Considering things like modern medicine not being available, infant and child mortality, the gruesome nature of most work back then… would a “standard” commoner from back then laugh at how ‘soft’ our world has become from their point of view?
What can we infer from people’s mindsets and resilience back then vs now, and do you think we’re on the verge of a return to these conditions?
I think techno-feudalism has the capacity to be much more brutal than any old time machiavellan clown. The way our minds are deliberately manipulated by algorithms nowadays are much more subtle and insidious than anything the tyrants of yesteryear could’ve dreamt up, while at the same time convincing people they have it better than ever.
There are a lot of places in the world that aren’t any better than what you’re talking about, and it’s a testament to how resilient the people who live there are.
There are also people fighting wars with astoundingly more gruesome weapons than we used to have. At least when someone killed you with a sword, they’d have to be there, watching you die. Now people kill like a video game, with a controller and a screen.
All animals have an amazing ability to just keep pushing through, even when the situation is dire. Some do it better than others, but humans have got to be near the top.