Blogging at
Power Line, John Hinderaker posts a chart comparing the incomes of Americans of all income levels to those of Russia, Brazil, China, and India. He quotes the source of the chart as follows:
Any American household with income at about $125,000 is at around the 88th percentile in the U.S. — and in the 99th percentile, the 1%, globally. Essentially NO American household has income below the global 55th percentile and virtually NO household in India has income above about the 10th percentile of U.S. income. And we’re not even looking at places like Bangladesh or almost anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, truly desperate places.
The discussion arises because Pope Francis has championed redistribution, giving money to the poor. Hinderaker concludes:
Unless you are rich, enthusiasm for redistribution will almost certainly dissipate when it turns out that it is your money that is to be redistributed.
I haven't heard the fabulously wealthy Roman Catholic Church is redistributing its wealth, melting down its solid gold trinkets to fund soup kitchens. If Francis wants us to share, he should model the behavior for us on a grand and spectacular scale.
