Bubblegeneration Strategy Lab

Monday, August 21, 2006

The First World is the New Third World

A poignant example:

"...Four days after her death, the evacuation began. The National Guard prodded the evacuees aboard buses, even a man whose mother was lying dead a short distance away.

"I wanted to go and be with her," says Freeman, his voice a monotone. "The National Guard told me I had to get on the bus. And they all had AK-47s. He told me he was doing his job. I said, 'Let me just go back there just to see her before I leave.' He said, 'No, you're not going to do anything. You're just going to get on this bus.' So I had to make a decision. . . . So I prayed to myself and the voice within me told me just to get on the bus, don't do anything, just stand still and watch my salvation." His mother was left behind."

What was it - first history, then farce? Amazing, mind-boggling, sad, that the end of the USA looks like the beginning of a third-world country.

-- umair // 12:23 PM // 2 comments

Comments:

there's an interesting book I read a preview of coming out later this year called "The Second World" by Parag Khanna. Fascinating stuff-- talks about the malaise of the first and third worlds, and the dynamism of some countries inbetween.

# // Anonymous // 1:40 PM

Anon,

That's a very interesting hypothesis, thanks for the pointer. I will def try and check it out.

# // umair // 4:16 PM