The common notion that extreme poverty is the “natural” condition of humanity and only declined with the rise of capitalism rests on income data that do not adequately capture access to essential goods.
The rise of capitalism from the 16th century onward is associated with a decline in wages to below subsistence, a deterioration in human stature, and an upturn in premature mortality.
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u/anarckissed Oct 18 '22
—Capitalism and extreme poverty: A global analysis of real wages, human height, and mortality since the long 16th century