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PaperclipPerfector  8mo ago (text post)   31271 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 14, 2025

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Produce isn't getting stolen. The underclass doesn't want it and doesn't know anyone who does. There's probably a meat theft problem, but the real reason is that the urban poor just doesn't cook and doesn't want to. There are no grocery stores selling fresh ingredients because nobody would buy them; they buy whatever processed foods and sodas/energy drinks their foodstamps cover, but not raw meat, produce, staples like rice or flour or pasta, dairy. The native underclass eats an atrocious diet of ultraprocessed foods with terrible macros and they won't buy anything else.

And you're basing this on what, exactly? Your intimate involvement with the "urban poor"? I can assure you that right now, the patronage of several Pittsburgh grocery stores in wealthy, white areas is close to half black, with jitneys lining the parking lots. These just so happen to be the closest normal grocery stores to "urban areas" without one.

Normal, working and middle class blacks shop at grocery stores and eat normal, burgers and spaghetti and pork chops, food. Most blacks are not the underclass(and the underclass is not entirely black, although it is disproportionately so). Underclass whites don't cook either.

The 'urban poor' is a pretty broad stroke. Plenty of cultures have a solid foundation in frugal cooking (e.g. 'rice and beans'). I lived near a fairly poor urban neighborhood for my first job after college, and the supermercado was bustling.

Also, anecdotally, meat theft can be a big problem. I know a junkie who used to shoplift steaks by the stack. It's relatively high value for resale, and cooking a steak is not that hard vs the payoff in deliciousness.

"Urban poor" is often a euphemism and not simply referring to poor people living in an urban setting.

native underclass

Yes, the supermercado was bustling. Something tells me this isn’t a Hispanic neighborhood. The actually poor whites and blacks won’t eat rice and beans.

Meat theft is definitely a thing, it’s easy for everyone and the social class a rung or two above the junkies that they have access to eats as much meat as they can afford.

The actually poor whites and blacks won’t eat rice and beans.

Are you kidding me? That was a staple in my destitute Appalachian community growing up. When you could afford dinner, that was definitely one of the most common meals. Nobody liked it; it wasn't as good as half a can of tomato soup made with milk and a bunch of crackers, but it sure beat having a big glass of water for dinner.

Never thought before about how culturally informative it might be to ask what kind of beans go with rice or that you have for dinner.

it wasn't as good as half a can of tomato soup made with milk and a bunch of crackers

Mmm, a little margarine on the crackers when you can? Delicious.

Am I the only one here who actually likes rice and beans? It's tasty and easy to cook up when you're in a rush and the beans provide good protein so it's not the most unhealthy thing out there either.

Rice and beans can be incredible but there is a canyon between well prepared rice and beans with all the fixin's (some fatty pork stewed in the beans, lots of spices, maybe some hot peppers) and plain ass rice+ plain ass boiled beans.

I would eat "fancy" rice and beans as a meal any day of the week. Simple rice and beans is at best a side dish and it would be pretty unfulfilling to subsist on it.

Beans are just an inferior legume; chickpeas and lentils are much better side dishes to go with rice. As for protein, you should be getting that from animal products, not from plants.

Fair enough. I agree chickpeas and lentils go better with rice, but it's more effort to cook them properly in a reduction sauce while for beans you can just dump them out of a can and it sort of works.

I like them now that I'm an adult who has learned how to cook them properly.

As a kid being served rice and beans boiled in the same pot so one is over cooked or the other is under cooked? Not a fan.

...who the hell cooks rice and beans in the same pot? To begin with, the best way to cook rice is in a dedicated rice cooker.

Red beans and rice is actually very good if done properly. Of course I'm guessing this wasn't a specific dish, this was yankees of a certain generation that just didn't care about good food.

Southerners who didn't care about good food.

who the hell cooks rice and beans in the same pot

People who were never taught how to cook and didn't have the time or ability to learn.

No. Rice and beans are cheap and tasty(although beans are not exactly quick).

1 can chilli con carne: £3

1 can black beans: £2

Rice

Easily 2 meals for £5/2=£2.50 and you can be more strict if you want to save more money. Got me through postgrad.

Yep, it's a surprisingly healthy and really cheap and easy to make meal. Even if the money is no issue it's still a good staple meal that should absolutely be in your cooking rotation.

The actually poor whites and blacks won’t eat rice and beans.

The fuck I didn't. Brown rice, black beans, celery, and salt went a long way on $15k/year.

Did you miss the 'native underclass' descriptor? This is a predominately urban group defined by generational poverty.

There are a variety of people(eg grad students) who have very similar incomes to the generationally poor underclass, but are not underclass.

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