Welcome to the Third World

Por Alonso Yáñez

The history of humanity has been one of constant mobilization and cultural exchange. From the migration of the Jews to their "promised land", to the arrival of ambitious and disoriented Europeans to America, the great Diasporas of people have substantially changed the lives of immigrants and the residents of the area receiving them.

Unfortunately, insecurities and prejudice have also helped maintain the endless intolerance against immigrants. Throughout history, they have been labeled with all sorts of names, from underdeveloped invaders, to pests or hordes of Third World savages that live off the system.

The concept of the three worlds was meant, initially, to describe the clear stratification that developed during medieval times, where the First World was the nobility, and the clergy and the commoners were the second and third layers of the system. Those terms were used, much later, to distinguish the First World, capitalistic and "democratic," from the Second World, dictatorial and communist. Under that premise, all the countries that did not align with those two doctrines were relegated to be part of the Third World. Later on, those labels began to have a connotation of development when referring to the First World, and underdevelopment when talking about the Third World, confirming, as if it was necessary, the evident polarization that characterizes humanity.

I never felt I was from the Third World until I personally experienced the rejection and intolerance from "developed" people. But I do not repudiate those labels, because I am not ashamed of being a commoner from the Third World, accustomed to an excess of work with little pay; a critic of our oligarchic corporatocracy disguised as a democracy that boasts about equality, progress and power for the people, but that only knows about the power of money; or an immigrant from an underdeveloped and exploited country who asks, don’t I have a right to live a good life?

The pyramidal system has always existed, but it had never infected the world as much as it has today, keeping a few privileged people living with more luxuries than the Third World, which is exploited to satisfy the needs of the First World. Now we have an oligarchic corporatocracy that only improves itself as time goes by, and becomes more effective in manipulating the masses with a process of stupidification characterized by constant budget cuts in the educational system and a press that is bought to produce and perpetuate lies, fear and ignorance.

Government officials, who sacrifice themselves by dividing their time between serving as representatives for the government and some corporations, are part of the new breed of dictators that arbitrarily decide our destiny, declare wars, and sell weapons and oil in order to continue fattening their bank accounts. They have even created international entities to promote development, which in reality are blackmailing leeches that lend money at very high interests, impossible to pay, to produce more poverty, cheap labor and access to precious natural resources.

Those murderers and thieves, with their fake smiles and impeccable suits, have secured the loyalty of many journalists, who cover the latest made-up story of the week, like a dog playing fetch with its owner. There is mutual interest in hiding the incompetence of the other: While journalists do not prepare profound stories that analyze cause and effect, sometimes because they are pressured to break the story and sometimes because they are incompetent, government officials respond with their repertoire of sound bites for any occasion. True journalists are almost extinct, because the majority of people working in that profession now are nothing more than public relations agents who repeat everything a suit says, and who limit their analysis to interviewing each other.

Although it was widely known that the terrorists involved in the 9/11 attacks obtained their visas legally, some people said it was necessary to secure the borders, but only mentioned the southern border. Not only was the opportunism to push an archaic and xenophobic agenda evident, but also how unbelievably easy the people swallow anything their “elected” representatives say. Infallible politicians start lies to divert the popular attention from their incompetence, and perpetuate vicious slander in the mass media, such as blaming immigrants for recession, terrorism, the social security crisis and (why not?) global warming.

If the majority of people swallow what the mass media and politicians say, it is not possible to have an informed and educated population, both fundamental requisites in a democracy. But that rarely exists today because of a mediocre press, an underfunded educational system, and a massive disinterest in suffrage. Aside from always choosing between two clowns whose only difference is the color of their ties, we have delegates, “überdelegates” and an electoral college that remind us that the voice of the people is worth nothing in this system.

There is no accountability today and we even treat those government officials as heroes who, after making billions and retiring, spend their days writing books or making appearances at black tie events, while those who suffered from their decisions live worse than before and are pushed out of their homeland in order to survive.

Unfortunately, if someone raises their voice in protest, he/she is always labeled as unpatriotic, communist or, more recently, a terrorist, demonstrating that the intolerant majority associates critique with contempt, and forgets that the real critique is made because you care about something and want to improve it.
People from the Third World came because of inhumane policies that have resulted in deaths, inequality and exploitation. Sadly, when they come to the U.S. for a slice of the First World cake, they are discriminated and limited by a system that incessantly boasts about its equality and opportunities.
Yes, I am from the Third World, the one that orbits the Sun after Mercury and Venus, just before Mars. It’s a place where the sun or a simple smile remind you everyday that beauty is abundant, but where, unfortunately, brothers and sisters are separated by frontiers, ambition and prejudice.

Even though many reject the idea, we are all from the Third World in this planet, because our color, creed, language or bank account balance do not matter. If you do not consider yourself from the Third World, then you must be an alien, ignorant and distant from our problems. But, since I do believe in equality, I won’t judge extraterrestrials by the same standards, because I would end up protesting with other intolerant people, carrying signs that read: ALIENS GO HOME!