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Comment by kolev | Hacker News Reader

And we call ourselves "civilized"...

I think your comment is indefensible but you could try. Perhaps you could start by defining 'civilized' according to your preferred meaning. Meanwhile data from many sources tells us that the world is less violent, healthier, more tolerant, better educated and better fed then it’s ever been. Although there is an association, I think inequality per se is largely irrelevant to our real existing problems.

>Perhaps you could start by defining 'civilized' according to your preferred meaning.

People that don't allow other people to die when there's wealth available.

What, you cannot imagine an advanced but cruel civilisation?

I don't have to.

But I wouldn't do the courtesy of calling it a "civilisation".

Allow me to politely disagree with some of the statements. While I realize it's largely a matter of which glasses you've put on, I just can't easily agree with statements which sound like an excerpt from Bill Gates' annual letter.

healthier - I definitely disagree. I can provide a lot of statistics about why I think it is so, but unfortunately I can't provide statistics about what I see happening around me. And sometimes it's scary.

better educated - Disagree. I think there are huge problems with the education system and it's only baby steps that are taken to improve something.

better fed - With what?

So... I agree with "kolev" that these 1% could eventually put their money to better use. Maybe some of them are doing it.

I guarantee you that on average the population of somewhere like Peru is doing better now than 50 years ago.

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