Blog Action Day || How Rich are You?
October 15th, 2008 by Andy Didyk
So, how rich are you?
Yes, the stock market is in the toilet. Yes, it takes $70 to fill up my car instead of $25. Yes, tomatoes are really expensive right now. And yes, this year we have to drive for a vacation instead of fly. I’m definitely feeling the economic “crunch” and I’m worried about the stability of my industry.
Yet I am still among the richest 1% of people in the world. Check this out:
Global Rich List, built a few years ago by an agency in London, allows a user to input heir yearly income and see exactly how they compare with the rest of the world. Take a minute and try it, please…the results will surprise you. Most importantly, I hope that it can serve as a reminder to all of us of exactly how much we have, and how when we give a little it makes a huge difference to those who are in great need.
I’ve been privileged to travel to several different countries with the purpose of helping out those less fortunate, and it is truly sobering to realize how much even the poorest people in the US really have (and perhaps more importantly, have access to). Things like clean water, decent healthcare (in the US even the uninsured are required by law to be treated for major illnesses), access to a free education, and a myriad of halfway houses and government programs do offer a wealth of opportunity for those in need.
All poverty, even extreme poverty, is relative. The richest of the rich in one country may be the poorest of the poor in another. But if you’re a destitute individual in the US, it doesn’t help you very much to have someone remind you what the slums in Kibera are like, or exactly how little some people subsist on in Calcutta. But relative to everyone who is suffering in this world, most Americans are (relatively) really well.
So give, internationally or domestically, to help alleviate the suffering of those around the world who are greatly in need. If you think you can’t afford it, check out Global Rich List and think about how much even cutting a small luxury from your life could really help someone out. Google “Poverty” if you need some ideas of where to give – some great organizations are using search engine marketing – just check the right hand column.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 at 9:17 pm and is filed under blogging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.