If The World Were 100 People

[4PON4PIN]

If the world were 100 people .....
There would be 57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from North and South America
8 Africans

52 would be female
48 male
70 would be non-white - 30 white

59% of the entire world's wealth would belong to only 6 people
and all 6 would be citizens of 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

Only 1 would have a college education
Only 1 would have a computer

When one considers our world from such a perspective, the need for both acceptance and understanding becomes glaringly apparent.
Anon.


Read this the other day and thought I'd share it. :confused:

[Send Clowns]

Lovely sentiment, but wrong. Sorry. There are about 6 billion people in the world. 264 million of them are in the USA. That's about 4.4% of the population of the world. So how do the richest 6% live in the USA? Especially as most people in the US are poorer than the richest 5% of Europeans. Japan, with a population about half that of the USA has a significantly higher average income - US$31,000 pa in Japan, US$25,000 pa in the USA. This suggests that some of the richest people would be in Japan, if we try to average the world.

As far as I can find 14% of the world in the Americas is an overestimate too.

This seems like anti-capitalist, anti-American propoganda to me.

[4PON4PIN]

Tks for yr comments SC. Before any others come in, may I assure all and sundry that the extract I quoted was not from any "inflammatory" source whatsoever. It is NOT anti-American, it is NOT anti-capitalist. It is NOT propoganda. Please re-read the last 2 lines of the quoted passage. It is meant as a... "Take Stock Everyone"

There are a whole pile of people in our industry (and allied services) facing a difficult period (sic!) right now. Job losses are inevitable, temporary (hopefully), tightening of belts will be required in families throughout the world.

I know statistics can supposedly prove anything and I have not had, nor will have, time to prove the veracity of the quoted figures for a few days yet. But, I posted the quotation as a "reflection" that whilst **** happens to us all, the depth does vary somewhat!

The truly professional subscibers to this site will, I have little doubt, come through this current crisis period and give total support to their industry by providing constructive comment, suggestions and initiatives, to ensure that those who have attempted to
undermine the moral values of the majority of mankind will not not succeed.

I personally feel that "bitchin 'n moanin'" does not serve any real purpose at this sad time. But if it's constructive and makes you feel better..go ahead and do it..... many people will read it and hopefully those with influence will take note.

This thread was started as being a short "reflection" before other postings.

Here's looking towards you all.

[Lawyerboy]

Send Clowns - in actual fact this is quite old, and I've seen it a few times in the past. It is, so far as I am aware, simply intended to reflect the fact that what we think in the western world as being normal in terms of comfort, literacy and opportunity isn't actually available to the vast majority of people on this planet.

Whilst the numbers may not be strictly accurate (given the numbers involved I don't think they ever could be) I expect that they're still close enough to the truth to be sobering.

This isn't anti-American or anti-anything other than anti-complacency; we are the lucky ones, and every now and again it's worth remembering that.

[Basil]

Which seems to me to be a good reason to fight hard, brutally and ruthlessly to avoid any ^$$hole taking it away from us!!
I was born duing WW2. I did not live in 20th century luxury. I was very lucky to have a roof over my head and enough to eat.
Through work and luck I now live in comparative luxury.
Do I feel guilty? NOT A BIT, BUDDY!!
You guilt-trippers ought to wake up and take a close look at the rest of the world. Do you really want to average out? Is that what Mr Western Man wants to offer his children? You just go to Bombay or Nairobi and ask the first local you meet whether he'd feel guilty if he were in your shoes. He'd think you were a bit doolally for asking what he'd see as a stupid question.

[Lawyerboy]

Guilt? Not a bit of it, old bean. Try compassion, understanding, and appreciation. What we have many don't; the message, I believe, is simply 'don't take it for granted.'

[Niaga Dessip]

Basil,
I don't see where you are being asked to feel guilt. Just a bit sad that you seem to have missed the point. :confused:
Regards. ND

[tilii]

If only the world were 100 people ...

[Sensible]

Can't think of a worse scenario! there would only be 52 females to gaze at and some of those would be either too young or too old!

[tilii]

Sensible

Guess it's a matter of horses for courses, dear chap. Personally, I hope I would have far more interesting things to do than merely gazing at females; like seeking to ensure that the world did not become quite so f****d up as is it today. :eek: :rolleyes: :D

[ 30 September 2001: Message edited by: tilii ]

[Sensible]

You just need to get your priorities right I guess! :D

[Mac the Knife]

Ahem..

Dunno about the population statistics but at a guess

500 years ago

96% of the entire world's wealth would belong to only 5 people
A European, a South American, an Indian, a Russian and a Chinese

94 would live in substandard housing
99 would be unable to read
85 would suffer from malnutrition

1 would be near death - 1 would be near birth

Only 1 would have a college education
Nobody would have a computer

[Al Titude]

sensible's priorities are correct!

And of the ones not too old, too young, or too pregnant, 50% of those remaining would be too ugly.
With tilli out of the way wondering about the world that gives a ratio of about 47 blokes to 9 birds. Hmmmmm, odds not that good then! :( :(