Western Ideals Versus Third World Realities

More generally, it would be helpful if Westerners judged Third World governments not from the absurdly narrow and unrealistic perspective of their own countries, but based on the far different realities of the Third World. It is simply absurd to apply the perspective of the First World — where middle-class families ponder the benefits of having three cars rather than two — to the desperate on-the-ground realities of the Third World — where millions of malnourished families aspire to three meals a day rather than two. Most Westerners never set foot on a developing country and those that do often only see the poshest downtown part of the capital city, staying in a Hilton or Sheraton. Be that as it may, it would be useful if they educated themselves about the grim realities of the Third World before they start lecturing to the Third World. Most things they take for granted, such as running water or reliable electricity or schools and hospitals, are unavailable to large swathes of the population in the Third World…