Our cat Theo has a coronary heart illness. We discovered that out from a cat heart specialist.
A cat heart specialist? Actually?
Sure, actually.
Why do I point out this on a website referred to as EconLog? As a result of the truth that there are cardiologists for cats is an indication of financial development.
I’m fairly certain that fifty years in the past we didn’t have cat cardiologists. There wasn’t a lot demand for them as a result of Individuals, on common, have been considerably poorer than they’re now. You would possibly argue that there wasn’t a lot provide both, and you’ll be proper. However why wasn’t there a lot of a provide? It was because of the truth that expertise had not developed to the purpose the place cardiologists might diagnose cats, however that was additionally due, partially, to the truth that Individuals have been poorer and weren’t keen to demand such cardiology for cats.
There are such a lot of indicators of financial development and the way rich it has made the typical American.
Take into account films. In a weblog put up titled “Howard Hughes Would Envy You,” EconLog, September 19, 2024, co-blogger Kevin Corcoran advised an enchanting story, which I had not recognized about, of Howard Hughes and his use of his personal tv station to play films. Kevin factors out that within the Sixties, Hughes was very rich, rich sufficient to personal his personal TV station, KLAS, in Las Vegas, the place Hughes lived.
Kevin writes:
Now in command of his personal personal TV station, he might guarantee films could be broadcast in any respect hours. And apparently, it wasn’t unusual for him to resolve he didn’t like what was being proven and easily name the station to inform them to play one thing else as an alternative. In consequence, anybody else who was watching the station would all of a sudden discover themselves confused because the film they have been in the midst of watching was all of a sudden switched to one thing else.
Think about that: wanting to observe a film once you need to, altering your thoughts, after which watching one other film. To do this, Hughes had to purchase a TV station for $3.6 million, which, translated to at this time’s {dollars} is about $34 million.
In fact, we don’t must think about that. Most of us do it by subscribing to Netflix or different companies and paying yearly lower than 0.0001 % of the worth Hughes paid. (In fact, I ought to worth Netflix over 10 or extra years, however you get the purpose.)
Boy, are we rich!
And now examine our scenario to that of kings and queens simply 2 centuries in the past. Even a king couldn’t play a music when he wished to. If he wished it late at evening, he must assemble an orchestra. Possibly it could possibly be accomplished however perhaps it couldn’t. Now all of us “assemble” our personal orchestras and may achieve this by touching a few issues on our transportable telephones. And the artists get it be aware excellent each time.
I might not commerce my life for that of Howard Hughes. I particularly wouldn’t commerce my life for that of George IV, the king of England 200 years in the past.