3 ms·

The world income comparison thing at the end is not meaningful in the slightest. Why not? I would say that it's very important to understand that even middle c

• sudosteph 7y ago
  It's not meaningful because it doesn't address the heart of the question the kid was asking. A child doesn't ask if their parents if they're rich because they looked up the GDP of various nations. They ask their parents if they're rich because they see differences between the things they have access to and the things their peers have access to. Even a child knows that when they have a bigger house, receive better gifts, visit more places - that they are different from their peers and even families on TV. They deserve to know that most everyone they actually interact with will consider them "rich" and treat them accordingly. They also deserve to know that being "rich" is truly not the norm and that acting like everybody in the USA has the exact same opportunities as them is going to leave them out of touch with reality.
  • harryh 7y ago
    This is a great answer. Thanks.
• trowawee 7y ago
  Because Americans aren't buying groceries or paying rent in the rest of the world, they're doing that in America. Knowing that you're theoretically well-off in comparison to people living in other places doesn't put food in the fridge, and it tends to be deployed to shame people who are having a tough time making ends meet.
  • harryh 7y ago
    Knowing that you're theoretically well-off in comparison to people living in other places It's not theoretical. It's factual.
• notacoward 7y ago
  It's also very important as a step on the way to understanding how precarious that position is. That inequality is unsustainable in the face of increasing ability to have someone do the same work elsewhere for a fraction of the cost. People need to adjust and plan accordingly, but first they need to understand how anomalous the US "middle class" has been.