Now there are middle powers, but I remember when it was a division. First, Second and Third World.
Third world. The unwashed. The dirty and shirtless. The Hoi Polloi. The stupid.
The First world was the rich, beautiful, democratic and clean countries.
The Second were the USSR countries.
Once the USSR fell, the Third World name disappeared but they continued being dirty undemocratic etc., etc. ad became Emerging Markets. It didn't last long thought.
A novel name appears now. The Middle Powers. Isn't this an upgrade from Emerging Markets? Philip Cunliffe writes "...the question for us in Britain is this; where does a world order based around spheres of influence leave smaller middle powers such as us, still struggling to re-establish ourselves as an independent nation-state after decades as a member-state of the European Union?"
You see it gets complicated. Will the middle powers be joining the unwashed Hoi Polloi as they try to re-establish themselves? Brazil, India, Mexico and Nigeria?
Philip Cunliffe continues "...the middle powers of the Western Atlantic – namely, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Germany, Spain and our closest neighbour, Ireland."
Prime Minister Mark Carney told the World Economic Forum in Davos, that "middle powers need to join forces to survive" He said "When you aren't a great power, there was always strength in numbers..." It does look he wants the The dirty and shirtless, former Third World countries, to gang up with the rich and beautiful that are being, unceremoniously, booted out of the door.
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