Re:Explore Wealth and Income Inequality in the World Wealth ...
by sokoloff on Wednesday November 08, 2017 @02:13PM
(#15655858)
The middle class in America today is wildly, wildly better off than 100, 50, 25, or 10 years ago, IMO.
100 years ago, they didn't have phase-change refrigeration, instead relying on ice. (That's why your grandmother might still call it an "ice box".)
50 years ago, they didn't have air conditioning.
25 years ago, they didn't have cars that would reliably run for 250K miles with airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, and which required very regular servicing to keep running.
10 years ago they probably didn't have a smart phone with the world's information in their back pocket.
All of those things are now readily affordable and very commonplace in the middle class.
100 years ago, they didn't have phase-change refrigeration, instead relying on ice. (That's why your grandmother might still call it an "ice box".)
50 years ago, they didn't have air conditioning.
25 years ago, they didn't have cars that would reliably run for 250K miles with airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, and which required very regular servicing to keep running.
10 years ago they probably didn't have a smart phone with the world's information in their back pocket.
All of those things are now readily affordable and very commonplace in the middle class.