Comment by ambione
11 hours ago
I ought to be surprised at the vague glazing of the victorian aristocracy in 2026, but this is hackernews we're talking about. I've no doubt a lot of you would exploit people less fortunate than you for personal gain given the chance, and then turn around and type away about how its 'ermm ackshully a good fing'. unironically , getting their lunch money stolen would've probably been the most valuable lesson on ethics and exploitation they'd get.
I think many here rationalize it as their reward for being clever or fast, and consider the consequences for the rest as natural (in a "Darwinistic" sense) and thus unavoidable. This saves the trouble of being empathetic.
precisely. the types to pat themselves on the back for their "self-made" merits, neverminding the shoulders of countless giants they stand upon, the sheer geographic and financial luck they were most likely born into, etc. I wonder if on some level they believe it to be their birthright the same way the aristocracy of the old did. I can't blame them though, there are forces much larger than them at play, and this quite honestly has been by design; not by some big amorphous boogeyman, but through culture.
I mean seriously people are defending Victorian England as if an entire genra of art (social realism) was not created to describe the horrors of industrialism at the time.
Just look at estimated work hours for the common worker in the before vs after time. (https://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/rauch/worktime/hours_...)
Yes there was huge progress and wealth created. But ignoring the plight of the every man at the time is just not a good way to look at history imo.
Otherwise every single period in history was good , because rich people were comfortable at all time throughout history.