First-Second-Third World. What does it even mean?

We use these arbitrary terms as if they are free-standing classifications that exist in reality, separate from ourselves. We completely overlook the fact that we created them, from our own perspective, based on who we believed were equal to us, and who were less than.

We organized the world into groups, and we fight to keep people into the groups that we created for them. We use the labels we created to justify our treatment of the people we ourselves labeled.

Maddening, isn't it?

This article explains it.