I don’t disagree that the quality of many goods is much higher, but when you start looking at what the lowest quartile can actually afford to consume the results are pretty starkly worse than they have been in our relatively recent past.
A huge chunk of lower income is dedicated to housing, to an extent that many cannot actually afford housing at all.
The gains of our productivity have been distributed in a most unequal manner.
I think everyone from 1850 would trade their favorite toe to live in the lowest quartile in the western world.
When I lived below poverty line I still had internet, a computer, an apt, access to high quality food and medicine (by 1850 standards), plenty of friends, and a television. I just had to live with 3 other people.
A huge chunk of lower income is dedicated to housing, to an extent that many cannot actually afford housing at all.
The gains of our productivity have been distributed in a most unequal manner.