> New generations don't have to be richer than the last. We can achieve some maintainable level of comfort and be okay with that. I think 1950s USA middle-clas

> New generations don't have to be richer than the last. We can achieve some maintainable level of comfort and be okay with that. I think 1950s USA middle-class was probably comfortable enough, certainly it was far far from "utter subsistence poverty" -- if the entire world population can live at 1950s USA middle-class levels, without destroying the ecology that sustains us, we should count ourselves lucky (it's not clear we can). Note that was without computers, cell phones. It was much more expensive clothing you'd keep until it wore out. Maybe only one car per family (or less) with more public transportation. Fewer airplane flights. Etc.