Gamble, smoke pot, hire who I want, fire who I want, not be subject to theft, not fund bullshit cronyism subsidies, not find killing, not fund bailouts for banisters, run my business without wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on regulation and compliance, be on a level playing field with big business that can afford lobbyists, pay market value for Interest rates, criticize dirty politicians without worrying about being thrown in a detention camp or being murdered...
Well, a hundred years ago, you couldn't smoke pot or gamble. I'd have to know whom you have wanted to hire, but couldn't? If you're crying about Affirmative Action, well, I guess plenty of Americans would tell you, "I have it better than my grandfather did, when the racist fucks back in the day wouldn't let him work."
People were subject to theft 100 years ago. Taxes? You think the higher-ups didn't fuck people over 100 years ago? What do you think the idea of taxes was? Good try! You want to be on a level playing field with big business? Try harder, instead of whining! Then, when you're the "big guy", and they change the rules to include everyone, you can bitch about that!
Pay market value for interest rates? What is the market value of anything?
Last but not least, you are more free than you have ever been to "criticize dirty politicians".
There you go, champ! Oh, and since you need "one thought of my own"? I think if the people from 100 years ago came to "today's America", they would flourish. I think if most of us, including your whining ass, went BACK 100 years, we would have lost WWI in about a week, and "today" you'd have some serious issues to be bitching about.