Have to disagree with Safire

Posted by ESC on November 07, 2002

In Reply to: Have to disagree with Safire posted by Karl on November 07, 2002

: Initially, let me say that it appears incorrect that third world refers to the "non-aligned" nations.

: Did you ever think of Yugoslavia as Third World? Spain?

: Didn't you think of Liberia, Sudan, Uruguay and Laos as 3rd world countries, even tho in the 50's these were western aligned nations?

: What about the Old World - Europe, the New World - most of the Americas, the third world, the undeveloped nations of the latter 20th century? How dioes this definiton discomport with your understanding of a "third world nation".

There was more information in the Safire entry about how the term has changed, etc. But the original question was about its origin. And I get tired of typing.