From: Jon Lasser <jlasser@rwd.goucher.edu>
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 95 20:51:12 PDT
To: Peter Trei <trei@process.com>
Subject: Re: Third World Man
In-Reply-To: <9508211648.AA17528@toad.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950821234411.20040A-100000@rwd.goucher.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Mon, 21 Aug 1995, Peter Trei wrote:

> > The US is slipping into the second world as we
> > speak, with no signs of a turnaround ahead.  Only the sheer size of
> > the economy keeps people from believing it. 
> 
> Just a nomenclature peeve - I'm not sure of the precise time and 
> place the (first|second|third) world meme originated, but it seems to
> predate 1970, and until very recently it's meaning was clear:
> 
> First world: Western (and Westernized) nations - mainly the US, Canada, Western Europe, 
> Japan, Australia, & New Zealand
> 
> Second world: Communist bloc (I can still remember the Cultural 
> Revolution. Prior to that, the Communists seemed a monolithic force, 
> marching in lockstep.)
> 
> Third world: The rest, mostly poor nations. 

Erm, nope.  The "First World" (or old world) was Europe and Asia; the "New 
World" (not frequently referrred to as the second world, but hey...)  The 
third world was the developing nations.  THAT (as far as I was taught in 
history class, so it MIGHT be a lie...) was how the terms originated...

Jon
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Jon Lasser                <jlasser@rwd.goucher.edu>            (410) 494-3253 
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