the industrial capitalists just found new ways to put us (and now our wives too, who are no longer required for housework thanks to all these appliances) to work for their own insatiable greed
Whose greed? Speak to your parents or grandparents and find out what they had when growing up, or trying to raise a family. Having the husband work and wife stay at home meant few luxuries, and certainly not a big house with bedrooms for everyone, two cars, and plenty of disposable income for entertainment and eating out.
Part of the reason why more women are working these days is because families want and expect to have nice things and a high standard of living. The labour saving devices have indeed made life simpler and less work-intensive, and if people were happy to live simply the 'age of new enlightenment' would be here.
But technology has also offered other opportunities, including making impressive things look affordable, and wanting to take advantage of the new technology, as well as wanting to keep up with the Joneses, has pushed more of us in to wanting to earn a living.