> We can’t have stolen this wealth as not the smallest fraction of it existed in all the world before the industrial revolution. Ummmm evidence? Is there an ar

> We can’t have stolen this wealth as not the smallest fraction of it existed in all the world before the industrial revolution. Ummmm evidence? Is there an article or study or book which backs this idea up? This sounds like one interesting idea (the wealth production enabled by ideas, knowledge, systems, etc) coupled with a big dose of denial of reality, namely, the exploitation (of natural resources in Africa, India, and the americas, and of human labor and lives via slavery) which allowed the industrial revolution to come into being. Plus, the article mentions how other regions in China such as Shenzhen _do_ have better labor practices. It’s not a binary choice between zero opportunity and abusive sweatshops.