I think you both have a good point when you get past the sword fighting.
ST I've made that same argument regarding relative poverty indices. Most American poor are rich by world standards.
skyhook You're right to point out that perhaps being in dire poverty in the US is a harder life than being in dire poverty in Sweden with Sweden's safety net.
Where I grew up there were people living in shanty towns in the desert, their homes were basically just a couple of pieces of plywood nailed together. Something gives me the impression that such does not really exist in Sweden. Are there tent cities in Sweden?
Of course the comparison of Sweden to the US is pretty ridiculous. Sweden is about the population of the state of New Jersey.