this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
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A Boring Dystopia
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While I agree that in general the demands of wealthy nations are frequently excessive, there was a time in those nations where, as the meme describes, relatively poor families could own a home and support a family on a single income. That disappeared not because everyone stated wanting more, but because of constant, intentional inflation of house prices and depression of wages (relative to inflation) by capitalists.
Any attempt to redirect blame onto the people this affects, by accusing them of "wanting too much" plays into the hands of those capitalists.
To me the point is more that the post WW2 boom and the resulting ability of a cashier to buy a home and support a family was somewhat an aberration, not a new normal. Something similar could happen again if the conditions were right (much more modest house building via major zoning reform, free education, healthcare, and childcare, high taxes on the wealthy) but we're not actually achieving those necessary things politically, so here we are. And even if we did achieve all that, new homes won't look like current new homes because 4000 ft2 suburban homes are fundamentally unsustainable.
I agree with that, certainly. I think at least the ability for everyone to buy a home should be normal.
Lmao I'm sorry do only "westerners" have phones? Or clothes? Do people outside the west not have trinkets that they don't really need? Of course they fucking do. Moving to a poorer country only works if you move with significant capital... If you are from America and you have no money, moving to Venezuela just means you still have no money but now you live in Venezuela, not sure how that's supposed to help.
Not sure what your point is re politicians. They bear culpability alongside the capitalists, yes.
When you or I bought our phones doesn't matter because even if I bought a top of the line phone once per year that wouldn't buy me a house. I don't, fwiw, and I'm privileged enought to be able to afford to buy a house - but I also don't make the mistake of thinking that being frugal is what got me here. Individuals in America and the UK (can't speak for anywhere else, I'll limit it to where my experience lies) do not have a choice they can make that will get them the things they need at a reasonable price. It is not their fault for wanting too much or anything else.