May 18, 2021 07:00:00

It is pointed out that people who earn 3.7 million yen a year are blessed to be in the top 1% of the world

According to the (PDF file)

Private Salary Statistics Survey conducted by the National Tax Agency, the average salary of regular workers excluding part-timers and part-time workers in the first year of Reiwa (2019) is 4.36 million yen. Looking at the results of this survey, it does not seem that the amount of 'annual income of 3 million yen' is blessed, but writer Matt Lillywhite said, 'The number of people who earn 3.7 million yen a year is in the top 1% worldwide. 'It's in,' he claims, and appeals to the situation in developing countries, which is invisible to developed countries.

If You Make $ 34,000, You're Part Of The One Percent | by Matt Lillywhite | Apr, 2021 | The Apeiron Blog
https://theapeiron.co.uk/if-you-make-34-000-youre-part-of-the-one-percent-ebd6ae7a3ed3

Born and raised in a developed country, Lillywhite had seen poverty in developing countries in news and YouTube videos, but when he actually touched poverty in developing countries in Bangkok, Thailand, he was shocked. It was beyond imagination.

When Lillywhite walked through the streets of Bangkok, the locals recognized him as a 'wealthy Westerner,' and people often asked if he could afford it. Lillywhite at the time knew that he had only a few hundred dollars (tens of thousands of yen) and couldn't waste any money to maintain his life, but for the locals, tens of thousands. The yen was enough to cover the rent and meals for a while.

Lillywhite, who never felt 'wealthy' in developed countries, realized in a few hours in Bangkok that he was a wealthy person. 'The people in Bangkok have made me realize that I am very lucky compared to the vast majority of people in the world and have given me a whole new perspective on life,' said Lillywhite. I will.

And to those reading this article, 'you're probably lucky,' Lillywhite points out. Of course, I don't think I'm living a perfect life myself, and I may be dissatisfied with where I live or can't buy the latest iPhone, but still with the vast majority of people in the world. It is said that it is a 'privileged' existence in comparison.

In the case of Lillywhite, if you feel hungry, you can go to a local grocery store and buy most things, but there are many people in the world who can't even buy basic necessities, including food. For example

, according to a Reuters report , as many as 400,000 infants could die from starvation in 2021 in Yemen, which has been exhausted by the civil war. Similarly, people living in other developing countries such as Haiti and Madagascar suffer from hunger.

Lillywhite explains the 'privileges' that people living in Western countries, including the United States, are less likely to notice.

-Freedom of speech: Freedom of speech does not exist in many countries and regions on the earth, and acts such as freely expressing opinions and criticizing the government are not allowed. If statements are questioned in these countries or regions, they may be sentenced to imprisonment, deported, or physically beaten.

Financial wealth: The American middle class is incredibly wealthy by international standards, with more than 75% of all households earning more than $ 34,000 in household income. I will. This is in the top 1% of the world.

Free access to public education: If you were born and raised in the United States or other developed countries, you should most likely have received compulsory education for free. However, according to UNESCO

data , 264 million children worldwide are out of school, and 759 million adults are unable to read .

-Easy to travel abroad: If you have an American passport, you can travel to 187 countries without a visa, but most people living in most countries will have to pay a lot of money and time to get a visa. In addition, Japanese passports are even stronger than the United States, and as of 2021, it is possible to travel to 191 countries without a visa .

• Respect for human rights: In most Western countries, people's human rights are guaranteed and they will not be physically tortured or deprived of their human rights even if they are arrested for a crime. However, it has been reported that Uighurs have been forced into labor in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and have been severely tortured and sexually assaulted in internment camps.

Lillywhite points out that many people around the world are forced to live harshly not because of their own way of thinking or ignorance, but because of their 'place of birth' that they cannot control. Of course, people born in developed countries do not have to apologize for being blessed, but argued that it is important to recognize that they are in a privileged position.