Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) Do you know how lucky you are?

This was posted a while back by one of the guys on a car forum that I belong to. I'm not sure where it came from originally, but the figures appear to be about right (at least the ones that I know about are). It made me realise just how lucky I am..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:


There would be: 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south and 8 Africans.
52 would be female and 48 would be male.
70 would be non-white and 30 would be white.
70 would be non-Christian and 30 would be Christian.
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing.
70 would be unable to read.
50 would suffer from malnutrition.
1 would be near death;
1 would be near birth.
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education.
1 would own a computer.


The following is also something to ponder...

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more fortunate than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 70% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish somewhere...you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

well,well, would you believe it ......... [color:"yellow"] I'm Rich !!!!!!!!! [/color],Thats it, i ain't gonna go to work today. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" />

Sounds both sad and true. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

You won't be rich for long...

Übereil

hmm Ub very pessimistic there Son, I mean you are saying that Spick will not be able to have all that ... soon <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" /> I dont think so since all of us here have a PC then it is logical we belong to the top 8 % since there's only 1 % of ppl with PC's and thus we are the survivors <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
think <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> about it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

I thought of the fact that he didn't go to work today. THAT way, we won't stay rich for long. And I don't own a computer, I just use my father's (all the time <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />).

Übereil

This is the one big reason why I started my university study on economics. There is lots and lots to improve in this world. On the other hand if you compare the above values with the one before 500 years much has improved. Still there´s a lot of work to be done.

An example: Western Europe vs China.

In the year 1400 Europe had a GDP per capita of about 400$ and China of about 500$.
(calculated with the dollar of 1989, sorry data is a bit old). In 1989 Europe had more than 14000$ and China about 2500$. The difference in annual economic growth over these 589 years was far below 1%!!!

This indicates that little effort can create enourmous returns over the time.

Another theme is off course distribution. World´s wealth should be distributed more fair, but this is difficult to reach. Those wh have the wealth will not share it on a voluntary basis. If government, people or whoever tries to force them we will have war. (Usually very few can better their situation because of war). So the only option possible is to find solutions such as the rich stay on their level and the poor get more.

As you can imagine this is the ultimate goal for an economist. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Hah! this reminds me of an old Peter Sellers Movie, where he played a knight of a very small negative egonomic country that declared war on the US, due to the fact that the loosing country usually ends up better of after the war due to settlements etc etc <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Wasn't that movie called, "The Mouse That Roared"?

Kyra_Ny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

Geez I think I am beginning to fall in love with you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> yup you are deadright <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />