So I've heard the term "Third World" thrown out a lot recently to describe countries.

So I did some research...

A thread

#globalhealth #MedTwitter #medstudenttwitter

The term was created by a demographer Alfred Sauvy, who published the article "Three worlds, one planet."

When they created the distinction, they were referring to allegiances during the Cold War.

Countries that aligned with NATO/Western Capitalism were called "First World"

1/

Countries that aligned with the Warsaw Pact/Soviet Socialism were called "Second World"

And get this...

Countries that chose to remain NEUTRAL and that did not align with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact were called "Third World"

2/

So because some countries did not conform to the global political and economic fighting happening at the time, they were branded for life with a hierarchical term that placed them "beneath" everyone else...

Smh...

3/

But 1-2-3 classification is out-of-date and does not apply anymore because the allegiances of the Cold War don't exist!

Why do we keep using this classification then?

4/

Because over time, the term became synonymous to refer to impoverished countries.

But that also doesn't work.

Many countries that were categorized as "Third World" are no longer "impoverished" by any current metric

5/

And let's talk about how the "First World" is not immune to poverty.

As Paul Farmer @PIH puts it, even "First World" countries have "pockets of deep urban and rural poverty"

6/

So if we can't call countries "Third World," what should you call other countries?

Here is what you can use:

- THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY ITSELF. periodt.

There is no need to group countries together when each one is vastly different.

7/

Take a read to learn more about the history of this outdated system that ~some people~ still use today. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/01/04/372684438/if-you-shouldnt-call-it-the-third-world-what-should-you-call-it

In conclusion, separating countries based on an ancient classification system is derogatory and demeaning.

Let's be better in 2021.

Finally, let's be honest, "First World" sounds like some Star Wars First Order shit, and ain't nobody trynna live under that kind of oppression.