we live like kings and queens

my dad always used to say that even the poor people here in the u.s. live like kings and queens compared to much of the rest of the world. i've been thinking about that a lot lately. even in my little hovel, i have everything i need to be comfortable. i've been reading this book about the mediterranean in the 1500's. only 500 years ago, each and every thing that people had was very hard to come by and very much savored and valued. it took six months to take salt & pepper from somewhere near the mediterranean to somewhere in africa, just for example. for the vast majority of human history, things like clean clothes and a hot shower were only for royalty.