On relative wealth and poverty

You know,I get real tired about people whining about the "poor" here in America?Give me a break-our "poor" own 3 cars,4 televisions,a computer and all the junk food they want-contrast that with REAL poor people in other parts of the world.While I was deployed to Thailand,a few years ago,we bought a cheap coffee maker for about 10 clams,to use while we were there for a month and some change-as we were getting ready to leave,we gave it to a Thai Marine corps Sergeant-Major-and he was as happy as the proverbial pig in shit to get it.......and it was'nt anything to us.Or,as I was clearing my hotel room in Patteya Beach,Thailand,I tipped the maid 400 baht(around 10 bucks US),and once again,she was estatic-but ten bucks was'nt a major issue to me-especially considering that the army was paying me well for my travel expenses.I've seen numerous other examples of this,like Greek soldiers,who'd recieve their monthly pay,buy a carton of smokes,and be broke till payday-that would suck.....as a sergeant,I make more than colonels make in many armies around the world,and really can't complain about my standard of living.Sure,I'd like more money,and upon my promotion to Staff sergeant,in May or June,I'll get close to a $5,000.00 annual raise-and theres guys in other parts of the world who would give their left nut to earn just what my RAISE is!Maybe compared to Bill Gates,or Warren Buffet,I'm "poor",but we seem to be doing ok on what I make-of course,there IS my well known addiction to dumpster diving and thrift shops that REALLY stretches a paycheck.....of course,exageratting the plight of the "poor" here in America makes great political capital for lefty kooks,but in my book,it just does'nt wash.