In 1989, then prominent computer-maker Tandy released the Tandy 5000. Though the poorest of today's poor would haughtily turn their noses up to the 5000 today, at the time this "most powerful computer ever!" was rather expensive. Try $8,499 (mouse and monitor not included) expensive. Nowadays one can buy a brand new Hewlett-Packard computer that's exponentially more powerful than the 5000 for $200 (no monitor needed, mouse included) at Best Buy, not to mention computers that perform quite a bit better for not much more at any Apple Store or at Dell.com. [...]

With wealth, the team picture is constantly changing as innovators of the present replace yesterday's. The previous truth explains why what gives the ultra-sensitive Levitz anxiety is, in fact, a sign of immense progress. Thank goodness the "one percent" have seen their wealth increase $21 trillion. It's a logical signal of rising living standards for everyone, not rising poverty as Levitz laughably concludes.

For readers to understand why they need only consider yet again the "most powerful computer ever!" that came out the year that Levitz cites as the one that began the "damning indictment of capitalism." Computers then were not very friendly, or usable, or even accessible. Few had them. They were too expensive. Does anyone remember the "internet cafes" of the early 2000s in which we'd rent internet and computer time? Nowadays, Apple computers are seen by many as the luxury pricepoint computers of the moment, yet they can easily be had for not much more than $1,000.

How lucky we all are that the late Steve Jobs revived Apple and that Michael Dell mass produced excellent computers that are even cheaper than those made by Apple at his eponymous computer company. In defense of Tandy's $8,499 5000, it seemed cheap relative to initial mainframe 360 computers marketed by IBM in the 1960s, and that set buyers back well over $1 million.

Considering something as basic as a phone call, one made on a landline phone back in 1989 was going to be very costly assuming the call recipient wasn't nearby. In 1989, a call from Dallas to Ft. Worth was going to be expensive, New York to Los Angeles very expensive, and New York to London almost unthinkable unless you were very well-to-do.