Complex Numbers

Revisited: "Poor You"

It's Sunday, so it's time to unearth an ancient fossil of a blog entry. This one's from early 2020 and references a Guardian article from half a year prior: "Poor You" 

The article   I referenced is still there, so context is easy to find.

The article, and my commentary, are pretty much just as relevant now as they were three years ago (though one might be tempted to wonder how the somewhat sheltered author navigated the pandemic): wages aren't growing much, prices are, and people are still people.

So, a few of my comments that might warrant additional explanation:

1) I'm only giving her a pass on the "gluten-free cookbook author" gig because she is apparently diagnosed with celiac.

What I meant by this is that, for a while, "gluten-free" was a fad, and I detest fads. Nevertheless, there are people for whom it's not a choice, but a necessity, and if the fad gave them more choices for a reasonably healthy lifestyle, great.

2) $15 an hour? Stocking groceries? I'm not saying that's a lot of money, but it's above average for unskilled workers.

I have no idea if that's still true in 2023, but for the time, I believe that to be correct.

And yeah, being broke, or close to it, damages one's mind. The crappy cheap food you have to buy if you're poor doesn't help with that.

This probably wasn't the best way I could have phrased that. I wasn't trying to imply that poor people are brain-damaged. I meant it as an indictment of the system that forces some people to be poor, not to rag on the victims of that system.

Tying health insurance to employment is good for employers. Not great for people who'd rather spend their time running a small business.

By "good for employers," I meant that the incentive of keeping one's health insurance is another trick employers can use to trap you in a dead-end and/or low-paying job. The article's author, for example, apparently took the job mostly because it offered health insurance, rare for a part-time gig. People will put up with a lot of bullshit if the alternative is worse. This might have changed a bit in the last three years, judging by all the shitty employers whining "no one wants to work anymore." (In reality, no one wants to put up with your bullshit anymore.)

Now, workers have a bit more power in negotiation. I hope that continues, but it probably won't.

Veganism is a product of privilege.

I stand by this assertion. But I'm not presuming to tell people what to eat. You do you. My objections only start when it becomes like a religion, with self-righteous adherents and attempts at conversion.

I'm aware of the contradiction inherent in my attempt to convert proselytizers to the practice of minding their own business, but I can live with that.

In closing, sometimes "poor" is a matter of one's own perspective. One doesn't have to have a lot of money or a high salary to be privileged. Reading between the lines, this author had, at minimum, a place to sleep, an internet connection, and something to write and post with (laptop, smartphone, something). And some sort of support system. Not to mention the wherewithal to pursue her preferred diet, which requires a good bit of thought, energy, and time. This may have been a step down from her previous experience, but it's not rock-bottom, even if it seemed so to her. Truly poor people are rarely able to be picky about what they eat (which is why I call veganism a product of privilege).

Life has its ups and downs, and I sincerely hope she's doing better. And understands that she could be doing worse.