"Third World” was originally used to describe countries that weren’t rich democracies and not Soviet bloc – mostly countries that had widespread poverty, ramshackle infrastructure, rich elites – and dictatorship.

Today, the phrase “Third World” gathers these sad characteristics that are often seen in these countries (now called “developing nations”).  So you might hear, “The stadium was magnificent, but most of the city is Third World.” 

This is where North Carolina has gone under our Republican state government:  eroding infrastructure (schools, roads, health care, social safety nets, environmental protection), lagging economy, rich elites – and, yes, dictatorship. 

The blog enoughrope.info, written by a retired foreign service officer, talks about dictatorships he’s seen in the world – and notice how his words scream:  “North Carolina General Assembly!”  He writes:

“In most countries (that are not rich democracies), the primary occupation and preoccupation of the leader is staying in power….It is a strain of myopia to believe or pretend that most rulers in the world care about anything but continuing to rule….The importance the ruler places on remaining in office over any other priority is sometimes demonstrated by actions that twist or abandon his prior goals or aspirations. On many occasions, a country’s leader does something counterintuitive or unorthodox that momentarily astounds precisely because it doesn’t seem to fit a narrative or context that had defined his previously expressed identity or deliberate actions. Every single time this kind of thing happens, the leader is making the unusual decision or taking the unexpected step for the simple reason that he believes it’s good for him. He is never loyal to a party, ideology, set of laws, current allies, or his people. He is certainly not to be constrained by commonly-understood concepts of right and wrong. What is right is remaining in power. That’s all there is to it.”

Dead on your General Assembly, isn’t it? 

I remember these guys when Democrats controlled state government.  They appeared as people of principle.  They constantly petitioned for power-sharing with Democrats.  They believed in small government and local control.  And they touted themselves as Christians.

Then came Nov. 2, 2010 – the Great Ambush, when Republicans took control of the General Assembly.  And, oh, what a difference power makes!

Power-sharing?  Pshaw.  With new census figures in hand, they outsourced redistricting to the Republican National Committee’s computer programs.  Slice it, dice it – half our 100 counties and even precincts were split in order to shove Democrats into a small minority of legislative and congressional districts. 

In the first election under this redistricting, 1,484,000 Republicans voted, and 2,007,000 Democrats voted (Democracy North Carolina data) – a half-million more Democrats.  The outcome?  Our erstwhile power-sharing Republicans, 34 seats in the state Senate to 16 Democrats, 74 seats in the state House to 45 Democrats.

And oh, did I say that these Christian lawmakers were holding public hearings around the state ostensibly to get input on redistricting – at the same time the RNC computers were doing their work?  Followed by a stream of lies that would make Donald Trump tip his hat.

Then with Democrats snug in their ghettos and the Supreme Court’s easing of the Voting Rights Act in June, 2013, the GOP moved to suppress Democrat voting with their “voting reform” legislation.  It was so blatant that the U.S. Appeals Court said in striking down much of it: 

“The totality of the circumstances…cumulatively and unmistakably reveal that the General Assembly used [the law] to entrench itself.”

Ah, did you notice the word they used?  Entrench.  Republicans did exactly what enoughrope.info described for countries that have dictatorships!

We’re not a “developing” state.  We’re a state that used to be developed but lost it.  No, North Carolina is Third World.

Republicans will be turned out when the Supreme Court draws rules for gerrymandering and elections are fair.  Until then, fellow WNCers, we’ve got to weed out the perps who’ve swapped in our wonderful state for their own job security.

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Lee Ballard lives in Mars Hill.  For more of his work, readers may visit his blog at mountainsnail.com.