The Difference between 3rd and 4th World Nations

The term ‘Third World’ is used when dealing with nations which are not European or North American, nor part of the ex-Soviet block, i.e. Russia, China, Ukraine, etc.

The term is usually pasted on poorer nations in Africa or South America or Asia.   So that if one says; “Third World” one is thinking of poverty of non-development, etc.

The term ‘Fourth World’ is just coming into being.   It is not merely the failed state, it is the failing state.  It is the nation which is suffocated by its own corruption and corrupt bureaucracy.   A nation, often a Kakistocracy, where the worst people are in power.

Many small nations took Independence and were not ready for it.   They did not have a useful infra-structure nor comprehension of the infra-structure and often formulated policies where were short sighted, if not designed to insure that specific sectors of the nation benefited and other sectors were kept in poverty.

Some tried to implement fairly good policies but were overthrown or underthrown by America with the blanket of ‘communism’.

Those governments which did not fall due to American intervention were blockaded, (either officially or unofficially) and many attacks were made surreptitiously striving to make it seem that ‘the people’ of the country were ‘against’ the policies of their government when it was only bought and paid for lackeys who, out of their own greed, prejudice, or ambitions were against the policies.

Most fourth world nations have enormous bureaucracies, costing more than half the Gross National Product.

To streamline government would be to fire at least one third of those who do virtually nothing, close various Ministry Departments which have little value.   This could only be accomplished if the country was invaded by another, for to dare to close a Department and unemploy persons who are getting salaries for doing nothing, would lead to a defeat in the polls.

To get anything done in a kakistocracy is cumbersome.   Everything must go through ‘channels’.

For example, most schools have gates which are too narrow to permit the entry of a fire truck.  To knock down the walls holding the gate and enlarge the passage seems knee jerk.  In a 4th World Country, flying to the moon on a broomstick is easier.

Everything has to be done according to labourous processes crawling up the hierarchy, until finally reaching the ‘decision’ level.   Meanwhile schools burn down because the gate is too small and those ‘in charge’ of the school, be they the Principal or the Board, can not knock down that wall.

As time passes the country becomes more bogged down in its self-created protocols and the country becomes poorer and things cease to function.

In Jamaica, for example, in the 1970s one could expect decent medical care.   In 2000, not even a broken leg can be properly dealt with.

Although there may be good doctors who could, and often do leave for other nations, the few competent nurses that are graduated virtually leave with their diplomas and go to the airports.   The ‘what’s left’ are not qualified to empty bed pans in a first world nation.

The cleaning staff would be fired if you hired one of them to clean your house, because they are lazy and filthy, which is why there are so many infections.   In short, being on the battlefield in Syria and getting to a military emergency medical unit is far safer than going into a local hospital.

This is because of the years of neglect, of hiring unnecessary squads of people by the Ministry of Health who couldn’t care less, and  being more concerned about parking than patients.

A third world nation may be poor but can rise out of poverty.  A fourth world nation can not.