America? Not a Third World Country- Jacob Colon

Should America be considered a third world country?

To answer this question we first need to make sure that we define the terms, “First, Second and Third Worlds'' The terms first world, second and third world countries come from a post second world war time when the world split into two spheres of influence with the democratic-Industrized countries like the US being referred to as “First World” and the communist-socialist countries such as the USSR and other eastern countries being called “Second World”, and finally the remaining countries being referred to as “Third World”. This being said, the terms have come to have much broader definitions, as “First World'' usually implies devolved and modernized countries with “Third World'' implying mostly impoverished countries with little advancements in technology.

Using the newer definitions, I would not classify America as a Third World country at all, even going as far to say that it is a first world country. One could argue that it is a third world country because of the uneven distribution of wealth and the high rate of poverty. While these are true and valid points, what determines the order of a country is the country compared to other countries. In comparison to the 78 highest countries with the highest income, America comes in 9th. America also holds the number one spot for most freedoms granted to its citizens. It is the only country in which the rights of an individual come before the rights of the nation itself. America is a melting pot. People come to America for a better life and with the goal of achieving the famous “American Dream”. In my opinion, these are not characteristic of a third world country, but rather a first.