A friend just e-mailed this to me.
This is a must-see...PLEASE take the time. I'm feeling some serious gratitude right now, that's all I can say.

http://www.luccaco.com/terra/terra.htm

I do try to remember to count my blessings. I got an incredible one today, in fact; huge enough to make me say, "Oh. My. God." This board is certainly a blessing to me!

gratitude

Indeed®. My only niggling query is why, in the credits, was there no mention that the text was all culled from a mass circular from a year or two back? It was sent out, I think, by either Amnesty Int or Oxfam - it also included such factoids that in the hypothecated community of 100 souls, the 8 who would own the vast majority of world wealth would *all be citizens of North America.

[politics alert]
That is why those of us who count ourselves as world citizens in the 21st century must never allow America to sleep too comfortably in its cosy make-believe world of cost-free endless opportunity. See Mr Bush's latest response to Kyoto, for example.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/15/opinion/15KRUG.html?todaysheadlines

I'm thinking it was Oxfam who first did the stats. Still, good you brought it to our attention, WO'N. And Mav, I agree: it's only gonna get worse if we continue to drive SUVs and refuse to recycle. We are world citizens, and I shall refrain from comments on the current US administration and go find me a word thread!

Not to be a party pooper, for the sentiment is lovely, but do also take a look at

http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/populate.htm

The Snopes site makes me wonder why one never sees the mean, median, and mode of incomes from a particular region. Here in the USA, it appears to me that wealth patterns have shifted from a diamond shape, with very few in abject poverty, and very few filthy rich, with a broad middle class, to one of an hourglass shape, with many poor, few middle class, and many rich. How do you people see it?

Impecunious Geoff

How do you people see it?

I think it's still a diamond shape, the middle class is just quieter than the extremes. The rich are generally movie and sports figures and owners of large corporations who are just naturally in the spotlight. The poor get publicity through politics because it's just basic benevolence to help the less fortunate. I agree that the rich are getting richer, but as for the poor, at least in the US, if you're able to keep a job, you're not getting poorer. Poverty in the rest of the world is of course different, probably having a lot to do with corrupt government and life philosophies that aren't congruent with the West. Wealth doesn't necessarily ensure happiness and poverty doesn't necessarily ensure unhappiness.