NYT Expose On Chinese Working Conditions In Apple Factories - Microeconomic Help Please

[onlyrp]

You tell me, how are we better off than 1912?

I never said we're worse off than 1912. I said we are not significantly better than 1912. In 1912 a full days worth got you just enough of the basics for you to afford to make it back to work the next day.

It doesn't matter how much you cut back, you can't go back to 1912. You still need a home, car, food, and clothes nomatter what.

"just enough to get back" is not the same as "I get to save 20% of my salary".
And why 80%/20%? Why not 99/1?
Like I said, I know people who lived and still live on less than $1500 a month. That is, less than $20,000 a year.
So I don't know what you're talking about when you say you need $40,000 a year just for basics.
Unless you have a major medical problem or a great amount of debt, which is not common or average anyway, I'd love to see what you're talking about.

In both cases, NOT WORKING IS ALWAYS WORSE, so that's your motivation. The only exception may be, that today's world we reward people free food and possibly free housing if they don't work, but feel free to do that. You have yet to offer me ONE EXAMPLE OF ONE COMMUNIST COUNTRY which provides the $40,000 a year "basic living" you allegedly spent. Of course, even you could concede that if you didn't go to school or didn't spend the luxuries on cable, internet, you might have you expense down by another $5,000. So, find me ONE COMMUNIST COUNTRY which provides the $30,000 a year quality of life without having to work.