America's forgotten working class | J.D. Vance
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- čas přidán 16. 10. 2016
- J.D. Vance grew up in a small, poor city in the Rust Belt of southern Ohio, where he had a front-row seat to many of the social ills plaguing America: a heroin epidemic, failing schools, families torn apart by divorce and sometimes violence. In a searching talk that will echo throughout the country's working-class towns, the author details what the loss of the American Dream feels like and raises an important question that everyone from community leaders to policy makers needs to ask: How can we help kids from America's forgotten places break free from hopelessness and live better lives?
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My father had abused my mother. One day, my father drank and broke my mother's arm. But my mother didn't abandon me and I went to college with my mother's support and love, and I was able to finish it safely. I feel a lot of gratitude to my mother.
from south korea.
Sorry to hear that I am a survivor of torture and abuse. I do have to ask though, did you witness this or are you listening to a story told to you about the abuse?
That makes me so sad that your father did that! I'm sorry for the pain that you and your mother had.
@@Daily_Llama What would be the result if you had received an answer? Would you say this child didn't experience abuse if they didn't witness it? I'm sad you have suffered. Don't question another person's suffering.
Being raised in the ghetto by a mentally ill single mom. I remember being 14 and pg from rape. I walked past a fast food place thinking, "kids work there" and wondering how a person gets a job. I had no idea. I had absolutely no examples in my life of how to have a life, get an education, find a job, solve problems. As I got older, there were some people who I learned things from. One was a teacher who taught a vocabulary class that was really about systems and how they work. She felt that if you understood systems that vocabulary would then come naturally. That class changed my brain and my life. It helped me traverse the systems that often overwhelmed my life and enabled me to learn what I needed to learn. It made the world a place I could see clearly and interact effectively with. It's these little things that make the real difference in giving people a chance.
+Remona Stormborn
Excellent, and good for you.
This is why I'm glad being a teacher. Any free time I have with my 7th grade kids, I use it to make them see the world which is 'wider' than they think. They always feel overwhelmed whenever they learn about reality they didn't know about and they now probably have a little bit of a wider world view than their peers from other classes. :D
Bless you and hope the best for you.
Remona, as a former teacher, I've worked with many children who have had similar experiences. I'm glad your teacher was there for you and laid a foundation stone for you to stand on. God bless you.
@N Mil "there was nobody to even talk to about these things. " I think that's the key to solving the problems of generational poverty. We need programs in place at many points: schools, medical providers, juvenile justice system, community programs where mentors work to help low-income and other disadvantaged youth to learn, grow, and gain skills to help them improve their lives.
This reminded me living in the Bronx NY in poor neighborhoods, drug ridden, gangs but I survived and prospered because of family. I came from a strong family.
Life is not fair, but your family got you through this!
His grandmother did a very good job upon raising him well to be a good man now.
What I liked about her was that she was able to confront her own part in how her daughter turned out. No one can ever turn anything around until they are willing to take a long, hard, cold look in the mirror.
Truth 🔹
He should not have said what he has said during the political campaign to be a senator, though.
She never intended to raise a kiss-butt to a criminal, immoral and insurrectionist joke of a politician. Vance's grandmother would be embarrassed if she saw him now.
He grew up 3 blocks from me and it's two years older. The movie was great and brings back a lot of memories. His childhood mimicked a lot of my buddy's and mine own. Good ol mTown 513
That is the best speech I have heard in a long time. Very clear, eloquent, honest
We, as a society, need to focus on strengthening our families. Weak dysfunctional families leave children vulnerable and traumatized, but strong families can overcome virtually any obstacle together. The family unit is the basic unit of society; as families fail, society falls apart. Governments will never be able to compensate for failure in the home.
we live in a society
Wow, as an european, I never knew that some parts of america were so screwed. Good awareness speach.
All of America is in deep chronic trouble ,
Coming from an American born and raised ( My home state of California - USA )
Greetings from Ohio!
As an American living in Europe, I discovered that.
One of the things most Europeans forget is that the United States is a very large country, it’s very diverse both racially and class wise.
Philipp Meier,
I once (when I learned all this) had the exact same reaction. In Europe there are sure a lot of poor people or very modest people with low incomes, but that fact doesn't automatically mean that those people have broken structures and broken values in their homes, as it does here.
I worked with a black guy once, he was a great guy and a friend, outside of work as well. He said: "My mama always told me you don't have to be rich to be decent." And that has stuck with me for years.
He will be a good senetor. Go Vance!
Hillbilly Elegy is probably one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I knocked it out in just over 2 days
I am excited in reading it, even though i am not an american
@@hisham-ju2wt Thank you. Please pass it around when your done. It describes the real American life, not what appears on tv and movies.
@@hisham-ju2wt I wish more Europeans would read it, poor white Americans have their own societal problems too.
I didn't like the movie
@@johnrodgers2018 yes.
I live in Appalacian Pennsylvania and a lot of these problems are true here as well. A lot of the kids in my town turn to drugs and alcohol for entertainment because nobody is making an effort to include young people in anything. There are no careers here either unless you want to be a McDonald's or WalMart manager. Then the older generation complains about the millenials moving away and wonders what's wrong with kids today. The "brain drain" is very real. There does seem to be a sense of pessimism in my town; people are content to live off welfare. My family is considered rich because we're NOT on welfare, but it's hard to make enough money to stay above the poverty line even in the usually well-paying fields. Child abuse is depressingly common. I hear it through the windows when I go on walks.
I want to escape the cycle of poverty, and I'm damn lucky I have the opportunity to go to college on scholarship. I cannot afford to go to the college I'm attending, and I was never aware of how poor I was until I started freaking out about grades and a classmate said "Just fail and try again next year!" and I had to say "I literally can't."
Yet you sabotage yourselves, into believing in an ideological set of beliefs that truly will never bring you the so called "american dream"...he was lucky in being an exception...but most will never make it...
Go for it! Take this opportunity and run with it.
But why can't people find ways of entertaining themselves in useful and educational ways? You can't wait around for other people to give you the things you want.
People should learn to entertain themselves constructively, but with people under 18 society should make an effort to motivate them b/c young people aren’t known for making the best choices when left to their own devices.
@@ajs41 this is woefully missing the point. Put simply if there are 10000 working age adults in an area and only 3000 jobs (with similar numbers in any reasonably distanced surrounding community) what do you think is going to happen to the 7000 ppl without jobs and what do you think happens to their kids.
Just ordered the book, and hope to get it within a week or two. Like the author, I too was raised by my grandparents in a rural setting. I was raised on a small sheep farm in rural southern Colorado. We were poor, I just didn’t know it. We always had plenty to eat, and I had the entire farm and my dogs to play with. I too joined the Marine Corps after high school to see the world, and saw what real poverty looked like during my 15 month tour in the Philippines, and other countries I visited and trained in during my four year enlistment as a grunt infantry Marine. Went to college, majored in Criminal Justice with minors in Spanish and Cultural Anthropology. Became a Federal Agent, retired 20 years later with a good retirement. Started and ran my own Private Investigation business, and did that for 10 years, until my kids went to college. Did four years with the State of Arizona as a Social Worker working in a rural community, to include the White Mountain Apache Reservation. I now live in Mexico, as a retiree. I have concluded that there are a number of circumstances that must exist for someone to succeed and prosper. A supporting older family member, a stable home environment, a set goal (even if it’s modest), delayed gratification and a lot of drive, focus and ambition. Not so easy.
Wonderful Ted Talk. As a single mom on a low income I raise and amazing daughter who is now an amazing adult. I moved from Michigan to Los Angeles some 40 years ago with $500 in my pocket.
In Michigan I went to Barber school on a government grant and I never made a lot of money but I always made sure I lived in a safe neighborhood to raise my daughter. I even lived in Beverly Hills, CA for 18 years. The rent was higher but my daughter was safe. I learned how to make Top Ramen a thousand ways. It was hard at times but my daughter came first. She did not have fancy clothes or drove an expensive car but she had lots of love in our home.
I dropped out of Highschool in the 11 grade and my life would have gone to the dark side but having the responsibility of a child changed my life. I wanted a better life for her.
Yes, I had loving parents in the lower middle class but I was a rebel as teenager and gave them many heart aches.
But I grew up fast when I had my daughter and I wanted her life to be different. I respect my past as it taught me to be strong and to never let life take you on the road of destruction.
I know when I look at my daughter I know I did the right thing by her and gave her a better life. She is very successful in life but most of all she had kindness towards all she meets.
I did see the movie on Netflix and it made me cry. It is so true for so many when they feel like their life will never change. I love underdog films and I always cry when the underdog is successful because I know what it feels like to be an underdog. I have learned to never give up on life or your dreams.
Thank you for reading this. Walk in peace. love, joy, kindness, compassion, and the light.
Good for you
I have often said God sent me kids to raise me. Thanks for proving that becoming a mother raises us up. Becoming a parent, and/or being in a good marriage goes a long way toward raising you up.
i love his story! I am a 5th generation steelworker that grew up in a steel town in the Rust Belt also. Addiction also is hitting the Ohio Valley so hard, as is the steel industry failing. It's so sad to watch esp seeing the rest of the country turn and look the other direction. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone!
Where do the opioids come from and who took our manufacturing jobs? CHINA ! Who facilitated it ? Our ruling class, “Ship of Fools”
This is a great talk, addressing the struggles of majority and the ordinary people that are often being mis-understood or forgotten. This, of course, not just restricts to his hometown, but many parts of the U.S. and even the world. I grew up exactly in the similar background just like him, and this is also what drives me to give back to my community and help those children and teenagers in those places to be prepared for their future. It's an inspiring talk.
The importance of this talk cannot be overstated. I hope many millions more watch this. Thank you.
Amen, brother. Amen to all you say, Senator Vance.
Wonderfully balanced and well considered talk. Easily one of the best TED has ever had.
however, no data was presented, no real presentation (visually), and its hard to put this talk onto one of their keystones Technology, Entertainment, Design.
Its a nice story, good wisdom - but not one of the best TED talks ever, dont be silly.
Random Schmid Look at the election result and you will find your data.
scorpioninpink Rekt
WOW,his life sounds like my life and the lives of alot of middle class people of color in my community. I'm from the southside of chicago and there's millions of good people over there of all looks and beliefs,that get demonized because of bad media coverage. this was super insightful and in some ways enlightening. the conditions he speaks of is common conversation in my community. glad to hear his view.
I often feel if we could get past the political tribalism we would realize how much shared commonality we all have, whether it be city or rural. Things have become toxic and there is a lot of finger pointing by people that have far more in common than otherwise. The focus is all on the differences sadly.
This is speech and his book makes me cry
JD, thank you for sharing your life.
This is a good reminder to give back to one's own Hometown down the road.
This is a good reminder that a country needs to not hollow out its industrial base without a plan on how to handle those 50 million ppl whose communities are about to turn into ghettos from the money drain taking place. It's a good reminder of how civil unrest starts and how drug epidemics and crime epidemics start
I'm really glad he mentioned the fact that getting out of poverty is about being lucky. He worked hard but with out the luck of having people to lend him a hand up he would have been right where the rest of his community is.
Greenkrieg Honestly that's the last thing I need to hear. I hope you're fucking wrong. I'll make it no matter what.
You make it?
Perhaps he was “lucky” because people who helped him recognized how hard he was working.
A lot of luck is based on being receptive when people try to help. As a teacher, I've know so many kids who couldn't accept help. The ones that make me want to cry are the really, really bright kids, who seem to be so invested in their own smartness that they won't learn from anyone else. So much tragedy out there. I wish people could see how much worse this has gotten since Reagan. He did so much harm to this country. Killed the middle class. Tragic.
Loved this talk! I listened with tears wishing I knew this 40 years ago..... I'm 55 now. Social capitol, mentoring, hope...... So necessary! Thanks jd!
I too wish I new this 40 years ago, so many hard lives are lived but we can mentor and help young ones now and we can fight for a change in the system...spread this video far and wide.
One of the better TED`s talks.
Anyone here after he won the nomination?
Yes.
A True Hero’s power is Empathy, being invincible, being kind and loving .
Hillbilly elegy is so much of inspiration.
Thank you JD for being a super soul.
Much love ❤️
Being from from Ohio my dad was a welder I did read the book and I saw the movie it hit close to home with me
Same here-Dayton
Me too. I listened to the audio book. Tried to watch the movie. But had to stop. My grandfather worked in Middletown at Fischer Body. Died from COPD. The drug abuse was not there. But the chaos was.
Man what happened to this JD Vance? He was so humble and calm. He made nuanced well thought out caring statements.
He wasn't running for Senator at this time.
@@DaDARKPass Very true, pretty crazy how needing to be elected turns these people into something unrecognizable.
He's a crypto fascist. Always has been
@@AndyKunkelhe was clearly very different at the time of recording
How about you stop and think that he's learned a lot about how the corrupt establishment, the politicians, and the media work in this country and YOU are the one who's out-of-touch, clueless, uninformed, and brainwashed to hate those who are actually for the people
I can relate. Remember hiding in the bedroom with my brother and sister waiting to hear the sound of the shotgun and wondering who was gone. So many stories and horrors. I have forgiven my parents. It's the only thing to do.
Who was gone?
This is my favorite Ted Talk of all time. This speaks to my experience in a way very little else ever has.
It’s heart breaking to see what JD Vance has become.
He seems a nice caring person..very sensible....
Ugh I loved this movie now I need the book. I never watched a movie that described my upbringing as much as yours. Growing up with a mother with a personality disorder and a dysfunctional family requires much forgiveness and healing. I am so glad i found this story. Thank you for sharing
Best TedTsljk I’ve ever heard. Your words are so true! I’ve lived some of what you have. God Bless you.
My family was really poor. Speaking from experience, I can say having good parents and the opportunities to go to good schools helped me "beat the odds". It's no one's fault that we were poor. So I think it's important that we create a 'good' society and environment for children.
This is, with out a doubt, the best talk on TED that I have ever seen.
My family is from arkansas and this talk echoes my experience growing up. Bad education (the school literally spanked bad kids in grade school), hopeless and sad family life. I have lived more than half my life in a trailer and started drugs in sixth grade. So when I see things like affirmative action, scholarships for ethnic people, and being accused of white privelage it really pisses me off. I am still unemployed and have student loans from a community college that provided substandard education on a degree I didn't finish. I am poor and mad about it.
you can finish and will finish
John Smith At least you were in College. That sounds like a fucking dream to me.
Don’t ever give up it will pay off ! I know!
@earth ocean Nothing in this life is easy. Tough all around. Put your boots on and get to work, brother !! If you wont take care of yourself no one will !!
@earth ocean I am sorry to hear that, it seems people many times are sold on a dream of education being the key to life. In reality, there and many areas of higher degrees that get you shackled as you said. Have seen friends get huge student loan debt with psych, history, hospital management degrees for instance that don’t get you anywhere in life. Then you need to move on and get a masters or doctorate, but they won’t pay the debt either... And think how much universities and colleges are getting out of this.
I grew up dirt poor, but thank goodness my parents and grandparents were strong Christians. I didn’t experience any of the trauma he was talking about, and that was 100% because of the church.
I had the trauma at home, but escaped to church, and a Catholic school placed in our working class neighborhood.
if y'all ever read his book church was also a major factor for him! while religion isnt for all it does save many- im glad it worked for you!!
Jesus is coming back very soon, repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Read
John 3:16-19
Romans 10:9-13
Whosoever believes and puts all their faith in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life.
Those who endure to the end the same will be saved
Wow! Someone gave me a voice.
THANKYOU
I love his story so much. So inspiring.
There are too many people that get money/'make it', and they forget where they came from. They don't reach back and help out their hometown.
Well he's in that place now
His book is well worth reading!
Heading out to get it today
I like this guy. He should be a senator from a place like Ohio.
Hard to see why people are demonizing this guy
No one is demonizing him it’s really just conservatives who are creating fake enemies
This video should be retitled "Why Trump won the 2016 Election? "
The speaker is extremely talented. Inspirational.
How does this explain how trump won?
@@thejurassicchicken1445 cuz the majority of the American population is working class whit people and that’s the demographic trump focused on in 2016 and that’s the section his opposition demonized
@@thejurassicchicken1445 it explains it because working class whites have felt screwed over for years. And they have been screwed over. Lack of opportunity and diminishing communities that are based on dying industries. Trump saw that and took advantage of these people. He lied and manipulated them because he’s a mean and evil SOB. Then you have the alternative candidate who basically said if you’re white then you don’t know real struggle.
Everyone knows if it isn't the East or West coast you do not matter
Very sad. I actually was fortunate to grow up in an upscale east coast town but will likely live long-term in the Midwest or South where people have more wholesome values and a better sense of reality.
And citizens in non-swing states
This is a perspective we need in Congress, put partisan politics behind this is a voice for those who are currently being left behind
His book is phenomenal - an expansion of what he talks about here and how he became a lawyer.
This was an excellent Ted talk due to truth. Thanks J.D. All the best!!
Bless you, J.D. Vance.
Wow , what a powerful statement. God bless you, you're a good man.
Shoutout from Lima, Ohio. Northwestern Ohio isn't in any better shape than southern. Been there, done that, can't find my t-shirt. Thanks for bringing this to the realm of general knowledge. I avoided giving that 'gift that keeps on giving' by not having kids at all. I wasn't raised right and thus had no confidence in my ability to raise the next generation properly. My less intelligent relatives have bred like rabbits.
I would think, that understanding the issue of your family in regards to whether you should have children of your own... Is actually a VERY good step towards not "Passing it along" and making the different decisions necessary to raise a better generation :)
It IS a good start but a good start only. I have seen friends raise children and just by their curious, don't know what they don't know nature, are at you every day. Self-awareness is good but one needs their emotional stuff together to deal with kids.
Right. If you weren't brought up with empathetic parents who can show emotion and give encouragement as well as discipline, you're crippled for life. People need training--and licensing--to breed.
I don't know about crippled for life, but they'd probably have something to work on. We all have something
we need to work on.
@Epiphany Well, that was not the point i was making, but ok.
Incredible sharing! I wish I could have watched this earlier!
More people need to see this.
Wonderful talk.
He's a very brave man. It takes guts to admit you aren't from the upper class when you are around the upper class.
Twisted Humor
Is that true? Perhaps you have the experience to say so. If I had anything to do with upper-class folks on very rare occasions, I did my thing and there was no reason for
them to be interested in my background. But for the record, lower-middle-class folks have produced our share of tyrants as well.
It's alright to be mobile in both directions, downward as well as upward. The apostle Paul said late in life that he had learned to be content in all circumstances. He had interviews with kings; he had also been treated as a common criminal. I find that example both inspiring and awe-inspiring.
Your grandmother said it best: are you going to be something or not? Hope, faith and belief can take you far. Opportunity and having someone who believes in you helps.
Senator JD Vance 💪💪
This was an excellent life story to be blessed to see. I was asking people I know last week, have you seen this movie. Sadly people told me the reviews were terrible..why should they waste their viewing time!
I was flabergasted at that response. This is the most real human truth put out by this man, forr us to see his path. Many good things can happen if one perseveres. Slay dragons, get burned but stiill come to an understading, of a life worth going through all the pain.
I am a Canadian, this life he showed us happens here also.
This man is simply a strong lovely human being. All countries need LEADERS like him..God Bless you, and keep you. Side note...Oscar for Glen Close and Amy Adams!!!
This aged well
Thanks JD
I absolutely loved this book. The issues he raises in his community affect all poor communities. I could relate to a lot of the problems he faced growing up. The lesson I got from this book is that no one is coming to save you. You must take responsibility and save yourself. There is a point in the book where JD realizes this and starts becoming more responsible with school and around his Mamaw's house. This book should be required reading for all kids entering high school.
Very impactful.
Such a remarkable young man!
Well said and razor sharp thoughts and insights 👍
People like JD give me hope.
Here in california what I noticed and is job shaming. Some people would rather be with out money than take a job that they feel is demeaning.
Could not agree with him more.
I'm a french citizen of north african descent. (sorry if my english is not perfect enough)/
I've been interested in the what's happening in the US and how some of his voters came from a low background.
I Share many things with J.D. Vance ( family with low academic, economic and cultural background, the feeling of being a cultural outsider in a lawschool).
It's a pretty interesting Speech.
Kusakabe Kakugo
As for me, I am a Canadian who studied in the USA (where I was converted to Christ in 1982). Here it is easy to obtain coverage of US news. I also had a hobby of studying history, so during the 2016 campaign I noticed what I thought were parallels between Trump and General Boulanger. THe latter played a
dominant role in French politics, challenging the status quo and developing a 'cult of personality'. Boulanger's appeal ranged across the spectrum, from conservative Royalists to working-class opponents of the liberal 'bourgeois' order.
Trump's combination of xenophobic nationalism and 'class collaboration' seems to parallel that of the 'Jaunes' (yellow socialists) prior to ww1.
I thought that Trump deserved a chance to prove himself as a benefactor to the working classes, but I suspect that he failed in the long run because of his alliance with traditional Republicans and his own weakness of moral character.
He and the Republicans basically sold their souls to one another.
Sooner or later is has to be admitted that Trump is a racist. One can't ignore forever what comes out of a person's mouth. Besides, he is not well.
12 step programs provide a good skill set for many.
Too much to say,but thanks your story rings a bell with me
Bought his book and will make sure my children read it, too.
JD nails it, I’ve seen and lived this life. You have to break the cycles.
Can't recommend his book strongly enough. Must read!
Amazing man!! Marvellous.
Jd, you are an inspiration.
DJ Vance is a pussie!! 🤣 I Love kari Lake she has my vote!! Pro freedom pro choice!! 🇺🇸
Poor guy looks like he needs a box of tampons. 🤣
I am Ohioan and lived the life of his mother as a man. Thank you JD and Ron Howard.....Please dont stop..We neeed you.......I need you, my family and kids need you.....
My senator!
Excellent advice & an Excellent read
very good talk !
wow a real insight to how to help
Kudos from Steubenville. Semper
Hello, born and raised in Steubenville. So true.
Interesting bloke with real experience.
He articulated the problems so well that his message is universal.
Too bad there is no political will to really tackle such problems worldwide.
Govt is never the answer, it's the problem. Answers start with you and your home and your church.
@@BitsyBee Seems like u assume that people of different cultures worldwide r homogeneous in feeling and thinking like u, and u assume that everyone starts off in life on roughly if not entirely the same footing.
However, the realities are that people in many countries want a government which protects their interests, and some people r born in too underprivileged conditions which do not allow them the capacity to as u put it, find answers only in themselves, their homes and their church.
Therefore, some forms of government intervention are required to deliver common benefits, such as provision of basic health services, national defense, curbing corporate greed, etc.
A few years back I read the book Dreamland! It explains how the Opioid Crisis evolved and the impact it has had on our American families. A great read!
Can’t wait for the movie.
This is not a race thing. That's the main point we all should get from this.
It's mainly a class thing.
It’s mainly a class thing but the added negative of being a minority on TOP of the class issues makes it even harder to find that help filling in that social capital gap he talks about. There’s tons of white working class ppl that think they have it even harder than minorities because of things like affirmative action. Notice how did once mention how these same problems he experienced. Can be seen in urban America by minorities
@@domwilson2505 that’s because the minorities always vote the same way.
There is less sympathy for communities that are not persuadable politically. Try voting in a real way for the other guys and see how they respond to you.
M A where did you see me say I agree with affirmative action? It’s a terrible strategy for reducing the wealth gap. I absolutely think if it’s gonna be there it should be income based. But it’s not a racist policy. That’s not what racism means. Prejudice? Sure kinda. But let’s not misuse the word racism
Son of Yoda they vote the same way because both parties suck but at least one is willing to do bare minimum, even if it usually does end up helping the rich stay rich. Both sides help the rich get rich rn. At least Some Dems like
Bernie of Yang are talking about actually effective ways to help lower income ppl out. Republicans answer is “free market” to everything. There’s
No point in voting for them. But both sides do suck generally. I’m not a big fans of Dems in the least.
I'm a California native. part of my family came here in a wagon train, so deep roots for out here. my sister married a guy from an Appalachian background. Great guy, my parents loved him from the start. good work ethic and made friends easier than anyone i've ever met. His parents came out to meet my folks not long after , and later confided to me, they were surprised and so happy that my parents turned out to be "just plain folks". Being from a small isolated community, they had the idea people from California were "uppity", and my parents were pretty far from that. my point is alot of what people think is because of their unfamiliarity with each other, and turns out we have an awful lot in common.
His story reminds me of Chuck Norris! For those who don't know, he actually came from a broken poverty family with an alcoholic father. He joined the Air Force to start over, learned Tae Kwon do and Tang Soo Do while in Korea, and that's how he got started before getting into movies.
Glad Mr Vance got to rise above his environment. Shame it doesn't happen more often.
It's important to think about how we can help one another overcome obstacles.
Fantastic!
wow this was an eye-opener!
Great book, JD.
I don't belong to that group so take this with a grain of salt: I think he also describes the adversities many inner city black and latino communities face and provides us reasons why they have a reputation of "they're all lazy and criminal". The main difference is that on top of that, they're also singled out and targeted by police, so the element of not belonging to society and of living in fear is stronger.
I found this very insightful, thank you.
Dj Nichols, you're confusing reason and justification here. I absolutely think that it's every person's own responsibility to make good decisions but there's a larger problem here than personal accountability: the system that makes preconditions so much more adverse to some than to others.
I find it interesting that he's literally talking about people like you in this video. People that have no education to social issues outside of their own tiny hometown blaming minority communities for all their problems rather than looking towards the greater, larger social structure that affects every minority community in the US, and especially POOR PEOPLE which happen to encompass literally all racial groups your dog-whistle racism "thug", "inner city" narrative has.
Poor white people blame black and brown people for their issues, grow up and repeat and teach that racism to their kids. Race was literally invented by the wealthy in order to get white poor people to join with them in divinding the lower classes further by arbitrary cultural and racial lines and they bought into it instead of seeing what it was---a way to keep the power and wealth concentrated to a lucky few.
Instead of being racist, open your eyes to how you're buying into the wealthy elite's brainwashing and join WITH People of Color to stop the system from hurting everyone. Only then will we ever escape crushing generations-long poverty and struggle. You were taught that "thugs are violent" and never bothered to question if that was true or not, you just accepted it because that's all you ever heard.
But instead of looking into how that's just making you a pawn in their game, you swallow and repeat the lie, and now instead of poor whites joining with poor POC we have poor whites joining in with the powerful to marginalize POC and you don't even care if you're complicit in continued human suffering?
If you had any sense of compassion or empathy for your fellow man you'd look into whether or not the narrative you were force-fed your whole life was true or not.
Megan Rivera Race was not invented by the rich. Your Marxist analysis is preached as the gospel and just as true. There is more to life than class conflict and that's why Marx was a moron.
If the socialist revolution is going to save us all, why is Venezuela poor and starving and Chavez's daughter so rich and plump? How 'bout that income inequality in China? You just keep voting to make the rich "pay their fair share" and the rich will just keep buying power in that same system.
The only way we're truly going to be free is by dismantling the state. When the state is gone, the only thing that is going to keep us from killing each other are clearly defined borders that separate like-minded, culturally similar, mono-ethnic groups.
FortuitusVideo
Listen to yourself! Do you really believe the words coming out of your mouth?
Social revolution takes the cooperation of multiple groups to be successful, that is why people are still struggling. I didn't say class struggle was the ONLY struggle. Obviously misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and racism are still major issues that deeply negatively affect billions. What I am saying is that as long as you buy into justifications for not joining said social revolution, the revolution will continue to be put off.
When you're more in love with your racism than you are escaping your present social oppression you're agreeing to and complicit with your own marginalization. If you want to buy into that, fine. But I think it's really interesting that you came to a video about people like you and didn't even understand he was talking about YOU.
Your family will continue to be held back by poverty until you shed the cultural brainwashing of blaming POC for all your problems.
Megan Rivera This is the problem with Marx. He was long on complaints but short on answers. The revolution would come and then all would be well. If it wasn't? Well it wasn't a true revolution! This is why there will never be an end to the struggle. Marx relied heavily on Hegel's World Spirit which is even less substantial then it sounds.
J.D. Vance is not about class oppression. He's about the specifics of Hillbilly culture that perpetuate their collapse. He's not calling for a class struggle. He's calling for the hillbillies themselves to change. More Charles Murray than Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw.
Loved your book. I’m from southern WV so we were neighbors!
The book was great; I had a similar challenge from the rural high plains. Getting my MS was easier than interacting with some Professors who didn't understand why a 20 year old had a kid in kindergarten.
Movie was great.
I lived that same life.
Plan to read the book and see the movie. Doesn't his advise apply to all struggling with disadvantage.
I’m glad he admitted that luck not just hard work alone helped him and that there are systemic changes such as access to quality education that need to be put in place for people to thrive. What’s supposed to be the richest nation often leave hard working people in the dust, hungry and encourage the poor to fight amongst themselves for scraps.
DevNerdGirl
I don't like the word 'luck', because I believe in the grace of God-----------whether 'common grace' extended to humanity in general, or the lovingkindness which God extends to His own children by faith. But the point is well taken! It is a LIE that we are authors of our own destiny, that whatever anyone gets is what he/she deserves. Let us beware the false gospel of 'rugged individualism'.
(Ecclesiastes 9:11) 'I gain saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.'
(James 5:1-2) 'Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten.'
I'm thrilled JD is running for office and wish him all the best.
I salute you!