having been the colonies of "old" imperial powers, which chose to pursue the foreign policy course independent both from the USSR and the U.S. The first scholar to use such definition was French demographer, anthropologist and historian Alfred Sauvy, who coined this term in the article published in the French magazine L'Observateur in August 1952. In that time this concept conveyed the sense of of political non-alignment with either the pro-Soviet or pro-U.S. political blocs.

Later on, with the advent of de-colonization, the growing solidarity between the political elites of different post-colonial nations led to them developing the concept of "Developing World", which basically overlapped with Sauvy's idea of "Third World". At Bandung Conference of 1955, which basically launched the Non-Alignment Movement, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared that:"I have no doubt that an equally able disposition could be made on the part of the other bloc. I belong to neither [the First or Second World] and I propose to belong to neither whatever happens in the world. If we have to stand alone, we will stand by ourselves, whatever happens... We do not agree with the communist teachings, we do not agree with the anti-communist teachings, because they are both based on wrong principles." (for the context see this: Modern History Sourcebook: Prime Minister Nehru: Speech to Bandung Conference Political Committee, 1955 (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1955nehru-bandung2.html).

More revolutionary concept of "Third World" was developed by the PRC Chairman Mao Zedong. Notably, during his meeting with Kenneth Kaunda on February 22, 1974 Mao remarked: "I hold that the U.S. and the Soviet Union belong to the First World. The middle elements, such as Japan, Europe, Australia and Canada, belong to the Second World. We [the former colonial and semi-colonial nations] are the Third World" (for the context see this: http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv10n1/mao.htm. As one can see, Mao posited that the First World comprised the superpowers themselves, the Second World their allies and second-class capitalist powers as a whole, while the Third World consisted of the nations of Non-Aligned Movement (originally), and later on of any other nations not aligned too closely with USSR or the U.S. Consequently, the PRC tried to become a "leader" of "Third World", but failed to gain any noticeable success in this venture. Ironically, the PRC has now become a superpower-in-making that is far more exploitative (just look at Chinese state-owned corporations' actions in Africa) and politically reactionary than the former USSR ever was.

Nowadays, the term "Third World" is actually becoming outdated. With the advent of the so-called "East Asian Tigers" and, to a lesser extent, other SE Asian economic "miracles" and after the fall of the USSR and rapid impoverishment and economic degeneration of the former Soviet republics the divide into Three Worlds is no longer valid. The competing theory that, I think, explain the global divide more scientifically and from more heterodox standpoint is Immanuel Wallerstein's world-systems theory, as well as various dependency theories.

As for how some pro-capitalist analysts tend to categorize the formerly monolithic "Third World" nations, see this:




......................Newly Industrializing Countries

Most of these states are undergoing economic, political, and social transformation as a result of industrialization like the kind that Europe experienced in the 18th and 19th century. Their political systems are stabilizing, and the economy of these states is industrializing rapidly. Examples: Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, Egypt, the Philippines, South Africa, and Turkey.

..............................Less Developed Countries

Largely located in Latin America as well as sub-Saharan Africa, these nation states have some potential to build political, economic, or social stability, but face many long-term obstacles. Some have stable political systems, but poor economies. Some have growing economies but unstable governments due to corruption and or questionable human rights records. Examples: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Peru, and Tanzania.

..........................................Islamic World

A group characterized by the dominance of the religion of Islam in the societies. This is distinct because Islamic faith informs all other aspects of a nation-state's character including the ideological foundation for their political institution , economics, social values, and often the legal system in the form of Sharia law. Examples: Brunei, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen.

.............................................Margi nal States

This group is the most transitional of all nation-states. This transitional period is due to the fact they are actually failed states. To enter into the status of a failed state is because of political, social, or economic upheaval due to extended warfare, environmental disaster, or political and economic islolation. Examples: Afghanistan, Burma, Haiti, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

[Delenda Carthago]

So, because people are living longer and having smaller families, that means they still aren't working 12+ hours a day for pennies? These technologists and their fancy graphs...
you re confusing situations.The dude is not saying that everyone is beeing rich nowdays.

Also,check the dates that things were happening and see what facts led to what.See China before and after Mao,see India before and after the tranfer of the means of production from the western world etc.If you analyse the facts,you can get some serious conclusions.