Reply #19: before the new deal [View All]

[hfojvt]

most people were farmers. Not necessarily rich, but not really poor either. With farming, a man with his own land had some control over his prosperity, weather and markets permitting. At least he had control over putting food on the table. My great-great grandparents built their own houses.

Now it is more about riding a job train. The connection between work and standard of living is fuzzy. The old independence was traded away for a new Ford, but many times farming can be long, hard, nasty, dangerous work.