This is sometimes called a "Ghetto Tax" [1] or the Sam Vimes [2] boots theory of socioeconomic unfairness. I think mass production helps a bit with this by red

This is sometimes called a "Ghetto Tax" [1] or the Sam Vimes [2] boots theory of socioeconomic unfairness. I think mass production helps a bit with this by reducing the costs of things, but it doesn't really address the problem. [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/19/us/19poor.html?ei=5088&en=67ee8891360eb90c&ex=1310961600&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1195171765-CHTXi6UcJPV1nUCaM9ERqw&pagewanted=print http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/19/us/19poor.html?ei=5088&en=... [2] http://discworld.wikia.com/wiki/Samuel_Vimes#Vimes.27_Boots http://discworld.wikia.com/wiki/Samuel_Vimes#Vimes.27_Boots