This is a fascinating infographic. While undoubtedly even what vestages of "capitalism"-- people voluntarily exchanging goods and services-- we have left can take credit for everything in the graphic, and while I wouldn't choose to swap my house for a dirt-floored thatch hut, there is another side to the story.

These graphs are all oriented around modern Western values. By downtown Minneapolis standards, a small fishing village off the East coast of Africa or people running a vegetable cart in the middle of Mumbai are "living in poverty", in the sense that they don't have a 4K television or Ralph Lauren designer shoes. And yet, they are certainly not starving, and look more fit than the average McAmerican.

"Education" and "literacy" are others: these "impoverished" people don't have Harvard degrees in women studies and can't necessarily digest Joyce's "Ulysses", but they are taught the survival tools of the trade and communication skills within the context of their own cultures. I've written about the topic of "education" before.

"Democracy" especially draws my ire, since I think it as a political system is a complete debacle. Frankly, people were meddled with and paid far less in taxes living as serfs under kings and landlords, because the only way that kind of leader could expand his power was the "honest" way: through cannon fire. By contrast, under a "democracy" weasles obtain and retain power through subterfuge-- "watch my left hand while I covertly pick your pocket with my right hand." We've quite literally never had despotism on the mass levels observed today, and it's because of "democracy".

Once again, let me re-iterate that alleviating poverty is a good thing! Nor do I want to perpetuate the "noble savage" myth, as many of those cultures practice cannibalism and infanticide, among other horrors. In 1800, when you got sick you often died. But at the same time, these graphs seem to be judging the well-being of people against the utterly unsustainable suburban Fortune 500 McMansion Wayzata High School "infinite expansion of credit" standards, which is in utter spiritual and cultural collapse, and in general is deep in "late stage" sinking ship mode.

In terms of spiritual fulfillment, sense of community, a feeling of place in the world, and probably overall contentment, I think the chart might look opposite of the ones in this graphic. That's why I say there are two sides to the story. There's no reason why we can't have the best of both worlds, but that's for another post on another day.