Here’s the deal: We stop shaming the poor for buying things that may not be essential, and start shaming the rich for making a profit off things that are essential.
We say that, and it does have *some* legitimacy, but if it were entirely true they wouldn't have to spend so much on PR to make them look as if they're *not* sociopathic cunts.
No, the poor should only spend their money on absolute necessities and save every spare dollar until they can afford to buy stock in a company that is about to be destroyed by naked short sellers.
Yup, but no one does anything to stop it because governments back it, worldwide. Energy, which is a necessity, water, list goes on. Make disgusting profits on it. Governments could stop it, if governments worked in the interest of the many instead of the poor, we should be more french.
And we broaden our understanding of what essential means. We deserve to thrive, not just survive. And we survive a lot longer if we're less stressed or (sarcastic gasp) HAPPY 💔
Sounds good to me. There's too much hatred of the poor for daring to have something nice or to not constantly be suffering, and I've read that comes from garbage Christian beliefs that being poor is a moral sin and you gotta atone for it.
Yeah, I think about this when women talk of buying sanitary products. What a fucked up world we live in where basic bodily hygiene is seen as so privileged it can come at a premium, when in actuality, hygiene is a fucking national healthcare issue.
Did we all collectively forget health class?
Would be nice if people recognized that recreation is a powerful psychological need, even for poor people.
So maybe people should stop ragging on people treating themselves once in a while.
Pitting the middle class against the poor while hoarding resources that could help literally everyone deserves shaming. There’s nothing positive about that.
Maybe “shame” and “essential” are the wrong words.
But I know a lot of less than well off people who buy stupid shit and would benefit from some financial education.
It doesn’t help that one of the predominant messages of capitalism is that happiness depends on possessions.
"Not essential" is, like, junk food or a decent smartphone or a bigger tv or weed or beauty products. "Stupid shit" is putting yourself in a decade of debt to have this year's Dodge F-550 with lift kit and snorkel and whatever other toys your heart desires. Very different things.
Whoa boy I gave some of y'all the wrong impression. I was talking about how rhetorically, the non essentials are often grouped with luxuries. The people who talk like this tend to think of essentials as "exactly enough to live a simple joyless life and no more".
I was disagreeing with that notion.