My rant was specifically about people who embed themselves in a group, but resent the group and their situation. Thats how I interpreted "[Their] choice is not between bread and cake, but between bread and an empty belly."
If this is not the case, then the rant doesn't apply.
The the fine article is about listening to music alone fostering a sense of well being.
The comment to which I responded was about how degraded that experience is relative to music in social settings.
When a person does not have access to those social settings they are not better for that person…and as your comments suggest, often worse than nothing. On the other hand headphones are better than nothing.
The bread and cake are an historical reference.
HN guidelines are to make the charitable readings of other people’s comments. They are linked at the bottom of the page.
If this is not the case, then the rant doesn't apply.