[kaibee]

> But would you rather be rich in a world of scarcity? Or middle class in a world of abundance?

I can tell you that many people would choose the first.

[eru]

That's what the post-WW2 world looked like: the developed countries had booming economies, but the poor countries fell further and further behind. Some even in absolute terms.

Yet, that time is frequently cited as the golden age that people harken back to.