Ben Shapiro: "A poor person in the US today is living better than a rich person in the 1920s."

[tenderfoot]

Link to tweet

You can barely tell the difference:

[unblock]

1. the rich person in the 1920s is dead today, so, yeah, i guess the poor person is living better.

[maxsolomon]

2. They didn't have Teevees! Poor peepo have nice teevees today!

Specious Whataboutism.

[Takket]

3. Yeah! They have refrigerators now!

[flotsam]

15. Or at least the boxes the refrigerators came in...N/T

[Aristus]

4. They have cell phones! Did RICH people have cell phones in the 1920's? I don't THINK so!

[haele]

5. Oh, the old "the Poor have TV, cell phone and Refirgerator lies".

Well, let's see, Mr. Shapiro.
In 1920, rich people had refrigerators, and cars - with drivers even, and at least one or two servants. They had, if they wanted - Radios and record players, Telephones that were well out of the reach of most lower working class at that time period. If not, there was always a nice piano or musical instruments, and a library to entertain everyone at night. They had a family doctor and lawyer on call for emergencies. But most importantly, they had servants to take care of "the little things" like cleaning, cooking on a daily basis, so the husband and wife could concentrate on the important things to make more money - like running their businesses and hosting social get-togethers.
As for comfort, They were also able to have ceiling fans and large windows for cooling, and thick curtains, wallpaper, small "parlor stoves" and radiators for heating. Well upholstered furniture, with lots of "throws" and pillows to keep people cozy and comfortable, no matter what the temperature.
A rich person's house was comfortable in both summer and winter - especially since most rich people had summer homes, and winter homes, and town houses and the disposable money to retreat to those places whenever they wanted to.
They also had tutors and instructors on hand for their children from the nursery on, and could send their children to special schools and summer camps for other rich kids, to ensure they were properly isolated from the hoi-polloi.

That a working poor person who needs SNAP assistance or a food pantry to get by every month might have a smart phone ($45 a month at Metro cell phones), or a TV ($50 at a thrift store or on Craig's List), or a working refrigerator (provided in the rental unit or around $100 from a used appliance store if you pick it up yourself), or a beater or hand-me-down car is nothing special.

People like Mr. Shapiro seem to think that being poor is living in a shack or tent with no running water, and everyone else is basically a temporarily distressed millionaire too lazy to take advantage of the opportunities he had.

Haele

[Liberal In Texas]

7. +1

[crazycatlady]

13. Poor people shouldn't have indoor plumbing either

They should go shit in the woods like a bear does!!!

[AllaN01Bear]

6. tell that to those folk who are living on the street you so and so.

riiiiiiggght

[mr_lebowski]

8. It is true in some ways but mostly untrue ...

[Moral Compass]

9. Simple nonsense

Love me some right wing pundits.

They just spew their bs because it is their show and they can say anything they want.

Most of the people listening want to believe this kind of crap and won’t ever question it.

[COLGATE4]

10. And, if I'm not mistaken the second home (mansion) photo is

of a 'summer place'.

[Johonny]

11. LOL-Ben has a way of letting out gems of stupid

He'll then spend hours pretending to explain how this is true if pressed. He really is an unintentional comic genius disguised as a person that thinks he knows things.

[TacoD]

12. Ah yes, the one the NY Times refers to as "the cool kids philosopher, dissecting arguments with a

lawyer’s skill and references to Aristotle." *snort*

[smirkymonkey]

14. I am so sick of assholes like Ben Shapiro.

I don't even want to hear it anymore. I'm just really, really tired of it.

[erpowers]

16. Says the Guy Who Understands Neither History Nor Inflation

Statements like that should make everyone question the value of a Harvard degree. I did not go to Harvard and I know that is a stupid comment. You barely have to have a high school diploma to know the stupidity of that comment.

First, on it face that comment is wrong and stupid. In the 1920's there were millionaires who lived in mansions. Living is a mansion in the 1920's is better than struggling to pay the rent in the present day. I guess he is going to try to claim that he was not talking about millionaires. He will probably try to claim that millionaires did not have the same creature comforts that poor people enjoy today like lights, electricity, air conditioning, computers, and the internet. You cannot judge living standards of today against those of the 1920's based on technology that did not exist during that time. Also, most rich people in the 1920's had lights, electricity, and air conditioning. As for as computers and the internet, it is stupid to say someone has a better quality of life because they have a technology that did not exist during a previous time.

Second, I would argue that if one takes into account inflation, the rich in the 1920's lived far better than the poor of today. It has been reported that Cornelius Vanderbilt died with a net worth of $100 million. I realize that Vanderbilt died in 1877, but if you take his $100 million to 1920 and use an inflation calculator to see how much his worth would be today you would find out that he would have a net worth of $1,225,600. Also, $1,000,00 from 1920 would be worth $12,256,000. Finally, $500,00 from 1920 would be worth $6,128,000.