@VB

You may find this interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_historical_figures

first i meant a new record in modern times
and second in spite of the media constantly giving us the myth of progress
i am pretty sure wealth is more concentrated now then ever before
and people are working harder than ever before
even those slaves and servants were only spending half their working time for their masters
the bottom half of the population in america essentially has no wealth
i dont know i am too lazy to think of how to really prove it either way
but lets say conservatively a new record since ww2
although that is being extremely conservative

"and people are working harder than ever before"

This can't possibly be true.

than

"and people are working harder than ever before"

Truth be told, corporations *totally* streamlined during the recession, and learned how to cross-train, eliminate unnecessary fat, automate, etc. That is the very positive result of hard recessions. What that means is that as the economy emerges from the recession, employment is slower to return because of the efficiencies that were created. Fewer employees - more profits - more rich people.

And there is *absolutely nothing* wrong with a person who put his own wealth on the line in a risk to create a corporation from gathering the fruits of his investment.

How many here hated Steve Jobs for being filthy stinking rich? How many begrudged him his wealth? Do you hate all wealthy people, or just a select, targeted few? Let's see if you are consistent...

it cant? how do you define work? do you know how many hours men and women worked before modern times? or how many hours they worked around ww2? do you know how many hours men and women work now?

It's interesting how Jobs is so beloved by consumers, despite being one of the biggest douche-nozzles in corporate history (slashing Apple's philanthropy division, illegally raising prices on ebooks, etc) and yet people like Gates who's donated a large portion of his wealth to charity is still considered by many to be the evil M$ tyrant. But, hey, as long as you have your shiny iPhone it really doesn't matter how many Chinese children had to die to get it.

@blank

Yes, I do. Before WWII, the working class was likely working 12-18 hour days doing back-breaking labor-intensive work. Unless you work on a farm it is very unlikely that you work as long or as hard as everyone did in the past.

i call bs. my relatives told me about the past and they were not working 18 hour days. is this number from real people or a textbook?

@Abge - you aren't suggesting that public opinion is ill-informed and hypocritical?

Other noteworthy hypocrisies: Oil company makes billions, they are evil devils that must be brought to their knees. GM makes billions, and they are a great American success story...and they burn the oil we supposedly despise.

Abgemacht is both right and wrong.
The US government implemented the 40-hour work week in 1946, and made it law in 1950. Practically speaking, though, unions made the 40-hour work week standard in industrial settings by the 1880s or 1890s. So his estimate of "Before WWII" is probably 50 years or so late.

before the lightbulb people could not work at night, so his 18 hour workday nonsense is impossible except northern lattitudes in summertime.

Most union guys I now *beg* for OT. The "40 hour work week" does not mean you can only work 40 hours....geesh.

blankflag - are you intentionally a fool? Or is it generic?

@blank

Ever heard of lamps?

well most people were farmers for one thing. and i dont think the majority of people were commuting home by lamplight. maybe in central london or something but not for the rest of the world.

here you go, enjoy this history lesson free of charge http://63260005.nhd.weebly.com/how-did-the-light-bulb-help-people-get-more-work-done.html

If you were a farmer, then your day certainly started before sunrise (milking cows, prepping for the day) until after sunset (feeding animals, putting tools away).

If you were a servant in one of the many mansions along the East coast, your day would start well before sunrise (starting fires, preparing meals) and end well after sunset (you didn't stop until well after everyone in the house went to bed).

If you worked in a factory, perhaps you had more regular hours, but I suspect there were plenty foremen who were happy to let people work as long as they wanted.

it appears to be reputable. look at the english usage.

farmer get's up at dawn or before dawn and starts taking care of the livestock. During the light of day - 12 hours or so - he can work his fields, mend the fences, etc. - and in the evening, other work in the barn, keeping the house fixed, go to town for whatever is needed.

Your a genetically deficient, and purposely ignorant.

people did not typically work at night before the lightbulb and now they do, that is all i know. if you were really keen maybe you could milk the cow before sunrise i guess if you have a lamp.

Nobody denies that the light bulb helps...but if you are so completely ignorant as to think no work was done during the scary dark hours until the light bulb, then I jut pity you and your useless education.

"people did not typically work at night before the lightbulb and now they do, that is all i know. "

It's a shame that the only thing you know is wrong.

Wow Blank trolling the master troll on here. I'm pretty impressed.

"that is all i know. if you were really keen maybe you could milk the cow before sunrise i guess if you have a lamp. "

...and you don't even know what you think you know. Wow...just wow....

Well, that's twice in a row krellin and I have posted the exact same comment.

Time to go reflect on where I went wrong...

Looks like CF can add another scar to her own lip, getting sucked in to the troll thread. Your just as much a "victim" if you are standing aside throwing stones in the thread as you are if you are participating in some useful way.

But it's just so hard to resist commenting. Really though why even give him the time of day Krellin?

@blank

What's your homepage going on about?

so they did barn work in the evening? with what, lamps? what work are we talking about? it would be dark as shit unless they are burning through oil at an unbelievable clip with probably several lamps. before the lightbulb they did not work much at night because it was not practical.