ABSTRACT
Fantasies about the Third World vary greatly in character; whereas some concentrate on the alleged arcadian purity of primitive society, others, to the contrary, emphasize the growing economic and political power of the Third World and the threat this poses to the industrialized West. According to this latter school of thought, the great majority of mankind is in rebellion against political and economic exploitation, and unless the West changes its attitude toward these new and tremendously strong forces it will be doomed. One of the arguments most frequently used in favor of a massive North-South aid effort is the politically "explosive" character of Third World poverty—the assumption being that rapid economic development will somehow defuse the explosion. The economic problems of most Third World countries are by no means insoluble, but the decisive effort will have to come from themselves. Economic issues aside, the alleged growing political importance of the Third World is also something of an optical illusion.
