Would you rather have $70k now, or $70k in 1900?

[Valiss]

Interesting poll on NPR today.

Would you rather:

A. Live in 1900 and make $70,000 a year.

or

B. Live today and make $70,000 a year.

If you choose A., you get to be super rich; your income is roughly equal to $700,000 today. You get a mansion, servants, the whole deal.

Choice B. means you aren't rich, but you're not poor  and you don't have to worry about being crippled by polio, or killed when a cut on your foot gets infected. You also get cable TV and air conditioning.

[Lady Christina de Pond]

I'll take B
heck i wouldn't start off rich but shoot i think i could stash away about 3thousand a month i'd be rich soon

[Lady Rebecca]

$70k/yr sounds delightful! I'd say it's at least 5 times what I make right now. So I'll stick with my internet and air conditioning.

[Lady Nicolette]

Tough decision...But you could live in say, San Francisco or Los Angeles and have beautiful weather (who needs a/c on the west coast)!  Of course there was that 1906 earthquake thing. :-

[brier patch charlie]

Oh, I don't know thats a hard one!

[William_MacKean]

I would rather live today.  I love what I have today.

To make $70k/yr in 1900 would also mean being one of the upper class who got ubber rich from taking advantage of the working class.  Every dollar I would make back then would be fuel to the Labor Movement fire and all of the turmoil associated with it.

No.  I cannot elevate myself by stepping on others.

[Anna Iram]

Ubber rich in the 1900's for me.  I'll travel to catch the breeze. 

[Dance_Dance]

I almost jumped at the chance at the $700k/year but then I realized that I don't like 1900.    I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it was a lovely time and all, but barely any rights for women. . . . Oh, and interracial relationship were hard enough just on the friends level so the idea of the relationship I'm in now would be scorned by my fellow upper-crusts.

Yeah, I'd rather take the $70k/year now, enjoy my rights, and love my boyfriend.  Oh, and the internet.

[Mairte]

I am divided pretty closely on this one...but think I would stay in the current time.

[crashbot]

I am already doing B, so I'd try A just for some variety.

[LadyFae]

I'll take $70K in 1900 please, Alex...

[ArielCallista]

money NOW please! I'm not bothered by not being rich, and money now would still give me more than I make at this moment...like 10 times as much lol...also I like having technology...and I really don't want to use an ear spoon...

[meauho]

My mother's midlife crisis was to move all of us to Montana - where I spent 6 years without any running water or electricity (or the conveniences that go with either).  I'll take 1900 - it wasn't nearly as bad as how we were living, and being rich would make up for a lot of the bad.  Plus, you don't have spam email and faxes.