Definition of global poverty.

[opebo]

Being well-fed in the United Kingdom is probably not the same as being well-fed in say... Laos.

That is certainly true - the food is much better, tastier, and healthier in Laos.

Of course a dollar amount to designate poverty is ridiculous..  jmfcst's suggestion of enough to eat, housing, and clothing is not unreasonable, though one must add 1) security - the sense that these things are not about to be lost, knowing from whence one's next meal will come, etc., and 2) a sense of opportunity, progress, improvement.

By these measures I would say about half of the population of mose countries lives in 'poverty', including the US.

[opebo]

If you want good measures of poverty, look for the "generalized income gap" (I am too lazy to explain what it is - google).

Oh yes, isn't that the 'Gini'?

[opebo]

The cost of living is significantly lower, even in some European Countries, than it is here.  You could live in France for $15/day let alone, say, Poland.

You might be right about Poland, though I wouldn't be surprised if Warsaw were more expensive than say, backwater Mississippi.  But France and most of Europe is generally considerably more expensive than the US, generally. 

[opebo]

I live on rather less than 10 Euros a day post rent and heat.

I could probably live on 10 Euros per day here, aside from girls.