Do people still believe this stuff?

To begin with the obvious. Edison was not a genius but a thief who took credit for other's inventions. Henry Fords' mass-production system was the beginning of an ongoing de-skilling process which has the sole aim of reducing wages to the individual worker. Both of them acquired vast fortunes off the backs of underpaid minions.

Increases in 'real' wages are pointless if they don't at least keep up with those in artificially-inflated prices.

Inequality is rising -look at the earning differentials between CEOs and shop-floor workers.

Poverty is rising, everywhere. Why do you think there are food-banks popping up all over the place?

Finally, there is no Welfare State in the US. Your State education system is the worst in the world. There is no State health-care, little or no support for the unemployed and no State Pension. Nor are the low-paid in the US earning sufficent to pay for health insurance (even the moderately affluent can be pauperised by a serious illness) or set up a private pension. I don't want to hear about how the low-paid should work harder, get better jobs or go into business for themselves, either! The rich have made damn sure to close off any avenues to greater wealth from anyone but themselves.

The so-called free market has never been free. The choice we face is to let the market go on serving the rich as it has always done, or change the rules so that it serves everyone!