Jacob casually mentioned in The Atlantic

[DutchGirl]

I read the title, "Can quitting your job help stop war" and I thought: well, if everybody learned to live on less, then wars based on greed (i.e. all wars?) wouldn't happen anymore.

That's me dreaming of course, I don't think it'll be a reality soon.

[anomie]

Thank you for posting this cimorene12.

Good reminder of yet another advantage of low-cost living!

[MarginVariation]

Read the comments section - it's overly negative with a focus on this guy being a major mooch.

"And yet he drinks clean water and breathes air overseen by the EPA. He enjoys food subsidized by the Dept of Agriculture and brought to his table by the Dept of Transportation over federal roads. His personal safety is enhanced by multiple federal departments ranging from the FBI to the CDC."

People seem to have a sense of duty when it comes to the contribution of social welfare programs.

Better yet, one comment mentioned the outrageous defense spending is a necessity to create jobs.

[workathome]

Yeah, because the government invented water, air, and plants. We're all indentured servants onto eternity because they figured out a way to bureaucratize nature.

[jacob]

The writer of the article did contact me a couple of days ago asking me if it this was getting trendy. Didn't mention anything about an article. I didn't get back in time though.

Hmm.. so now I'm an activist. Ha! I like the way MMM responded as one of his readers from overseas said that what he/we are doing anything that unusual not spending all our money, that "indeed, but in the US, the first person not to do that gets in all the national newspapers".

[jennypenny]

Hmm.. so now I'm an activist. Ha!

hippie


It's funny that two of the people at the forefront are from other countries. Immigrants also have some of the most successful small businesses. People tend to chalk it up to hustle but I wonder if perspective plays a bigger role (being able to see the American 'system' for what it is/isn't).

[jacob]

The Millionaire Next Door talks a bit about this in how first generation immigrants are largely more successful than natives in financial matters whereas this effect is gone in second-generation immigrants.

Since this effect is also observed in other developed countries I would chalk it up to... maybe not hustle but rather that it takes a certain mindset and personal resourcefulness to actually immigrate (taking risks and making correct positive actions to change one's life) and this translates into pf decisions as well.

Perspective helps, but I don't think it's perspective in the big picture kind of way, but rather than just a matter of taking less wasteful/more frugal habbits along with you while moving to a more wasteful country.

Third, the US is comparably much more accepting of alternative solutions than many other other developed countries. There's less of this-is-the-way-we've-always-done-it mentality and so people doing things different won't be ostracized to the same degree. Mind you, they will still get comment haters, but that's about as far as it goes.

Fourth, the US has a much higher Gini index than most countries so it's much easier to make saving money worthwhile. The idea of being able to live by one's capital does not even occur or at least does not occur to nearly the same degree in other countries.

[jennypenny]

Fourth, the US has a much higher Gini index than most countries so it's much easier to make saving money worthwhile.

I'm not sure what you mean. I know what the Gini index is, but I don't understand how you're applying it here.

Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.

[jacob]

@jp - The US culture/system/everything allows for a more uneven system than most other developed countries which makes it easier to climb the ladder [for those who can and choose to do so] so to speak. The idea here that you can potentially make it and become wealthy is much stronger whereas in other countries people will likely not even realize the existence of the possibility. Furthermore, the US has the systems in place and easily accessible and most people know this. Not so in many other countries where general awareness approach zero.

[Scrubby]

The idea here that you can potentially make it and become wealthy is much stronger whereas in other countries people will likely not even realize the existence of the possibility. Furthermore, the US has the systems in place and easily accessible and most people know this. Not so in many other countries where general awareness approach zero.

Compared to most other Western countries the social mobility is fairly low in the US (see Great Gatsby curve). If you come from a poor family it's easier to climb the ladder when all education is free, and only the grades are used to determine if you are accepted in higher education schools and universities.

I agree that saving may be more worthwhile, though. The poor people in the US are really poor, and because of the generally high work ethic they accept to work long hours for low wages. This makes it a lot cheaper to buy the stuff they produce than if the wages were more similar.

[jacob]

@Scrubby - Yeah, but social mobility is an _average_ quantity. The situation in the US for skilled individuals or as it pertains ... people who are willing to take risks and who are at least somewhat qualified (that is, properties found in most immigrants) is much different and much more positive in terms of economic mobility.

I definitely agree/think that for a random person, the US is not a great place to be born, whereas Scandinavia (Finland in particular) is the best place to be born. Conversely, if you're "talented", being born in the US or moving to the US (insofar you don't fall into the consumer trap) provides more opportunities.

[Sere]

"And yet he drinks clean water and breathes air overseen by the EPA."

Heaven forbid clean water and air be thought of as something radical, like a basic human right, rather than fee-for-service!
Of course, it couldn't be that lowered consumerism is beneficial in terms of reducing pollution for everyone...