[hoosieree]

As I read it, the argument is that "budget culture" blames the individual instead of systemic bias, and therefore all of the personal financial advice marketed toward the 99% is harmful.

There is some truth to it - Dave Ramsey does downplay/ignore systemic bias. And he focuses on the success stories where people pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

But to then claim "budgeting doesn't work" is like saying "eating healthy doesn't work".

A budget is part of a healthy financial lifestyle, not a panacea. It can help people build momentum in the right direction.

I'm most familiar with Dave Ramsey's material, so I can't speak to the rest of the "budget culture". But the "baby steps" are not in the same category as fad diet. They're more like "stop drinking soda, eat more vegetables, get good sleep, make good habits" kind of advice.