The poverty-stricken rich

It seems that Scandinavians think they are rich, but are kidding themslelves. Europeans aren't so well off either.

the study found, if the E.U. was treated as a single American state, it would rank fifth from the bottom, topping only Arkansas, Montana, West Virginia and Mississippi....

In late March, another study, this one from KPMG, the international accounting and consulting firm...indicated that when disposable income was adjusted for cost of living, Scandinavians were the poorest people in Western Europe. Danes had the lowest adjusted income, Norwegians the second lowest, Swedes the third. Spain and Portugal, with two of Europe's least regulated economies, led the list.

Wasn't it just a couple summers ago that thousands of elderly French died in a heat wave because they considered fans an unaffordable luxury? (Forget about air conditioning- that's for...well...Americans.)

Thanks to Arts & Letters Daily