ABCNews suggests eating out of a dumpster as a viable alternative to "spending"

[kpete]

Freeganism: Dumpster Diving to Buck the Spending Trend


Amid S&P downgrades and widespread panic about financial markets, an anti-consumerism movement quietly marches on: Freeganism.

Freeganism, which popped up in the early 90s, rejects the idea of overspending as a "national addiction," according to New York City freeganist, Madline Nelson. The movement goes beyond veganism's rejection of animal products and bucks consumerism for sustainability. It has spread worldwide, with Freeganist websites in French, Norwegian and Portuguese.

Freeganists practice dumpster diving for food, composting and recycling. They also walk or bike instead of driving, "squat" in abandoned buildings, eat local and "work less," according to the freegan.info website.


..............

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/freeganism-dumpster-diving-buck-spending-trend/story?id=14242371


The rich get richer and everyone else loses their jobs, their homes, their retirements, everything, but hey, at least food trickled down to us via the local dumpster.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/08/1004573/-ABCNews-suggests-eating-out-of-a-dumpster-as-a-viable-alternative-to-spending

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Let them eat garbage. Smirk. Sneer." - Republicon FatCats (R)

"Oh yes, and while we are on the subject of, um economics and shit like that, America absolutely must have MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE special tax breaks for fatcat republicons."

- FatCat Republicons (R)

[GKirk]

2. I don't think that ABC is...

...'suggesting' this, they are just reporting on it.

[Enrique]

3. i used to work overnight at a 7-11

i was instructed to destroy the 20 lbs. or so of food I threw away every night. I was supposed to put it in a bucket pour water over everything and mash it up to make it inedible so that people wouldn't go into our trash to eat it. I didn't do it. Once in a while the boss would ask me about it, I'd say, oh, sorry, i forgot. Eventually she started having the morning people do it.

[GKirk]

19. 7-11 food is considered edible?

I did not know that! :)

[snooper2]

4. They are just covering a story about a trend among a small minority of humans

Your premise in posting this is flawed

[dionysus]

5. why did you make up a completely dishonest title?

:eyes:

there's been several articles on freeganism lately. they are highlighting the waste of food. ABC is not promoting dumpster diving.

[raccoon]

7. I second that emotion. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Just read the whole linked article, and I have to say they are

reporting on this, I see nothing that could be said to be 'suggesting it as a viable alternative to spending'. The proponents see it that way, and as a political act much like a boycott as well, and that is reported. ABC suggesting people do this? That is not in the article at all, not that I can see. Perhaps the OP can show us where this 'suggestion' lies? Is it before or after the only official in the articles says it is unsafe and mentions 'rat droppings' while doing so?

[Supersedeas]

13. That's how I read it too -- more a dismissive attitude than viable alternative

the days when Schumaker's Small is Beautiful was taken seriously by the mainstream media are over.

[seabeyond]

8. i didnt think media would be suggesting this. seeing posters state that is not what media was

doing.

we are getting to many subject lines not actually representing a story, but a persons agenda.

[TalkingDog]

22. You mean as opposed to the headline representing the Media's agenda?

Why not read for yourself and make a decision as to who is promoting what agenda rather than having to be spoon-fed everything?

[ChrisBorg]

9. Only Freeganists are suggesting this life style, not ABCNews.

Is your headline really how this article came across to you?

[Renew Deal]

11. No, it's how the poster wanted it to come across.

:shrug:

[Renew Deal]

10. This seems like another food fetish like veganism, vegetarianism, etc.

It doesn't say that those people don't have the money to dumpster dive. They choose to.

[TalkingDog]

23. fetish is a rather strong word.... and most likely incorrect

either in the original sense of an object representing a desired reality or in the psychoanalytic sense of an intensely sexualized object or person...

I think the word you are looking for is "Fad" or "Fashion"

You are right. A number of people I know choose to freegan because they are artists or students who don't quite qualify for food stamps. I dumpster dive on occasion (mostly in the winter when I can be less worried about spoilage) partly because I've always done it (and I'm 50... so it's not a "fad" with me anyway) and partly because the amount of food that goes to waste in the country is shocking and disgusting. I share my booty with friends and/or make dog food out of it.

[Pithlet]

12. I'm with you. The timing of the story is suspect.

A story on Freeganism? Now? Yeah, I don't think that's coincidence. Someone has a twisted sense of humor at ABC.

[dionysus]

14. there's been quite a few articles on this issue over the last year or so, if you didn't know.

grocery stores and other places have been throwing away tons of perfectly good food, thats really what the whole thing is about. and there's some folks who are capitalizing on it and eating for free.

nowhere does ABC say to go rooting in dumpsters for food.

[Pithlet]

16. Yes, I know.

I've heard of it before. The OP can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it was meant to be taken literally. Just a joke on the timing of the article. The markets are plunging, and right at the same time that's newsworthy... I think it was meant as a joke. Not to be taken seriously. ETA not joke as in funny haha, but sick, twisted joke. In other words, he didn't seriously mean ABC meant go dumpster diving now.

[dionysus]

18. you can never tell on DU anymore who's kidding or not.

;)

[jayfish]

15. First thing I thought of while reading this was...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuD1oDth6es

[undeterred]

17. I want to see Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulous do it first.

[meegbear]

20. The Onion "Our Dumb Century" had a story along those lines ....

The Soup Line - A Great Place To Meet a Mate!

This is what America's come to.

[bengalherder]

21. Freeganism has been around since at least the eighties

and probably before, as Abbie Hoffman promotes a form of it in the famous, "Steal This Book".

LOL at MSM just picking this up.

It's precarious and dependant on a consumerist society, so it is not a solution to anything in the long run.

Edit to add: Food is not the only thing dumped.I used to get sewing patterns from behind a strip-mall fabric chain back when. Trick is to get them before it rains. :)

[TalkingDog]

24. I was Freegan before it was "cool" Back then we called it: free stuff from the dumpster.

poverty... whaddaya gonna do ?