A Frustrated Reader

A reader writes with regard to the "Why the European Giants?" post:

A-a-a-a-g-g-h! You allowed these words to appear on your blog: “thirty-five million who live below the poverty line” referring to Americans. Do you realize that this poverty line is established by income and not by assets and so includes nearly every college student, retired couples who own their own home and have enough money in the bank to globetrot, many family farmers, etc?

We should have known better than to trust the New Yorker.