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Housing, healthcare, and education are expensive because of increased demand and unwillingness or inability to expand supply (e.g. restrictions on building dens

Housing, healthcare, and education are expensive because of increased demand and unwillingness or inability to expand supply (e.g. restrictions on building denser housing in a lot of desirable areas, strong social pressure to get a 4 year education). Some of them are actually exacerbated by public involvement - easy access to credit for education means universities can charge a lot more. It's not just electronics that are cheaper. Things we take for granted now - owning a refrigerator, a car, heck even things like electricity and plumbing - were out of reach for many people a matter of decades ago. Sure many of these things were made in good old 'Murica back then and created low-skilled jobs - but these products also cost a much larger percentage of the average household's available income. You're also ignoring the immense benefit that free global markets provide for countries other those in the First World. China's shift to a free market economy singlehandedly halved global poverty. We tend to index heavily on the American that needs to change fields when his job is "shipped overseas". Rarely do litanies against free markets consider those overseas - almost always in a more precarious financial position than the country that is losing low skilled jobs - who get a chance to improve their lives due to free global markets.

petra 8y ago
Appliances today have much shorter lifespans than previously, so it's hard to tell if they're cheaper or more expensive.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
cm2012 8y ago
Whatever the reasons of higher expense, key items are still pricier.
- manfredo 8y ago
  Many of those "key" items weren't even considered "key" items a matter of decades ago, because their costs were too high for the average family and most didn't even think to expect those things. When did the notion that even every moderate high school student go to a four year university become prevalent? Certainly it was some time in the last half century. Same with electricity. Electricity and associated electronics have become so prevalent that we buy desks with USB ports, and the thought of living in an home with no electricity is practically foreign to most people. And healthcare? Infant mortality nearly halved from 1949 to 1970 (28 to 17 per 1000 live births), and has since more than halved over again (5.8). I think it's important to view the trajectory of progress not in how is lines up with how reality lines up with our expectations (because any optimistic society will - and should - strive for better), but by seeing how our reality lines with with what used to be reality.
  - User23 8y ago
    When did the notion that every even moderate high school student could get a job and buy a house stop being prevalent? Certainly it was some time in the last half century. Yes we get it, it's great that we have antibiotics and electricity, but it's completely missing the point. Food, shelter, education, and health are not luxury goods, they are the foundation of a functioning civilization.

petra 8y ago

Appliances today have much shorter lifespans than previously, so it's hard to tell if they're cheaper or more expensive.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

cm2012 8y ago

Whatever the reasons of higher expense, key items are still pricier.

manfredo 8y ago
Many of those "key" items weren't even considered "key" items a matter of decades ago, because their costs were too high for the average family and most didn't even think to expect those things. When did the notion that even every moderate high school student go to a four year university become prevalent? Certainly it was some time in the last half century. Same with electricity. Electricity and associated electronics have become so prevalent that we buy desks with USB ports, and the thought of living in an home with no electricity is practically foreign to most people. And healthcare? Infant mortality nearly halved from 1949 to 1970 (28 to 17 per 1000 live births), and has since more than halved over again (5.8). I think it's important to view the trajectory of progress not in how is lines up with how reality lines up with our expectations (because any optimistic society will - and should - strive for better), but by seeing how our reality lines with with what used to be reality.
- User23 8y ago
  When did the notion that every even moderate high school student could get a job and buy a house stop being prevalent? Certainly it was some time in the last half century. Yes we get it, it's great that we have antibiotics and electricity, but it's completely missing the point. Food, shelter, education, and health are not luxury goods, they are the foundation of a functioning civilization.