&gt; I&#x27;d rather be poor today than rich twenty years ago.<p>The most generous restatement of this that I can imagine is, &quot;I&#x27;d rather be middle-class today than rich twenty years ago.&quot;  Because poor is poor.  Not knowing where you&#x27;re going to eat next, not knowing where you&#x27;re going to sleep, not having money for formula or diapers, there&#x27;s no time where that&#x27;s good.<p>But even with the generous form, I still disagree.<p>Having a Blu-Ray player and a flat screen today...  versus a Laserdisk and a Projector twenty years ago...  An Android today...  versus a Car Phone back then...  A house today...  versus 4 homes, one of which is overseas back then...  Hell, you can&#x27;t fly a Concorde today.