The smug, it burns!
Mar. 10th, 2012 10:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabotabbyI meant to post about this awhile ago, but let's face it—it sucks having to do all of my typing standing up. And all of my checking of e-mail standing up. And all of my reading standing up. I'm way behind on responding to a lot of things because it takes me forever to read a long post or answer an e-mail. Also, my feet hurt.
But anyway, I run into a lot of posts like this particular one and I don't feel I've ranted on it lately, so here we go:
Frugal food: 10 DIY tips to save money while eating better and healthier.
It's another rehash of the classic "LENTILLLLLLLS" flamewar: privileged people with lots of free time telling the rest of the world how to eat. There's a few dissenters in the comment section, but overall it's a circle-jerk of smug.
Now, I am pretty privileged myself, current disability status aside. I do eight out of these ten things already, and plan on doing the other two (visiting the farmer's market and starting a garden) come the spring, assuming that I am back to being able-bodied by then. But it's like the post's author and the commenters are blissfully unaware that very few people do have that sort of privilege. Issues like food deserts, water pollution, disability, and poverty seem to barely enter the conversation. If I, for example, were living in the neighbourhood in which I teach, chances are that there is not a grocery store in walking distance, and not everyone can afford a car. There certainly isn't a nearby farmer's market (and farmer's markets in Toronto tend to be far more expensive than the grocery store or the local fruit stand). Some people can't afford to buy crockpots. Many, many people don't have storage space for bulk purchases. Most people don't have any green space in which to start a garden. A good many people lucky enough to be employed are too busy to cook every night (and I am certainly one of them).
And yet, with one aside about fracking and countries without potable water, these pitfalls never even enter into the discussion. It's assumed that everyone has equal access—in my experience, even an average, middle-class person in the First World doesn't necessarily have the access the post assumes. And like practically every article about food economics and health, there's the assumption that problems are individual and can be mitigated by individual choices, rather than collective, informed by corn and meat subsidies that artificially inflate or deflate prices, poor urban planning, and economic disparity.
But anyway, I run into a lot of posts like this particular one and I don't feel I've ranted on it lately, so here we go:
Frugal food: 10 DIY tips to save money while eating better and healthier.
It's another rehash of the classic "LENTILLLLLLLS" flamewar: privileged people with lots of free time telling the rest of the world how to eat. There's a few dissenters in the comment section, but overall it's a circle-jerk of smug.
Now, I am pretty privileged myself, current disability status aside. I do eight out of these ten things already, and plan on doing the other two (visiting the farmer's market and starting a garden) come the spring, assuming that I am back to being able-bodied by then. But it's like the post's author and the commenters are blissfully unaware that very few people do have that sort of privilege. Issues like food deserts, water pollution, disability, and poverty seem to barely enter the conversation. If I, for example, were living in the neighbourhood in which I teach, chances are that there is not a grocery store in walking distance, and not everyone can afford a car. There certainly isn't a nearby farmer's market (and farmer's markets in Toronto tend to be far more expensive than the grocery store or the local fruit stand). Some people can't afford to buy crockpots. Many, many people don't have storage space for bulk purchases. Most people don't have any green space in which to start a garden. A good many people lucky enough to be employed are too busy to cook every night (and I am certainly one of them).
And yet, with one aside about fracking and countries without potable water, these pitfalls never even enter into the discussion. It's assumed that everyone has equal access—in my experience, even an average, middle-class person in the First World doesn't necessarily have the access the post assumes. And like practically every article about food economics and health, there's the assumption that problems are individual and can be mitigated by individual choices, rather than collective, informed by corn and meat subsidies that artificially inflate or deflate prices, poor urban planning, and economic disparity.
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no subject
Date: 2012-03-10 11:15 pm (UTC)I don't know many people who work who could afford to buy lunch rather than take sandwiches, yet alone buy coffee. My dad allows himself one or two coffees a week.
Farmers' markets here are extraordinarily expensive. The nearest to me is in Marylebone, where people like Madonna live/have a home (and where Sherlock lives) and frequented by people who say, "ooh yah dah-ling, shall we hev a pheasant for supper?" I used to go every week to get the cheaper bitties at the end.
Better money saving advice would be to join a buying group, where people get together at local community centres to buy wholesale, if that is possible where one lives, or to go to local street markets (again, if you have one near enough - I don't think I have the energy I used to have to cycle or walk to my nearest any more), to cook in bulk and freeze (if you have a freezer - again, not everyone can afford one: my mother bought me mine as a present), or, more simply, to live on chips.
An even better solution is for city councils to plant fruit trees down every possible street and provide allotment land everywhere instead of selling every available corner for office blocks, and to make it law (as in Tokyo) that said office blocks must have green rooftops (used for food growing), but that involves things like caring, political will, etc..
London is getting better at such stuff but it is slow progress.
I am out of date as it was five years ago I did qualifications in local-community food initiatives. Things seem to have got a bit better since.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-10 11:32 pm (UTC)Collective solutions to collective problems? I can't hear you! La la la lentillllls!
It's been forever since I bought coffee from a coffeeshop on a regular basis. I do when I'm out and in a hurry, or I'm hanging out at a coffeeshop for social reasons, but I have a coffeemaker at home and work and these supply me with my caffeine fixes. As for soda, it tastes gross, though I'll occasionally drink it out of desperation if I'm thirsty. I couldn't buy my lunch even if I were inclined—my only options are the unpalatable and heavily meat-based foods on sale at the cafeteria, or the mall across the street, which also lacks vegetarian options.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-10 11:45 pm (UTC)I alas stopped going out of my way to shop affordably and ethically (I used to put a lot of effort into it) since a Waitrose opened round the corner from me. It is so much more ethical than most supermarkets (though presumably far from perfect) that I use that as an excuse. And it has extra nice food.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-10 11:53 pm (UTC)There are lots of community food projects taking off in London at the moment. I should get more involved. In fact, I must must must remember tomorrow to post the money and form for the intro to permaculture course in two weeks at this wonderful project I have been wanting to visit. It isn't far from here and combines the sort of modernist architecture in the Soviet factory buildings exhibition I went to recently with an inspiring example of scary, run-down housing estate turned nicer by its community working together:
http://www.maidenlanece.org/photos-of-green-spaces.html
I am worried I will be too run-down with depression to make it, but if I do, it will probably work better than any bloody anti-depressants to cheer me up.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 02:16 am (UTC)(It's also possible you're taking the piss, and I've just missed that due to lack of familiarity.)
Agreed about fruit trees and gardens. When I fantasise about city planning (I've weird world-building-related fantasies) they usually involve blocks with a central courtyard w/ garden plots.