How the Future Looked in 1899

摘要

Looking back on the events of the 20th century, the economist John Bates Clark could scarcely count his blessings. War and poverty had been eliminated, of course. Electricity and aerial navigation had transformed the daily grind into a cornucopia of earthly delights. What once were slums were now "abodes of happiness and health," enlivened with parks and playgrounds many stories in height. Things were moving on up. Admittedly, there'd been a few iffy patches, like when the state of Saskatchewan, fired up by some hot- blooded New Zealanders, tried to draw the continent down the path of communism.