| The term "Third World" was invented by French | | | | poorest residents, who don't have a cistern and pump, |
| demographer Alfred Sauvy in 1952. Although it had | | | | could have running water as well. |
| political connotations at that time, it now simply refers | | | | The roads were another thing that amazed us. Some |
| to underdeveloped countries. It is typically thought to | | | | politician had come through and build nice new roads |
| signify poverty more than anything else, but after our | | | | almost ten years earlier, in both San Vicente and |
| recent trip to South America, my wife and I have | | | | nearby Bahia. But since that time not one penny had |
| come to understand it differently. | | | | been spent repairing them. The result? Traffic goes |
| My wife Ana was born and raised in Ecuador, and | | | | slow and cars drive all over both sides of the roads to |
| remembers using buckets of water to take a shower, | | | | avoid the worst holes. I'm sure there is expensive |
| because the city where she lived as a child didn't have | | | | damage caused to cars as well. Apparently, no |
| running water in all parts. When we were in Ecuador in | | | | thought was given to the cost of maintenance - or |
| October of 2007, we were disappointed to learn that | | | | any plan for it - when the roads were built. |
| thirty years later, there still isn't running water in many | | | | I should point out that the water and power is always |
| towns. This is particularly sad given the economic | | | | on in Guayaquil or in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. In |
| boom that has taken place in the country in the last six | | | | these cities, the streets are maintained, and people are |
| years. | | | | buying cars and everything else with easy credit, just |
| Third World Equals A Lack Of Basic Services | | | | like in the United States. The shopping malls are |
| We bought a small piece of property in San Vicente, | | | | actually nicer than anything I have seen in the U.S. In |
| Ecuador, a hundred yards from the ocean. Ana's | | | | other words, there is money here. In fact, there are |
| grandmother is building a small house on it, and we | | | | even new subdivisions popping up all over, with more |
| were curious to see how it was going. We were | | | | people than ever buying new homes due to easy |
| surprised to see that it was almost complete. | | | | financing. |
| However, the appearance of faucets and a nice | | | | But this development is very uneven, to say the least. |
| shower can be misleading. I turned on the shower and | | | | The smaller cities still have poor roads, problems with |
| nothing happened. | | | | basic police service (don't leave clothes drying on the |
| Relatives that live nearby explained that the city had | | | | line overnight, we were told), and no regular running |
| water only once every week or two for a few hours | | | | water. This lack of basic services, we decided, is what |
| (Thursday mornings, we discovered). Fortunately, my | | | | really sets third world countries apart from the rest. |
| wife's grandmother had installed a large cistern that | | | | Interestingly, everywhere where private companies are |
| held thousands of gallons of water. When the city | | | | involved, things are going great. This means wonderful |
| water came on, this was filled, and easily lasted until | | | | malls, new ways to buy cars and homes, and even |
| the next time the water was on. But she was still using | | | | some nice private parks. Internet service is as fast in |
| buckets to bring that water into the house for showers | | | | the big cities of Ecuador as anywhere in the world. |
| and dish washing. | | | | Anything that is done by the government, on the other |
| We bought a pump and paid to have it installed. Now | | | | hand, is done poorly. This includes roads, parks, water |
| there was running water all the time, except for the | | | | and sewage systems, and anything else they touch. |
| occasional hour when the electricity went out. But | | | | Perhaps the first thing that a third world country like |
| pumps are stolen quickly we were told, even from | | | | Ecuador needs to do is start contracting these things |
| walled communities, so we had to have a cement | | | | out to private companies. Even the poor of Ecuador |
| pump house built, with a locking gate. Problem solved. | | | | who can't afford a thousand dollars to have a cistern |
| This got us to thinking. I have never been a fan of | | | | and pump can afford to pay a bit more in taxes to |
| higher taxes, but that is exactly what came to mind as | | | | have basic services. |
| a necessity. Our property taxes there are something | | | | Our experience in Ecuador, and what we have read |
| like $25 per year, which seemed nice at first, but | | | | about other such "poor" countries that are actually rich |
| consider the thousands of houses here, most with an | | | | in many resources, has made us reconsider what it |
| expensive cistern, a pump (or a gravity-fed system | | | | means to be a third world country, and what causes |
| with a tank), and a pump house. If the taxes were a | | | | this state of affairs. It is a lack of basic services that |
| little higher, could the city have a water system that | | | | more accurately defines such countries, it seems, and |
| worked, thus avoiding the necessity for all these | | | | it is bad government above all that is the root cause of |
| things? Of course, this would also mean that the | | | | the problems. |