And my wife and I together make nowhere near $250K... more like $94K. But that modest income puts us in the top 0.69% of the world's people! I calculated that on http://www.globalrichlist.com/ .

The trouble is, when most of us think of rich, we're looking up at those above us. We need to look down at the vast sea of humanity below, who, when they look up, see us.

You must be working too hard - or maybe your family calls you Rich. You haven't been posting here, or on Bottom Line, very much lately. Busy; or is this all getting redundant?

I suppose I can console myself with that.

But I am more worried about where I will be about twenty years from now, when presumably, at the age of 72, I will be wanting very much to retire.

Interesting link, Revrick!

Pretty pitiful Revrick, that link that is.

You're not a stupid man, so it makes me wonder why you ignore the reason WHY people are wealthy and others poor. We all know that the reason isn't because we kick our iron boot in the face of the Proletariat or subjugate the farmers to prop up our pigpen of wealth. The reason is far far deeper than a simple Marxist statement of indignation or a Royal decree of arrogance concerning the peasants. The solution far more complex than simply giving money, actual cash, to some dirt farmer in India or Nairobi.

You could suggest that we should give opportunities to them, but that implies that we somehow took that opportunity away from them originally or that we had that same opportunity given to us, OR that we are in a position to give that opportunity away. Claims that can easily be disproven. The topic of wealth redistribution, exactly what that site promotes, must begin with recognizing why wealth is unevenly distributed to be begin with and whether that is a moral or immoral situation.

I'm in the elite seventh of world population, counting only earned income. Counting unearned income (losses) for 2008, I may be in the bottom half of world income, but last year I was a bit better off.

We Americans could surely benefit by seeing how the other half lives...at least from time to time.

Since moving to SE Asia, I've cut my living expenses way down. My wife was razzing me for spending $500 this month (when she had only spent about $300). I bought a ping pong table, was my weak reply.

"Since moving to SE Asia, I've cut my living expenses way down."

How much of that saving has come merely from entering the Thai economy rather than by any change in the way you act? I haven't expressed that well, but I think you know what I mean.

Eigenvector,

As an antidote to all the "poor me, I live in an expensive place and my $250K doesn't go very far; my how I sufferism" that seems to have sprouted up like kudzu in this neighborhood, I was offering the contrary attitude of gratitude. That, and that alone, was my purpose with the link, which frankly, I hadn't explored any further than the calculator.

Now as to the maldistribution of wealth in the world, I believe some of the nastiest words in the English language are 'earn' , 'deserve' and the like. The Nobel economist Herbert Stein has estimated that up to 90% of our income is attributable to the laws and customs and government of our land. We get bonus notches simply for making the wise choice of who would be our parents. After all, do Ethiopian children 'earn' starvation?

Did Bill Gates earn his fabulous wealth? Does he not stand on the shoulders of countless mathematicians, computer scientists, electrical engineers, spanning centuries, and many of them died in penury and obscurity?

I much prefer the language of gift and share.

Oh, and thank you for the props re my previous post on Gross' Russian trade and Cold War claim.

Phil,

Okay, wise guy... I guess I'll need ta new nic: Ricktherich... and don't you dare replace the first consonant and vowel!

Leroy,

Retire? Only guys of Phil's generation get to retire! I plan on becoming a Wal-Mart greeter.

Genedio,

Ping pong table, huh? Sure it wasn't a flat screen TV? I guess you guys win the frugality prize.

Eigenvector: You could suggest that we should give opportunities to them, but that implies that we somehow took that opportunity away from them originally or that we had that same opportunity given to us, OR that we are in a position to give that opportunity away. Claims that can easily be disproven.

LeRoy: I take this to mean that you can easily 'disprove' that the slave trade did any kind of harm of Africa.

Interesting.

Stupid, but interesting.

I would say more saving has come from altering the way I act. That is, making about $10,000 a year, I've inevitably cut back on my purchases. But could I have done this without entering the local economy? Probably not. But while some things are indeed cheaper here (food, public transportation, rents), other things are just as expensive.

I daresay I wouldn't want to try living on $10,000 a year in the States. That would be true poverty.

"Did Bill Gates earn his fabulous wealth? Does he not stand on the shoulders of countless mathematicians, computer scientists, electrical engineers, spanning centuries, and many of them died in penury and obscurity?"

Does he? Is he responsible for their fate? I do not think so, of course Bill Gates is a poor choice since he arguably stole a good portion of his company's assets from other businesses. Perhaps a better choice would be someone like Buffet, (No not Jimmy!) or Hughes or John D Rockefeller. These are not men who had nothing and went to the top, but they aren't outright thieves and crooks who pillaged their fortunes. Is Warren Buffet responsible for all the failed stock brokers and investors that do NOT share his fortunes? He has no play in their future and cannot be held accountable for their mistakes. Rockefeller cannot be held responsible for the people who did not have his luck or acumen.

You or I cannot be held responsible for the fortunes of those we do not directly interact with. A man is a fool who feels responsible for the consequences of actions that he did not forsee or intend.

But back to your post a bit.

"After all, do Ethiopian children 'earn' starvation?"

A fair question, and one that I answer in cold hard terms - yes they do. The children - no, their parents yes. Their parents CHOSE to do nothing about their condition and plight even though they have full knowledge of its inevitability. The drought/starvation cycle in Africa is pretty established yet they do nothing. The land is no longer fertile, yet they do nothing. Millions and billions are poured into that land year after year yet the cycle repeats - they have not learned from their mistakes. Yes they share the blame for their misfortunes. They have options, yet CHOOSE not to employ them.