The $64,000 Trip

A very nice brochure came in the mail–for a 3 weeks, 10 stops trip around the world, traveling by private jet. The price tag: $64,950.00 for double occupancy. There’s a $8,350 extra charge for single rooms. There’s nothing wrong with luxury for those who can afford it. Still every once in a while an item highlights what luxury often means. In this case the cost of a 3 weeks vacation is what a large percentage of U.S. workers earn in a year. My mother would have reminded me that such luxuries create a lot of jobs. Still it does draw attention to the inequalities we live under, and for me it raises a question. If I could afford such a vacation, would I take it or use that money in a way that would somehow reduce those economic inequalities?