It isn't a completely new category that could reasonably be called "work-free utopia" or where one could reasonably call "normal" where the added 500 hours get

It isn't a completely new category that could reasonably be called "work-free utopia" or where one could reasonably call "normal" where the added 500 hours get called "slavery". Also, the long commutes of today aren't very far from the norm or the last couple of centuries and add up to 200 or 300 hours on average. Some people do have it much worse, but some people also have it much better. That said, the difference between the 1500 and 3000 extremes is huge. And we should be working towards the smallest one being the norm. But all of the upthread observations are perfectly on point.