You know what really grinds my gears?

[JakeyBoy]

Yeah, I said the same on here not long ago, it’s no longer a pertinent term because it’s inextricably linked to the now defunct Cold War model of geopolitics

Edit,

@JakeyBoy

Its been outdated since 1991, its a relic of the Cold War.

1st world countries: US and western allies, countries with stable democracies and the rule of law.

2nd world countries: USSR, China, basically the communist world.

3rd world countries: less developed countries which weren’t formally aligned with/a part of either of the previous two groups.

I get the phrases have evolved slightly since then, but the whole model isn’t really fit for purpose. There isn’t really a second world any more but we still talk about first and third world countries, might as well do away with the phrases entirely.