Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:
What would lower second world be like? Poland is .. somewhat second world still?
Huh...that's a very complicated question
Poland is still considered second world, mainly because of lacking infrastructure, common poverty and structural problems in the economy. About 5 million Poles live below the poverty, which basically means they have trouble affording basic needs. Unemployment is at 6.5%, but some statistics are odd: cell phone saturation, for example, well exceeds 100%. Though getting decent modern services is easy if you have the money: my household for example earns 10% more than the average wage, and we have broadband internet, all the electronic gadgets you'd expect (two cell phones, an MP3 player, a laptop, PC, TV, DVD player, cable) and no trouble paying the bills and indulging in some luxuries from time to time.
Though Poland really isn't a good example of "lower 2nd world". Ukraine would be a much better example, or perhaps some of the baltics: high unemployment, poverty, corruption and dilapidated infrastructure. What differentiates a 2nd world country from the 3rd world is mostly lack of starvation (malnourishment happens, though) and decent industrialization. A third world shithole would have most of its population live on subsistence farming.
Saudi Arabia is definitely Third World because of their horrible economic structure.
Another thing entirely is government, government attitude and available social services. I've seen some people characterize 2nd world countries as those where you have to fight the administration to secure the social services you're entitled to, though I don't necessarily agree with it.
It's a fluid border, and a lot of the difference lies in perceptions and culture, really, since it's all about quality of life, and that's subjective.
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