Isn't it weird how austerity often targets the poor, while e.g. salaries of bureaucrats or politicians, as well as military and police spending are rarely part of these strategies.

One can discuss about austerity as an effective strategy to slim-fit a nation. Making the government and public processes more effective, streamlined and effective, using less manpower to reach the same goal and increasing the efficency, speed and simplicity at the same time – this is a good goal. BUT this is definitly not what usually happens when governments say they need to save money, because those who know how to make the processes more efficient usually don't like to cut their own jobs/salaries/responsibilities.

So they just cut some public service that affects nobody meaning-/powerful instead and sell it as a big reform.