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We already had the ideal state of a neocon. Behold your ideal future.
Followed by a train of fifty servants, and tearing up the pavement, they move along the streets with the same impetuous speed as if they travelled with post-horses and the example of the senators is boldly imitated by the matrons and ladies, whose covered carriages are continually driving round the immense space of the city and suburbs. Whenever these persons of high distinction condescend to visit the public baths, they assume, on their entrance, a tone of loud and insolent command, and appropriate to their own use the conveniences which were designed for the Roman people. If, in these places of mixed and general resort, they meet any of the infamous ministers of their pleasures, they express their affection by a tender embrace, while they proudly decline the salutations of their fellow-citizens, who are not permitted to aspire above the honour of kissing their hands or their knees. As soon as they have indulged themselves in the refreshment of the bath, they resume their rings and the other ensigns of their dignity, select from their private wardrobe of the finest linen, such as might suffice for a dozen persons, the garments the most agreeable to their fancy, and maintain till their departure the same haughty demeanour, which perhaps might have been excused in the great Marcellus after the conquest of Syracuse. Sometimes indeed these heroes undertake more arduous achievements: they visit their estates in Italy, and procure themselves, by the toil of servile hands, the amusements of the chase. (39) If at any time, but more especially on a hot day, they have courage to sail in their painted galleys from the Lucrine lake(40) to their elegant villas on the seacoast of Puteoli and Caieta,(41) they compare their own expeditions to the marches of Caesar and Alexander. Yet should a fly presume to settle on the silken folds of their gilded umbrellas, should a sunbeam penetrate through some unguarded and imperceptible *****, they deplore their intolerable hardships, and lament in affected language that they were not born in the land of the Cimmerians,(
$34k per person, so a household of five people would be $170k.
And yes, Americans enjoy a very high standard of living compared to the rest of the world.
Guess that makes a little more sense, as not everyone in the household works (children, old people, etc).
Would be easier if they use the 2 parents - 2 children metric so it shows that the each person would need to make $68,000 in a 2-adult household to be in the 1%.
Not to worry there lefty loons I guess this just isn't fair. Obama says he wants to transform America which means share the wealth to all the non 1%'rs. Your children and grandchildren will be living in mud huts like the rest of the third world if you folks get your way.
"It only takes $34,000 a year, after taxes, to be among the richest 1% in the world. That's for each person living under the same roof, including children. (So a family of four, for example, needs to make $136,000.)
So where do these lucky rich people live? As of 2005 -- the most recent data available -- about half of them, or 29 million lived in the United States, according to calculations by World Bank economist Branko Milanovic in his book The Haves and the Have-Nots."
If you don't like the topic then move on. Only a loon would hang around to be made fool of.
Actually only a loon would make dollar for dollar comparisons in any part of the world. The reason why the US is much higher is not simply for what it buys but for who competes for it. This is mostly reflected in real estate costs and rents. If I am in a part of the world were fewer people have dollars there is more demand for it because I have a relative monopoly. That is why one could retire comfortably in Bolivia while they would be bankrupt in a few years in New York. Cracker Jack economics.
there is a reason the have's have and the not's not.
i love it here, beats starving in france anyday.
The reason is we had lots of cheap land and still do compared to France. It doesn't beat Germany though. However then again the wage to housing ratio is better in Germany than it is here. Perhaps if we bombed our country we could rid our selves of the infestation of the useless wealth sucking gentry as well. The land could be repopulated with producers. It would make the land worthless and free it up for production. Defeat in a war against China seems promising.
Prosperity level = income - housing - transportation expenses(also driven up by housing expense) - finance charges.
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Another win for President Obama
