First World, Second World, Third World
8th July 2021
As far as railroads go, the First World consists of the United States and Canada, the only two major countries that haven’t nationalized their rail systems. Just about every other developed country is in the Second World. The Third World consists mainly of countries that don’t have railroads at all or have very few.
Where private owners attempt to earn profits, political leaders want to get re-elected. As a result, government ownership, especially in democracies, leads politicians to direct resources to the most visible activities. Passenger trains are more visible than freight, so Second-World countries dedicate their rail systems to passengers. Private rail systems in the United States and Canada are used mainly for freight because freight rail, unlike passenger trains, is profitable. Not coincidentally, these are also the most productive rail systems in the world.