Merkel decided not only to quit the business of war but also to stop paying
federal tax dollars that could fund government weapons. To do so, he aimed
to live on an annual income less than the U.S. taxable level of $5,000.
For most Americans, that figure seems miniscule. But back when Merkel made
his decision, it topped the worldwide average income of $4,500. (Today that
sum has risen to almost $8,000, according to the United Nations. Even so,
3.6 billion people, or 60 percent of humanity, live on less than $520 a
year.)
[Homestead] Living the good life on 5000 a year,
Tim Oppenheim, 11/25/2008