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I'm not sure who you know that makes $40k and has a foot on a "hedonistic treadmill"

s1artibartfast 3y ago
Most everyone I know, of all incomes, are on some form of hedonistic treadmill. Sometimes it is one beer and cigarette to the next, sometimes it's one sailboat and handbag to the next.
- micromacrofoot 3y ago
  There are plenty of pre-industrialized peoples that smoked tobacco, drank alcohol, and did drugs recreationally. Were they too on hedonistic treadmills? It's funny how Americans love to brag about how they have the freedom to do whatever and pay less tax, but then turn around and treat their poor like fools if they live in any way that doesn't resemble soviet-era russia. This is the same thing boomers do when they tell millennials to stop eating avocado toast to pay their school loans.
  - latency-guy2 3y ago
    > Were they too on hedonistic treadmills? Yes. > It's funny how Americans love to brag about how they have the freedom to do whatever and pay less tax, but then turn around and treat their poor like fools if they live in any way that doesn't resemble soviet-era russia. You have things quite backwards, the stereotype of USSR and it's successor is large amounts of vodka and mindlessly wrestling bears. The USA added an amendment to their constitution banning the sale of alcohol and took a while to get repealed. > This is the same thing boomers do when they tell millennials to stop eating avocado toast to pay their school loans. I think citing internet memes is not a good plan.
    - micromacrofoot 3y ago
      > the stereotype of USSR and it's successor is large amounts of vodka and mindlessly wrestling bears also lines for bread and austerity, that's what I mean > I think citing internet memes is not a good plan. while that example is memified, this is still a commonly held belief that I see reiterated almost daily (of course they're poor, they're buying iPhones! for example)
antisthenes 3y ago
You can certainly go into debt to get your foot onto that treadmill. You can live with your parents and spend the entire $40k on entertainment. The exact figure of the income barely matters. FOMO and consumerist culture almost ensures that everyone is participating. The companies are certainly happy to take your money, regardless of how hard it will be to pay back.

Most everyone I know, of all incomes, are on some form of hedonistic treadmill. Sometimes it is one beer and cigarette to the next, sometimes it's one sailboat and handbag to the next.

micromacrofoot 3y ago
There are plenty of pre-industrialized peoples that smoked tobacco, drank alcohol, and did drugs recreationally. Were they too on hedonistic treadmills? It's funny how Americans love to brag about how they have the freedom to do whatever and pay less tax, but then turn around and treat their poor like fools if they live in any way that doesn't resemble soviet-era russia. This is the same thing boomers do when they tell millennials to stop eating avocado toast to pay their school loans.
- latency-guy2 3y ago
  > Were they too on hedonistic treadmills? Yes. > It's funny how Americans love to brag about how they have the freedom to do whatever and pay less tax, but then turn around and treat their poor like fools if they live in any way that doesn't resemble soviet-era russia. You have things quite backwards, the stereotype of USSR and it's successor is large amounts of vodka and mindlessly wrestling bears. The USA added an amendment to their constitution banning the sale of alcohol and took a while to get repealed. > This is the same thing boomers do when they tell millennials to stop eating avocado toast to pay their school loans. I think citing internet memes is not a good plan.
  - micromacrofoot 3y ago
    > the stereotype of USSR and it's successor is large amounts of vodka and mindlessly wrestling bears also lines for bread and austerity, that's what I mean > I think citing internet memes is not a good plan. while that example is memified, this is still a commonly held belief that I see reiterated almost daily (of course they're poor, they're buying iPhones! for example)

antisthenes 3y ago

You can certainly go into debt to get your foot onto that treadmill. You can live with your parents and spend the entire $40k on entertainment. The exact figure of the income barely matters. FOMO and consumerist culture almost ensures that everyone is participating. The companies are certainly happy to take your money, regardless of how hard it will be to pay back.