What Antony Davies fails to account for is the rising cost of housing, and a college education, and he compares us to 100 years ago, which is a nice round number, but the living standard I want to revisit is the 1950's, minus the out-of-control racism and sexism and abuse. By that time electricity was ubiquitous, washing machines were prevalent, people had cars, and college and housing was still affordable for the middle class. By the 1960's, central air condition was being designed into homes.