The Downward Race to the Bottom (A Political Rant by the Frugal Cougar)

I love learning about "life hacks" "frugal tips" "cheapskate wisdom" and the rest of it.  I truly believe that living a Frugal Lifestyle is a happy, environmentally sustainable and financially rewarding way.


While I bask in my frugal ways, I want to caution about the "downward race to the bottom" which is oft subtly encouraged by certain right wing thinking types:

Has anyone ever heard the phrase, "If you can afford a cup of coffee per day, then you can afford (fill in the blank)"?

Many times the "blank" being filled in is a sales pitch (for insurance or another good/service).  This isn't so bad - as the listener can consider giving up one good/service (that is "coffee") for another, which the listener may find more enjoyable or valuable.  For instance - if you can afford a cup of coffee per day, you can afford to buy a pound of BACON!" 

Other times, the "blank" is a little more insinuating.  It is suggesting that the listener give up their coffee and pay for something that is being externalized to them.

Before I continue, let me explain "externalizing".  This is the shifting of responsibility from one party to another.  For instance, if I was the owner of a factory that causes air pollution, I could build a proper filtration system to cease the pollution, or I could "externalize" this responsibility to the people and just assume that they can wash their sooty clothes more frequently and live with respiratory illness.

So, "if you can afford a cup of coffee, then you can afford to pay for a school workbook."  Hey.  Wait a second.  The school workbook is a part of the public education coursework .  Isn't this suppose to be covered by the Ministry of Education - funded through collective wealth of this province (notice I didn't say "taxpayers" - see this fantastic article from the Vancouver Sun):

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Daphne+Bramham+need+citizens+just+taxpayers+bookkeepers/10203291/story.html. 

"If you can afford a cup of coffee, then you can afford to supply your own uniform for your job" 

"If you can afford a cup of coffee, then you can afford to pay the fuel surcharge to use the BC Ferries" (read about the record profits of BC Ferries here):

http://www.news1130.com/2014/08/22/bc-ferries-triples-profit-in-april-to-june-quarter/.

"If you can afford a cup of coffee, then you can afford a user fee...."

The Frugal Cougar likes coffee - but doesn't drink THAT much to cover all the externalizing that has happened in the last few years...

Has anyone ever heard (or found themselves saying) "If they would only do (blank) or stop doing (blank) then they would have it easier"

In this case, a critic will see a single parent picking up boxed cereal and tut-tut, "If they would only just make oatmeal in the morning - they wouldn't need rent subsidy" 

Another critic might see a young man buying a new pair of shoes, snort and say, "Hmmph, that laddie should try buying less fancy shoes, then they would not complain about their student loans."

The Frugal Cougar likes reading about how the contemporaries of her grandparents survived in the Great Depression.  There is a lot to learn and emulate to live a happy Frugal Lifestyle.  However, it was called the Great 'Depression' - not the Great "Celebration".  Necessity was the mother of invention - but I'm pretty sure that the Joads from The Grapes of Wrath would have preferred a chicken in the pot rather than dough fried in left over grease drippings. 

In conclusion:

The Frugal Lifestyle is a good thing.  It is not, however, a means to extract more and more out of workers and citizens while others get richer. 

This Frugal Cougar supports Living Wages (both union and non-union), Adequately Funded Public Education, and Universal Health Care.  This Frugal Cougar supports strong environmental regulations.  This Frugal Cougar supports social assistance which allows those receiving same to live in dignity. 

In a civilized society, a Frugal Cougar can live this lifestyle by choice.  In a mean spirited, neo-liberal society - it is no longer a lifestyle of choice, but a nasty, hardscrabble hell which this Frugal Cougar wants no part of.