G20 demonstrations

There are two separate issues here I think.

I agree that aspirational spending has a lot to answer for, particularly if you overstretch yourself in the process. But who decides what is an acceptable amount to spend on lunch? Is £50 too much? £10?

If our benchmark is whether someone can afford what they're buying and the guy eating the lobster can afford it then surely we shouldn't have a problem with him ordering whatever he wants. Or is it the sheer extravagance that bothers us? I could have eaten 20 pence-worth of plain rice for dinner last night, but I paid £7 for a burger instead. That would seem pretty extravagant to someone who's living on rice.

It's all relative, innit..?

a bit like paying over the odds for a used racing frame from japan or expensive wheels for riding to the pub. all about as necessary as the lobster or bottle of gevrey chambertin