[koide]

I think OP was pointing to a potential starting point of the raise in prices and decoupling it from the actual services rendered. Something I think is very likely given that now there are a lot of examples where things are comparable quality with much lower prices. It might not be exactly WWII, but it certainly was caused by some factors not tied directly to the quality of the services.

[db48x]

Right, I never tried to say that there was only one cause for prices going up. However, note that technology has vastly decreased costs across all industries too. Faster communications, faster billing and payments, digital images instead of film that has to be developed, etc, etc. It’s not immediately obvious that the rising quality of healthcare would necessarily make it more expensive, given the vast cost reductions happening at the same time.

[ithkuil]

Technology has vastly decreased the cost of things that existed.

Technology also vastly increased the cost of things that didn't exist.

Prior to the invention of video games, nobody spent a dime on video games. People today spend a lot of money in air travel while before WWII very few people spent money on air travel. Etc

[koide]

Yes, but videogames cost roughly the same all around the world.