My family used to be pretty poor. By "poor," I mean, "not enough to eat." So yes, I know a bit about injustice, and I'm still going to stand by my statement that a million dollars, in the United States, is not enough to never have to think about money again. I can't throw away the conditions of not wanting to help out my elderly parents, or wanting to afford the best treatment for myself if I get cancer, by the way, without turning into one of those greedy heartless bastards you dislike so much.
How about this. Do you think a single mother working at minimum wage in Detroit is well-off? She's making what, $50 per day, which is 25 times as much as your hypothetical Somali, but I think someone as concerned about social justice as you are ought to realize that with her "exorbitant" wage comes a shitty standard of living. Using currency as a metric of well-being is not enough.
I think we're talking at cross purposes here my friend. This single Mum in Detroit, say she is making $50 a day, ok? But then I give her a million bucks. She can buy a cheap house, invest the bulk of it and practically live off the interest even after insurance and bills so long as she didn't decide that all of a sudden she wanted nice cars, nice holidays, nice clothes, whatever. I'm not arguing that there are poor all over the world. I'm arguing that a million dollars is enough to set anyone up for life anywhere in the world. If you are telling me with a straight face that in normal circumstances in the States that you don't think a windfall like this is not enough then I am startled.
That said, how the hell much is health insurance in the States. Maybe it really is a lot more than I realize. I guess I'm used to universal health care but all the same - get the million, buy a small house outright, keep your expenses down, and invest the rest (like 800,000) and live off the interest. That's got to be doable :)
If you're not from the States, then you have no right to say how much is enough, or is not enough. I've done the math. If I want to be able to take care of my parents, any children I ever have, and myself, then a million dollars is not enough. If your hypothetical single mother has a child with cancer, or gives birth to a child with a disability, she's utterly fucked in the United States.
How about this. Do you think a single mother working at minimum wage in Detroit is well-off? She's making what, $50 per day, which is 25 times as much as your hypothetical Somali, but I think someone as concerned about social justice as you are ought to realize that with her "exorbitant" wage comes a shitty standard of living. Using currency as a metric of well-being is not enough.