[7sidedmarble]

Surely you know/understand that: 1. The minimum standard, even in the West, is not high enough. 2. The resources spent on the vanity projects and luxuries of the ultra wealthy could raise that minimum standard instead.

You say, "you'd be more upset if you have nothing" but that is the actual reality for people actually living here. Our system is extremely fickle and contrary to popular belief, does not directly reward hard work with success. I know many people that work very hard jobs, that make a tiny fraction of what probably the lowest earners on this forum make.

[naming_the_user]

In the UK I don’t really agree. I think that the minimum standard is fine. I think that the common standard for workers is too low, but I don’t think that this exists as a result of resource distribution as such but rather regulation, basically the Government prevents building housing which is slightly different as a problem, the rich would do it but they aren’t allowed.

If we had enough housing to go around basically every other problem would be irrelevant.

[s1artibartfast]

I think the luxuries could do almost nothing to improve the minimum standard, which is dictated by national productivity and the efficiency of systems.

I think you could seize the assets from every billionaire in the US and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in day to day life. It wouldn't create more housing or more health Care because production and supply is what limits availability.

Your billionaire is not using a million times more medical services or living in a million houses or eating a million hamburgers.