Those who have bought donkeys are mainly from richer households but, with an increased supply through local breeding, donkeys should become more affordable.
Long-distance trade in obsidian probably gave the elite residents of Teotihuacán access to a wide variety of exotic good, as well as a relatively prosperous life.
What is clear is that all sorts of government issues—education, health-insurance portability, worker retraining—arc no longer just bonuses to already prosperous lives but existential requirements.
Well past the beginning of the last century, it was not uncommon for intrepid and wealthy Europeans visiting Africa to bring along a taxidermist or two.
I know that the worst thing we could possibly do is to raise taxes on anybody, and a lot of people might be interested in Senator Obama's definition of "rich."
This is a lesson that rich countries can learn: When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole measure of a country's success, the world looks very different.