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> Progress has often been stunningly rapid. The vast majority of poor Americans enjoy luxuries unavailable to the Vanderbilts and Astors of 150 years ago, such
by a3n 8y ago
> Progress has often been stunningly rapid. The vast majority of poor Americans enjoy luxuries unavailable to the Vanderbilts and Astors of 150 years ago, such as electricity, air-conditioning and colour televisions.
Yes, things are better, but only when they're not terrible.
I think the Vanderbilts and Astors, and their current cousins, inbred and not, still have a profound advantage over the rest of us, poor or not, in that they enjoy existential security within the current frame of reference, and can reasonably live their lives with that assumption.
In other words, the rich experience little to no risk in losing what security they have, or falling below the security level of the poor, while constant security risk could be the practical definition of being poor.
So what if you have a phone, if that and all else can disappear in the wink of a bureaucratic or natural systems eye.
- JumpCrisscross 8y ago> the rich experience little to no risk in losing what security they have The richest men a little over a century ago could have fallen to smallpox, influenza, cholera and a number of other today-curable diseases.
- grappler 8y agoCan you quantify the quality-of-life boost you get by being at the top of the heap? If you're the head of state, or the head of a successful company, or the venture capitalist, or simply heir to a fortune, you know you're on top. You wake up every day knowing your time belongs to you. You walk into a room and people smile at you, suck up to you, want to be your friend. You might even make frequent decisions about which other people in your world move upward or downward. This seems like it would be a significant dimension for anyone wanting to measure quality of life. And for this reason, I bet a lot of people wouldn't mind terribly if they had to give up their electricity, air conditioning, color television, and the rest of their modern conveniences if it meant they could swap lives with the Vanderbilits and Astors of old.
- a3n 8y agoI can't quantify it. But I'm not talking about being top of the heap, and your resulting relationship with others. I'm talking about the security of your food, shelter and health care, that sort of thing. If you're poor, those things can disappear quickly.
- grappler 8y agoSorry didn't mean you specifically. Just the royal you.