[phaster]

just thought I'd remenind people reading this post, in the grand scheme of things you're pretty will off!

don't know how many of you have traveled in parts of the third world, but life there really sucks and if you think you have problems then just remember "There is nothing simple about living on less than a buck a day, which 1.2 billion people do, or on two bucks a day, as three billion people do. Income of $6 a day puts a person in the middle class in developing countries, but only 400 million people now qualify."

In haiti for example, just saw a news video on the BBC where poor people there were eating basically mud pies because they could not afford food, and then there is what is happening in darfur where people are getting killed if they step outside UN camps...

Just thought I'd point out those little facts, so the next time ya think gas or food prices here in the USA are too high, at least you have opportunity to buy some gas or food. Basically if you are reading this post you are in a group that richer than 7/8 of the worlds population. In other words if ya ranked your place in the economic pie, then you are at least richer than 6 billion people on this planet.

to put the number of "rich" people into perspective, I read someplace that there are on 9 million people who are "millionaires" defined if I recall as people with a million dollar net worth.... or put another way out of all the people on this planet, a person has a 0.0014 chance of being a millionare....

[electric_future]

According to Britain's Channel 4 Rich-o-meter, you are in the top 5% of the world population if you earn US $33K or more per year. The bottom 85% of the world earns $2200 per annum OR LESS!!!

Damn right we're pretty well off...


source

[venky]

Thats true; having grown up in the third world (middle class) myself; now I consider myself fortunate to be in the top 5%.

These people already live far worse than anything the west will experience in a post peak oil depression.

[pup55]

Idiot Americans do not see it this way though.

I think every high school senior in the US ought to be marched through one of those gigantic slums in South America or Asia or Africa just for the pure joy of seeing how the rest of the world lives. Might give them a sense of perspective and help them appreciate how much they have.

[tick66]

I have been and slept in those slums in South East Asia. Nice place friendly people all very poor. They share their food with everyone in neighborhood that asks for it. (Neverending cycle) It is a very depressing predicament. But all in all they seem a lot happier than most of the people in the world.

[tick66]

I have been and slept in those slums in South East Asia. Nice place friendly people all very poor. They share their food with everyone in neighborhood that asks for it. (Neverending cycle) It is a very depressing predicament. But all in all they seem a lot happier than most of the people in the world.

[Cashmere]

Yes pup. I agree.

But why send them all the way across the oceans?

How about a 2 day trip to Mexico City?

[joeltrout]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pup55', 'I')diot Americans do not see it this way though.

I think every high school senior in the US ought to be marched through one of those gigantic slums in South America or Asia or Africa just for the pure joy of seeing how the rest of the world lives. Might give them a sense of perspective and help them appreciate how much they have.

[joeltrout]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cashmere', 'Y')es pup. I agree.

But why send them all the way across the oceans?

How about a 2 day trip to Mexico City?

[IanC]

That would certainly put the Immigration issue in the US into perspective.

It's easy to sit on the border with your rifle and decry all the illegals coming over. They are looking for any way out of those slums.

Have you ever been to a migrant labor camp in the US? I did when I worked at a migrant health clinic. They are usually down a gravel road, just past the tree line where you can't see from the highway. The conditions are primitive, but not 3rd world, but certainly worse than nearly all of us Americans would tolerate. Those migrants do all sorts of jobs whining American's don't like to do (but will be doing in this generation), and send home tons of money to help thier families.

Expect this in-migration to reach a flood if food and oil prices continue to climb.

-Ian

[BigTex]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cashmere', 'Y')es pup. I agree.

But why send them all the way across the oceans?

How about a 2 day trip to Mexico City?

[charliebrownout]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pup55', 'I')diot Americans do not see it this way though.

I think every high school senior in the US ought to be marched through one of those gigantic slums in South America or Asia or Africa just for the pure joy of seeing how the rest of the world lives. Might give them a sense of perspective and help them appreciate how much they have.

[charliebrownout]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cashmere', 'Y')es pup. I agree.

But why send them all the way across the oceans?

How about a 2 day trip to Mexico City?

[BigTex]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('charliebrownout', 'D')unno why...but this discussion reminded me of this story:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333173,00.html

[Denny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('phaster', 't')o put the number of "rich" people into perspective, I read someplace that there are on 9 million people who are "millionaires" defined if I recall as people with a million dollar net worth.... or put another way out of all the people on this planet, a person has a 0.0014 chance of being a millionare....

[charliebrownout]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BigTex', '
')


I don't think I would want to go to Zimbabwe for ANYTHING.

EVER.

[s0cks]

On the news here there was a guy who lives on NZ$2.70 a day roughly. He uses the land for almost everything he needs. He said he is also very happy.

So I' m not sure I like the $ a day values. Someone on $100k a year could be far less satisfied or unhappy than someone on $30k a year.

We should all be living on $0 a day. Money creates the poor and the rich.

[kpeavey]

There is no question that the populations of the developed world have it good. The problem before us is the projected rapid collapse of those civilizations.

[Cashmere]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')oney creates the poor and the rich.

[phaster]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('joeltrout', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cashmere', 'Y')es pup. I agree.

But why send them all the way across the oceans?

How about a 2 day trip to Mexico City?