this planet

to continue from yesterday's post, i was given this great article. i think it was originally an email. here we go:

THIS PLANET:
if we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like this. there would be:
57 Asians.
21 Europeans.
14 from the western hemisphere, both north and south.
8 Africans.

52 would be female, 48 would be male.
70 would be non-white, 30 would be white.
70 would be non-christian, 30 would be christian.

6 people would posses 59% of the entire world's wealth, and all 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing.
70 would be unable to read.
50 would suffer from malnutrition.
1 would be near death; one would be near birth.
1 would have a college education.
1 would own a computer.

the following is also something to ponder:
if you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

if you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

if you can attend a religious gathering without fear of harassment, torture, arrest, or death, you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world.

if you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.

if you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

if you can read this message, then you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.