When my wife and I tell someone that we both work from home we usually get the gushing response: "Oh, you're so lucky! I WISH I could do that." To which I have now prepared a reply: "You can; you just have take a 30% pay cut." Plenty of people we know have withdrawn from the daily grind, but they're not the inner-city folk who get their opinions reported in newspapers. Petulance and greed always makes for a good human interest story.

After the “liar loans” and “predatory lending”crisis where a few million people are going to lose their homes, and a recession is on the way we are told “ you are not having trouble making ends meet, let me speak slowly here, you are just being dim witted.” “ I repeat, DIM –WITTED.” “I know couples, both working, who suffer from “can’t make ends meet” syndrome.”
None of the rightwing pundits here mention that over the last two decades CEO’s have had some 400 substantial pay rises whilst workers have had none or nothing of significance. I have no figures for this country but I was struck by a report that the top US CEO now gets an hourly rate 24,000 times what a worker gets. A survey of the 2007 income of American hedge fund managers published Wednesday sheds light on the ugly reality of American capitalism.
The annual ranking of top hedge fund earners compiled by Alpha, a magazine that caters to wealthy and institutional investors, reports that the top money-maker, John Paulson, took home $3.7 billion last year, probably the richest singe-year haul in Wall Street history. Paulson, the founder of Paulson & Company, was not the only multi-billion-dollar hedge fund winner. He was followed by George Soros, who took in $2.9 billion, and James H. Simons, who netted $2.8 billion. The top 50 hedge fund managers took in a combined sum of $29 billion.

I agree with your argument, but find your tone censorious and patronising. Anyone born and raised in poverty understands how so many of the poor will always be poor because they don't know how to spend wisely. At the same time where would we all be if everyone was like Diana and me and bought many of their favourite things from op shops? The economy needs consumers, (especially lovers of good food and wine, or sports cars, or art works!)if we are all going to have jobs so we can spend or save, or preferably do both. I particularly agree that the most annoying thing about conspicuous consumers is their sense of entitlement and outrage when things are tight and they can't keep their toys. They seem to think that someone else is to blame and expect that the government ie taxpayers, ie you and me, should fix things up with a subsidy or compensation of some kind. And yes it is possible for those us with enough savvy to ride a bike, buy soup bones, grow veggies and live out of op shops. That's a fun way of life for many of us even in affluent times. You'd have unions and employer groups alike down on you like a ton of bricks if you suggested that we should educate the masses to live like that. Look at how the Myer CEO was squealing about interest rates damaging sales and his profits! When I think about this paradox of waste in western economies and starvation in the developing world I do wish that somehow we could bring sanity to our use of energy in particular - regulate globally so that sugar cane is used only for bio fuels and staple grains reserved for food consumption. People managed without sweets and sugar during war time years, national health improved. Petrol rationing meant we walked everywhere and set ourselves up for a healthier old age. Maybe this constellation of crises in climate, energy, housing finance and food shortages will bring us all down to earth and saner living.

There is no doubt that we have become the great consumers. In recent years I have also downshifted my job, my hours and my lifestyle and life is much better - we are comfortable. You really don't need 'things' and the continuous pursuit of material possessions does not do much for the enjoyment of life and distracts from what is really important food for the soul (excuse the religious terminology - I could not think of another way to put it) :).

While acknowledging that people have (in general) become too focussed on material wants, the fact is that the gap between the rich and the poor is ever-widening. Those on lower incomes or pensions do not CHOOSE to downshift like we have - they are there at the bottom of the income pile just trying to put food on the table. This is real and these people do not have plasmas in the lounge.

In my work I have an insight into the lives of some of our poorest Australians. In my experience they tend to be pensioners (elderly, disabled or carers), those with mental illness or drug addiction and what I like to label as the new 'singles' - people newly divorced and having to start again without a hand up. Most of these people do not want endless charity but a level playing field and a rise in pensions closer to a 'living' wage.

The real problem is the 'new consumerism' creates a cycle of greed - expensive services (banks, trades, health products etc), expensive food, fuel, insurance and ever increasing water and utility bills etc.

Everyone is out to make more money so that they can consume more so even those who live on little income or choose to live more simply cannot escape the impact this has on their lives.

Nice website Stephen. It must be easy for people who live in Tassie to not have to keep yup with the Joneses and not try to race to their end of their lives dead broke living on welfare. Yes move to Tassie and have the chooks, grow your own vegies, downshift and live simple. You have chosen the right path and have a talent to coin the current malaise. Is it because you know the meaning of the word STATUS? Buying things you don't need, with money you don't have to impress people you don't know? I am so glad my parents came here as penniless immigrants from war torn Europe. They did not know much but hard work and pay cash. Our world is a little different, but thank goodness my kids know that the answer to the question "can I have" ....is "yes what are you prepared to do for it". hopefully they will only want what they need.

I ain't complaining. Wait ... I don't have a mortgage, drive a vehicle or watch a plasma screen T.V. Maybe you're right.

Problem is it wouldn't take long for the greedy and lying free market extremists to gobble up any surplus made available due to a reduction in family expenditure. You should really look after number one and keep your secrets to yourself otherwise your income won't be worth anything in 10 years. Dim witted or not.