First Blog

How rich is Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com?   Well, the latest data gives his worth to be about $105 billion.   That is a lot, and it make him the richest man on earth.   Here is one data point to illustrate his worth in terms of the GDP of the eight   Least Developed Countries, which are Nepal, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Niger, and Malawi.   For them, the total GDP is about $101 billion.   The combined population of these countries is 235,240,000. It is one thing to be the richest person on the planet; it is another to understand his relative worth in comparison with the poorest countries.   Not just one poor country, but eight of them combined! Table of actual values from nationmaster.com. COUNTRY GDP (billions) GDP per capita POPULATION (million)   LAND AREA (sq km) Bangladesh $115.61 $1,384.53 163.65                        130,17

Utopian worlds.   Now. For millions of people, the world is completely safe (or at least a safe place).   Sure, there are threats, but only distant threats or possibilities of distant threats. These people need not be rich.   Many are poor.   Most have a modest income, with housing, with security, few with challenges either to survive, to succeed, other than to enjoy daily safe living.   The recourse to safety and security is significant.   It is foundational as many have noted.   With it, they may operate with impunity, and without it there come suspicion.  It may be callous to mention that this is precisely the hope promised by most retirement communities.   For the retired, this is a well-deserved world paid for with a lifetime of experience, toil, and savings. It is the dream come true – pardon the age.   It is as near as some get to utopia.   Gone are those cares of their past, of jobs, of homes, including that of survival. Community builders advertise exactly this world,