That's fair but in economic theory austerity should be responsible budget constraint used to limit spending in an attempt to "save" money. For a government, over restrictions on spending have a crippling effect on the economy. Your point is valid if governments are claiming essential services were cut as austerity measures. My point is that if you support austerity you want it done responsibly in order to claim that it can work, which it can't. Crippling social services isn't austerity, it's neglect and mismanagement.