It’s obviously an unofficial term but it’s obvious to anyone the distinction between third world countries and first world countries. Similar to how the USA is undoubtedly the World Leader, it’s unofficial and there’s no award or criteria crowning them World leader but it’s undisputed.
A country can make the Great Leap Forward from third world to first world with proper leadership and clear targets and willingness of the people, Singapore is a perfect example https://www.amazon.com/Third-World-First-Singapore-1965-2000/dp/0060197765
Third world countries are developing and undeveloped countries and I really don’t see how it’s offensive to group all these countries together but anyway people take offense at whatever these days. It’s possible to move from third world to first world if countries put the work in, sadly most countries don’t seem to be able to do so, especially African countries that give all sorts of excuses (colonialism etc)
A first World country has a high standard of living, influenced by factors such as education, GDP per capita, standard of healthcare while most third World countries are basically shitholes, no offense.
Exactly, for those interested in more detail about the times and his thought process should checkout From Third to First World: The Singapore Story It covers his and Singapore's struggle with Communism in Singapore and Malaysia as well as perceived and real threats through out the East-SouthEast Asian region. The climate back then stoked violence and war. Things are very different today.
Good to see a Yew reference, and this quote in particular. Canada's future is one of national dissolution/disintegration; definitive dominance by one ethnic group over others, with all the attendant unfairness; or Singapore-style authoritarianism. The shiny, happy, peaceful, libertarian co-ethnic state just ain't possible here in the actual real world; in the actual world, the *only* way to keep the peace in a multi-ethnic polity is through strong-man government.
Yew's book, From Third World to First, is highly worth reading. It's close to the beginning where he frankly admits that he realized quite early on what a problem it was going to be to get ethnic Chinese, Malays, and Indians to live peacefully together.
From Third World to First: The Singapore Story
https://www.amazon.com/Third-World-First-Singapore-1965-2000/dp/0060197765
Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master's Insights on China, the United States, and the World
One Man's View of the World
Read his memoirs! It's a hefty read but you can't get any better than that.
From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000 https://www.amazon.sg/Third-World-First-Singapore-1965-2000/dp/0060197765
The book by Allison is a rather terrible representation of PM Lee Kuan Yew. Most of the quotations from Lee are from speeches he made or from recorded interviews, while very few are from Lee's writing,
Some of the quotes are also edited out of context. For example, LKY have talked about the problem of religious fundamentalism, in Singapore context, which were (external) Muslim radicalization and christian evangelism. The latter was an headache for our multicultural and multiracial society when fundamental Christians tries to convert our Muslim Malay. That got turned into a discussion on just Muslim radicalization, with the latter dropped.
The book is edited to be more palatable to a western audience. It can be a good primer, but really it contains little about the thought of the man itself. I would suggest reading the writing by the man himself.
From Third World to First: The Singapore Story - 1965-2000
Okay, maybe as per this article, people can say some nations isn't first world in all sector so it isn't part of the first world yet...