Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Just wondering......

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

According to http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworl..._countries.htm

The term "First World" refers to so called developed, capitalist, industrial countries, roughly, a bloc of countries aligned with the United States after World War II, with more or less common political and economic interests: North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australia.

Hope this helps :thumbup:

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Thanks. Do you know why the poorer countries are called 3rd world?

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Let me google that for you :

Four Worlds
After World War II the world split into two large geopolitical blocs and spheres of influence with contrary views on government and the politically correct society:
1 - The bloc of democratic-industrial countries within the American influence sphere, the "First World".
2 - The Eastern bloc of the communist-socialist states, the "Second World".
3 - The remaining three-quarters of the world's population, states not aligned with either bloc were regarded as the "Third World."
4 - The term "Fourth World", coined in the early 1970s by Shuswap Chief George Manuel, refers to widely unknown nations (cultural entities) of indigenous peoples, "First Nations" living within or across national state boundaries.

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworl..._countries.htm

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

What made you think OZ is a second world country:confused: .OZ is not only a first world country but has the best perfoming economy amongst all the first world countries.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

If Portugal, Spain, Greece, Israel or Italy are allowed to be considered First world then Australia is well ahead of them.

Australia for a population of only 22m people is the 14th largest economy in the world.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

I wouldn't call Greece or Spain a 1st world country. Have you seen the state of their roads and buildings!! Your lucky to get tarmac on some roads. Although Greece is my fav holiday spot shame they are about 20 years behind the rest of europe in infrastructure.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

The unemployemnt rate in OZ is only 5% , Spains in 20%,Greece had gone bankrupt, The UK is in recession, OZ is more first world then most European coutries.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Thats why I said Australia is well ahead of them. Emphasising that the previous countries are all classified as First world, hence Australia outranks them all in an individual GDP per capita basis and standard of living.

Just for all those that say Yoorup is oh so much superior to Australia.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

The UK is NOT in recession.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Someone's brain is though.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Officially it's not.

Economists and their predictions/theories are like assholes etc. There is no other way to measure recession.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

I am sure he has been told before!

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Australia may be a first world country in absolute economic terms, but it is a leading contender for the most corrupt and incompetent nation outside Africa.

I went to a talk by John Hatton last night and he said that Australia was the example given in some economic papers of how a corrupt government can gat away with blue murder even in a so-called free society.

All parties, still some of the police, state governments, local councils and business from the local shop to multinationals all look pretty dirty - but so long as the sun shines, who cares?

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Nonsense. Italy alone kicks our arses. Thats an incompetent and corrupt ridden society. Virtually every Asian and Latin American nation also. Most of Eastern Europe, and I would say all of the Middle East and other Western Europeans nations like Spain, Portugal and even Ireland.

Really the only countries that claim to have a better track record are the USA, UK, The Nordic countries and Germany and the Netherlands.

Hardly the whole world.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Even Ireland.. I would say most definitely Ireland! As corrupt and crooked as you can find..

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

One of the reasons Greece is in such a mess is the fact that there are tax officials taking bribes off rich Greeks who don't want to pay tax.

We have an Italian friend who is scathing of the corruption there.

South Africa (as with much of the rest of Africa) is very corrupt.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Australia is first world but with minor problems like
1. Knife culture
2. Bashing of migrants and asking them to leave Aus
3. Crumbling health system
4. Increasing prices of daily usage goods and rent
5. Intolerance of some natives towards multiculturism
etc, etc

But we are hopeful that govt will resolve these problems and bring Oz to the forefront :thumbup:

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

I have lived in the UK for many years, the USA for twelve and Australia for only five (but with many visits over the last thirty or so years). There's no denying that just about any country has some problems with corruption, incompetence and organised crime - but the level of all these here in Australia beggars description: the corruption and incompetence extends all the way through the political classes, the executive, police, RTA, transport organisations, planning - you name it.

The other thing which hits you straight away, too, is the way the average Joe thinks about it - he tends to shrug his shoulders and pass on the other side of the street. ""Happens everywhere, just forget it".

In a more civilised country, there may be the problems (although nothing like the level) but people are extremely angry when it comes to the surface.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hatton

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

but isnt that because your average aussie is just to lazy to give a toss?

for instance
take the piss take petrol prices where its dearer to buy fuel on a bank holiday or the weekend
they had the pricing commision look into this and they said it was above board
your average aussie takes this as acceptable and tries to get his/her fuel on a tuesday wtf ?

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

that could include alot of australia as well
tarmac on roads is a posh thing that only really happens on roads till about the sunshine coast after that if you stray off the main highway ( bruce highway ) your quite likely to find gravel or compacted earth roads

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

They can't face being accused of whingeing, quite ingenious of people in power to instil that in em I reckon

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Absolutely!

:thumbup:

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

I don't know much about economics but I guess you are right.... Australia has got more money than many other countries. But my impression comes from a different source, its my own personal experiences. My job took me to different countries over the years. After spending some time in the US, when I landed in Australia for the first time, it looked so backward! Local Australians seemed rustic and shallow. Much slower life and quality of shopping was lower. I have not checked everyone's pocket but it just seemed to me that a large part of population were underpaid. Well, when I compare it with Europe, Australia seems to lack the depth and sophistication. In fact, its nowhere even close. When I compare it with some Asian countries like Singapore, Korea, Japan etc., Australia does not stand good in terms of efficiency. Well, validation of my PR visa took me to Australia for a 2nd time after a few years. But, my impressions did not change this time either and additionally, a few events led me to believe that the term called "customer service" that (arguably) is a hallmark of a 1st world country is missing in the Oz land.

Thats not to say Australia is bad. In fact, there are a lot of things going well for it and thats why I have decided to migrate there. My point is just that Australia is probably (quite) a bit backward when compared to the rest of the 1st world countries. Can a country be rich but yet belong to 2nd or 3rd world? How about Middle Eastern countries where I am based now?

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

i once moved to Washington state in the US for a year. the community was obsessed with god and guns ... gun racks in the car back windows, people on the side of the road adjusting their gun sights, teenagers with holsters and handguns strolling around the forests looking for fun etc etc .... teen drinking at massive levels ... cocaine was sold openly in car parks ... and the poor folk were VERY VERY poor and underpaid... i have traveled a lot since but up until that point i had never lived in such a backward community before..

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

To be fair, the thread topic is about developed nations.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Is it fair to state that this is your subjective experience of living here in Australia ?

My subjective experience from 8 years living here (having moved from Ireland in 2002) is of a good health system, no experience of crime, a truly multicultural society with a high degree of tolerance and diversity and price increases as you would expect from year to year.

It varies from person to person and based on your circumstances, attitude, outlook and expectations I would say.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

You forgot too gullible and, in the case of Queensland too backward, to give a toss as well. Don't get me wrong, I love my country and all that, but the absolute crap that people swallow on a daily basis amazes me.

In a recent citizenship ceremony I was treated to a speech by the Mayor of Brisbane who expounded the many virtues of Brisbane as being the premier city in Australia and cited our public transport system! That is a man who clearly needs to travel - if he could actually find a train or bus to take him there.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Oh god...Cando's citizenship ceremony speech...I was cringing! :o

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Four years, but a long time ago. It used to be Rhodesia then: a true third world story of corruption, incompetence and fraud now.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Indeed. Whatever happened to that nice Mr Smith?


S

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

But he isn't comparing Australia to Africa?

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

No, he said outside of Africa, as if to suggest that Africa's level of corruption etc was a given, but that outside of that, then Australia came reasonably high on the corruption stakes.


S

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Exactly.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

And just where is this corruption you speak of?

Has a cop demanded a sweetener in order not to give you a ticket?

Has the RTA deskperson demanded an 'appreciation' to give you your licence?

Has the Local Council representative said to cough up with some kindo f kickback?

Just where is this corruption you speak of? I personally have seen none whatsoever in dealing with every local,state and federal govt agency you can think of.

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

Ireland and Aussie have 80% things in common so you may not have faced as much resistance to your diversity as a Caribbean migrant, Indian migrant or Persian migrant will face. Such countries have < 5% commonalities with Oz. So when the migrants try to do, wear or speak their native, it bothers many. People unncessarily start getting offended.

Instead of learning about new cultures some people ask such migrants to stop all that or leave Aus. I think this is not multiculturism - asking a migrant to kill his soul, his roots and completely fake himself into an Aussie or leave the shores. Do you think it is fair?

Re: Is Australia a 1st world or 2nd world country?
 

You may have noticed that some Brits new to Australia also feel that theyre expected to forget where there from and never mention the homeland again unless its a negative so its not strictly racial IMO.

However, I would say that UK has become too ethnocentric and Im curious to see whether Australias 'fit in or f**k off' strategy might just work.