Comments on: How Rich ARE You?

By: LD

LD — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:19:01 +0000

I’m in the top 12%, apparently, but I still struggle to meet the expenses of living in my privileged Australian society – enough to survive, just. I can’t say this told me much that I didn’t know, and I don’t feel a whole lot better about my income.
I am very grateful that I have shelter and clean water and food and clothing, but everything is relative. Of course.

By: sid350

sid350 — Mon, 17 May 2010 05:40:10 +0000

I make ~$500 per month, and it’s a good money here.

By: Carnival of Personal Finance #256: Market Crash Edition

Carnival of Personal Finance #256: Market Crash Edition — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:13:58 +0000

[...] Money from Budgets Are Sexy presents How Rich ARE You?, and says, “60% of the world makes less than $1,000 a year – we are very blessed to be [...]

By: RGA

RGA — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:04:55 +0000

I should have read all the comments before I posted. You seem like an intelligent and thoughtful person, who wants the best for his family, and works hard to pull that off. That’s more than I can say about a lot of people. What happens though, is that the thinking you subscribe to, while well meaning, is exactly the biggest obstacle to a more equitable world. We blindly follow a set of priorities that put ourselves and family first, our community second, our country next, and then the world, with whatever we deem may be left over, while voraciously perusing our goals of security for our own lives. Until the bulk of people in the world can begin to exercise some honesty about that, and stop rationalizing and justifying their own self-interest, there will be little to no real progress toward a more equitable world. And while I’m not formally educated in religion, your statement about striking a balance between Jesus’ words and taking care of your family, is a total distortion of his alleged teachings. He never taught “balance,” he never said, “follow me and we’ll build an air conditioned church,” and his family was as large as his burdens. He taught a completely different thing than what you seem to think. He never said, “follow me and we’ll strike a balance between helping the less fortunate and diversifying our portfolios.” Sorry to be so harsh, but I get really tired of people that go to church, thinking it has anything whatsoever to do with the teachings of Christ. Most churchgoers, while good people, and well meaning, do it mostly to bring meaning to their own lives and standards. Yes, there is some token of giving and helping. Some people, of course, are more honest about it than others. I said “most” churchgoers.

By: RGA

RGA — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:31:04 +0000

I have never plugged into that I’m grateful I have shoes when I see a man walking barefoot. I think one’s IQ is slightly above two standard deviations below normal, whenever I hear that kind of thinking. I was cursed with this human condition called empathy, and have never much thought of how wonderful it feels to be rich, while you’re poor. Instead, I think of how much we have that doesn’t go to help others. It’s probably about 60 – 80% of our resources, that go directly to thinking this planet is our own personal playground of comfort and enjoyment. Yuk, on being rich. Do something for the planet, rather than yourself, and you will know the full meaning of wealth.

By: J. Money

J. Money — Sun, 09 May 2010 02:56:44 +0000

you don’t think anyone in the 1% gives back and shares some of their wealth? what are you doing to help out?

By: F. I. A. R.

F. I. A. R. — Sat, 08 May 2010 17:18:05 +0000

That’s a very twisted way of looking at things.
The author is feeling happy and blessed for being amongst the top 1 percent of earners. I look at it as a disgusting illustration at how the “trickle-down” theory is bullshit. There are people out there with nothing…and those with everything. Nobody should have that much money. The wealth needs to be shared. This article doesn’t make me feel happy about my prospective salary, it makes me feel ashamed to be a part of a human race that does not take care of one another!

By: Boaba Whales

Boaba Whales — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:26:03 +0000

I just want to point out that the absolute numbers do not correlate directly into purchasing power — simply because when international trade is not involved, money value is only relative.

The same McDonald’s meal costs 14 USD in England, 7 USD in the United States, 4 USD in Taiwan.

Does that mean the burger in England is better in quality? Or that burgers in Taiwan have one less patty?

No, the price is different because money value is only relative to the market the product is sold in. People make more money in England, so in general their prices are higher. On the other hand, people make less in Taiwan, so the prices are lower.

If we assume that someone in Taiwan only make 60% of what an average American makes. What this website tries to tell us is that they are “less fortunate” and “cannot live the life style of an average American.” What if things in Taiwan are in general 50% cheaper than the same things in the US? Then that person actually actually have more purchasing power than an average American and most likely lives a better life than the average American.

This is not to say that we are not fortunate. Even though it might only cost 30 USD a month to live an “average American lifestyle” in some countries, the average income for someone in that country might be 25 USD. If you would like to help out countries where the cost of living is lower in terms of absolute numbers, then of course your money would make a big impact and you should help them out.

Unless the website would instead calculate “annual income divided by cost of living an average American lifestyle” depending on your geographic location, I would say this website presents a very skewed view on this issue.

By: J. Money

J. Money — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:12:20 +0000

I’m not sure what the point of your comment is….we shouldn’t be glad we live in the US? We should live like those less fortunate? I don’t see how sharing the news that the US is in the top 1% (and thus educating those who didn’t know this like myself) is a bad thing.

Are you doing something that’s helping change the world that we should be aware of?

By: Gady

Gady — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:16:04 +0000

your article is so egotistic. yes we are rich and yes we should be thankful.
but what about those other 90% who suffer from our richness ?
they are getting paid 1$ per day so we can but the shoes they are making for 200$ ?

your wealth is given to you just because you were burn in the USA.
if there is an a life after this one I wish you will be born in India