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Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

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Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#61

Post by petervandijck »

colomon wrote: post #57
Vivtek wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dude. I already know how to make sushi, and I don't have a TV now. There are plenty of interesting books in a library that's way classier than the one we have now - and the Wright Brothers live down the street (well; they might have gone to Dayton by 1900) and plenty of other tinkers and inventors. There were more patents in this county in 1900 than any other county in the United States. 1900 in Richmond, Indiana was…

Umm... how are you getting sushi quality fish in Richmond, Indiana in 1900? What's your source of nori and wasabi?

Yea. And good coffee :) There's a lot we take for granted. Then again, there's a lot we could probably do without.

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#62

Post by johngalt »

Seems like a false comparison:

1973->2011 = 38years

1900->1973 = 73years

Although it does make me aware of an interesting question. Obviously I'd rather be rich last year over middle class this year. How about five years ago? Ten? A hundred?

As fun as questions like this are, we don't get to make that choice. Might as well just focus on getting rich now :-/

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#63

Post by [deleted] »

endtime wrote: post #48
forensic wrote: post #39

If I can have dinners at expensive restaurants, yachts, manors, apartments throughout the world, unlimited access to high class prostitutes, the respect, deference, fear, and love of the masses who stand in awe of my wealth... rich in pretty much ANY time. No matter what year it is it's always better to be on top. That's where most of the human pleasure comes from. Xboxes and iPhones are really no substitute for bein…

Sorry, but you sound like a shallow prick and possibly a sociopath. If I can see my (future) children grow up happy and healthy, keep learning my whole life, earn my living solving interesting problems, etc., that's not just quantitatively worth more than a yacht; it's qualitatively a better life. To answer the actual question, of 1973 vs. today, I'd take today. The Internet is, frankly, awesome. Not having the entir…

[deleted]

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#64

Post by flashgordon »

endtime wrote: post #59
flashgordon wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I would have thought rich in 1973 would have been a no brainer. Not because of affording expensive things yada yada (ok thats a huge bonus too but not for me). But because having the (relative) wealth would mean having the luxury of choosing my job without having to worry about how the bills were being paid. Having the dough to invest in my passions (assuming one had them). Having the dough to invest in technolo…

Definitely middle class in 40 years. I suspect 2051 will be as far ahead of us now as 2011 would be to someone in the 1940's or so.

I suppose it could be worse. We could be "poor" in 40 years time! Again I mean poor in the vaguest sense. Which makes you wonder. What would the bums be like in 40 years?

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#66

Post by georgecmu »

johnohara wrote: post #17

Here's an interesting document from the US Census Bureau: http://www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-097.pdf In 1973, 628,000 families made less than $1000.00 per year. That's $.48 per hour for a 40-hour week. 8.1 million (14.1%) families made less that $5000 that year. In 2011, annual unemployment benefits for an individual can reach about $20,000. In 1973, that amount would rank in the upper 18% of all family incomes…

You're comparing apples to oranges. At a very minimum, you must adjust for inflation. Most people here, though, are more interested in how much you can get for a dollar today vs in the past.

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#67

Post by rbanffy »

forensic wrote: post #54
rbanffy wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No matter what year it is it's always better to be on top. That's where most of the human pleasure comes from. You know you will be happier if you enjoy what you have, not the fact you have and others don't.

I wouldn't be enjoying what others don't have. I would be enjoying what I DO have. Which is the ability to pay others to do whatever I want. I want massages and blowjobs and chefs and chauffeurs and butlers and servants. Who doesn't want these things? A rich person can get these things no matter what year it is. A poor person will always be denied these things no matter what year it is.

massages and blowjobs and chefs and chauffeurs and butlers and servants grow old very quickly.

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#68

Post by forensic »

rbanffy wrote: post #67
forensic wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't be enjoying what others don't have. I would be enjoying what I DO have. Which is the ability to pay others to do whatever I want. I want massages and blowjobs and chefs and chauffeurs and butlers and servants. Who doesn't want these things? A rich person can get these things no matter what year it is. A poor person will always be denied these things no matter what year it is.

massages and blowjobs and chefs and chauffeurs and butlers and servants grow old very quickly.

easy to say when you have them

if i get bored of blowjobs i'll do what other rich people do for fun - social engineering.

Tinker with the lives of the little people like the peons they are.

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#69

Post by foljs »

No political correctness, Led Zepelin, plenty of drugs, no anti-smoking hysteria, pre-AIDS free sex, Bieber not yet born, no Facebook and no Twitter, Miles Davis, Hunter S. Thompson, the chance to see a corrupt president resign for once, the opportunity of influence mainstream computing big time, quality movies as opposed to crap made for 13-year olds, no ozon layer-skin cancer crap,...

Hell, I'd rather be middle class in 1973 than rich in 2011.

Re: Would You Rather Be Middle Class in 2011 or Rich in 1973?

#70

Post by foljs »

endtime wrote: post #48
forensic wrote: post #39

If I can have dinners at expensive restaurants, yachts, manors, apartments throughout the world, unlimited access to high class prostitutes, the respect, deference, fear, and love of the masses who stand in awe of my wealth... rich in pretty much ANY time. No matter what year it is it's always better to be on top. That's where most of the human pleasure comes from. Xboxes and iPhones are really no substitute for bein…

Sorry, but you sound like a shallow prick and possibly a sociopath. If I can see my (future) children grow up happy and healthy, keep learning my whole life, earn my living solving interesting problems, etc., that's not just quantitatively worth more than a yacht; it's qualitatively a better life. To answer the actual question, of 1973 vs. today, I'd take today. The Internet is, frankly, awesome. Not having the entir…

You sound like a prick more. Who gives a ff about your "future children".
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