So, What Exactly is Going On With All the Other Third World Countries?

[Carlos Hernandez]

All of our attention is focused on the Middle East, what about the rest of the world? There are some 30 or so nations in Africa, what's going on there? Does anyone even know that a country called "Mongolia" exists directly north of China, what is going on there? What about all the countries in South America? What about Greece and Portugal? Is there anything interesting enough to even mention in all these third world countries? Any interesting scientific or technological discoveries? Any interesting political or cultural practices? And interesting paranormality incidences?

Carlos Hernandez

[Monique]

Well, the news I read in my newspaper ('newspaper', those free papers they issue in public transportation, eg 'Metro') comes from everywhere and nowhere.

Anything interesting? Not sure.. good topic though.

[selfAdjoint]

Every news story I see about Africa these days is about Mugabe, or Aids, or Nigeria, where the ex-president of Liberia has taken refuge and where it is suspected the US has issued a contract on him.

[FZ+]

The rest of the world? Well, we blame them in a general way for all our troubles, exploit the crap out of them, smile for the cameras over trifling amounts of aid we offer, but otherwise don't care - until they bomb us or something, anyways.

Interesting science? Global aids-vaccine research has been concentrating on Africa for some time now. Research in South America is going into potential feedback effects on the greenhouse effect. Research at the world's rainforests to discover new drugs from old herbal remedies. Science doesn't give much of a damn about borders, though the lack of education in some areas is a great problem.

The centres of illiteracy and poverty in the world correlate in some ways with centres of superstition.