The Real Cause of Poverty with Matthew Desmond - Factually! - 215
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2023
- The United States is one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, so why is it that our poverty rates surpass those of so many other countries? In this episode, sociologist Matthew Desmond shares a hard truth with Adam: we are constantly reinforcing wealth inequality in invisible ways. The good news is that we're capable of divesting from the ways we may inadvertently contribute to the system. Pick up Matthew's book at factuallypod.com/books
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When I feed the poor, I'm called a saint. But when I ask why the poor can't afford food, you call me a communist...
Psst, the US doesn't want people to feed the poor either anymore, helping the poor will 'just make them more lazy'. That's why the repubs are fighting hard to take away any and all entitlements, poor people without any recourse other than doing literally any job they can get/keep is the wet dream of the business ghouls we put in charge of society.
Ain’t nothing wrong with learning about communism...
They call you a communist (derogatory). It's an important distinction. Communism is good, actually. Be cool if we'd actually do it for once.
They call me a communist because I literally am!
Who are you quoting?
We halved child poverty with the stroke of a pen during Covid and then just let that shit expire. I won’t listen to anyone who says we can’t afford for all people to have a decent life.
100% this!
We solve a problem then decide... nah, we really wanted those kids to die.
Welcome 🙏 to capitalism, aka dystopia, it relies on oppression
But it was going to cost companies their %10 more profits! WE CANNOT HAVE THAT!
We also caused the biggest spike in inflation than we've seen in 40 years. You can print money to solve a problem, but only temporarily. To actually fix this we need to tackle the incredible amounts of waste in government spend
@@BrianHockenmaier inflation has been shown to be absolute bullshit, companies profit margins bloomed by 100's of %. stop licking the boot that stands on your neck
My oldest son just turned 19 and my boomer Mom asked me the other day, "When are you going to make him get a job?" and my reply shocked her. I said "He has his whole life to suffer under this capitalist hellscape... why the hell would I force him to start working young like I had to?" I make enough to support my whole family without him working, so I am not going to force him to work. I hate that there is so much disparity in the way people live with no actual reason for it to be so disparate. There are people driving cars that cost as much as houses and yet there are millions without housing... it makes no freaking sense.
💯
Yep narcissist thinking and behavior people who behave in such ways are being advised to do so. Hoarding anything and everything that value is placed upon us the way of Americans and the world. Somethings will change besides that some people will not and top it off some of us refuse to change our negative ways of being as humans. Whenever we start to care more about each other oppose to caring less about each other that will be the day of real change.
Thank you for doing this for your son. The workplace/society is really screwed up. I recently left a job because they asked me to "play the game" of ass kissing and I just refuse.
What happened to buy my labor, earn my respect?
Seems like a Humble Brag. When he's 30 and living in your basement, you'll be eating this comment. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@DemePoole Telling people how you have gone against the norm and against the ideals of the prior and prevailing generation is a humble brag? When most people think as shallow-mindedly as you do about them living in my basement until they're 30 as such a terrible thing. It's not his fault (nor mine) that the world, and the US especially, has turned into such a capitalist, fascist shit-hole that demands your very life force just for the ability to stay alive for the majority of people. In a country that has the wealth that we have, there is no reason for someone to be forced to work for a full 1/3 of their life just to eat and have a place to live with not much else to show for it. I won't perpetuate that crap to my kids. Let them stay until they have their feet under them and a direction that they're happy with in life. Perhaps you should try to focus your energy on making a positive impact on others around you rather than what you're currently wasting it on.
The problem is poverty is too profitable for the powerful. Poverty makes people desperate, and desperation means they’ll work as long as the boss wants for as little as the boss is willing to pay. Poverty also fuels the prison industrial complex, which gives companies cheap (and in some cases, slave) labor.
If the wealthy were ever convinced that poverty was costing them money, it would disappear overnight.
This comment should be well over 1000 likes. Very good point. It seems like the negative things in life make the most money.
My family of 3 makes $65,000 a year with "benefits" yet we are homeless. Excellent credit, a little in savings and still can't find housing. Can't use our benefits to see the doctor. Don't qualify for food aid because we don't have an address. This system blows donkey balls
Couldn't even claim head of household -$5,500 and now that $8,000 in student debt is coming back with record interest rate... This fucking place
This is why there are so many homeless (I was one). People don't get that not having a permanent address means you can't get services. I'm so sorry your family is going through this.
In NYC they have places that allow you to use their address to get benefits. I wish that were a thing everywhere.
Bet you are leaving out the part where you seriously screwed up
@@60zeller dude let it go, I told your mom I was sorry.
Surrendering to the pervasiveness of poverty is the MOST American thing. Puritanism is the heart of every American value, and Puritans worshipped the idea that "Godly" people were wealthy, and poor people had done something to earn God's wrath.
THAT'S America. The innate belief that poor are poor because they are immoral. And it comes straight from Cotton Mather and William Brewster. And it still runs our society today.
Religion is the root of acceptance of evil. We tolerate the intolerable because we believe we are immortal and the people that tell us we are immortal tell us that it gets better when we die
Good point!
Broken brain ideas in this country are so old nobody even knows where they originate and people assume it's just "the truth" that has "always been known."
If you want to understand this country, read the writings of slave masters.
This is correct
Sir, the fact that you just name dropped Cotton Mather on a youtube comment? GOLD STAR. NICE. Yes, America founded by weird religious sect that left Europe not because of persecution but there were too many people having too much fun and they needed a place where they could pray uncontaminated by organ music...
When I became unable to work and my wife's income was low enough that I was eligible for ACA through SSI/Medicaid, I suddenly felt the sharp sting of the political rhetoric friends and often family members would parrot about people on welfare. People always say, "we don't mean you". Really, then who exactly do you mean? The thinly veiled racism makes me sick.
It's not a thing veil it's extremely pronounced! The part that Americans don't understand is that everytime anyone punches a clock, you have paid for the benefits that you receive. The only people who do not pay are underage children and people who have not worked for whatever reason. These so called entitlements are actually taken out of your paychecks, especially if you work for any bureaucracies. Every dollar that's taken out of your check has to be routed, accounted, and distributed to all qualifying Americans. If you've ever taken an Economics class, the first thing the instructor is going to let you know is that "We the people" are paying for everything and there is no FREE LUNCH! You pay into unemployment, public aid, Medicare,social security, some state tax, federal tax, etc...the list goes on and on! The government is the managing body over our collective bank account! Since we elect and appointment officials and we give them legitimate authority while in office, they make decisions over our lives that we may or may not agree with. 🤷 The problem with Americans is that we really don't understand how our country operates. Every course that they teach in college is now uploaded on CZcams for us to learn and be informed. If any of the people that may look down on you became disabled today, they could get disability or any other services that they qualify for, whether they paid into the system or not. 🤷😊❤️🙏 I hope this makes you feel better because it is true. Think about this, if you graduate high school and start working immediately and worked that job until retirement, and your classmate went to college to become a doctor, you've paid into the system for at least 14 years, before your classmate gets their first paycheck.🤷🙂
Even sadder are those on Medicaid and/or SSI because of income or disability and yet still argue or spout talking points that benefits should be reduced. When pointed out that they themselves are receiving those benefits they say they are the exception. It quickly becomes easy to see they are upset about minorities or "others" that they feel are not entitled to those benefits.
it's ableism; and like racism, sometimes it's thinly veiled and often it's not...
When people make the claim that they pay my bills, i say "Thanks for feeding me steak and champagne every night, i'll make a note of your benevolence, my lord. Now go kindly go fuckyourself."
No priorities no desaplend
First priority is people having what they need and then maybe many casles.
The worst part of struggling is the insecurity that drives the struggle. Fear is a destructive motivator.
It's sad that someone whose positions on poverty are so mild and centrist, literally just give less to the rich, is completely beyond anything our politicians are willing to accept.
judge people by their actions. And ONLY by their actions.
This is the most bland milquetoast video I've seen out of Adam.
@@DFreakus the guest definitely set a bit of a cringe centrist tone but I am glad he brought someone on who might move those people in the right direction
The moment mild and reasonable solutions are seen as radical os the time we have to be more radical to show what radical really means
@@siegmannII I guess. That's what the left in Spain said before they all started infighting and lost to a fascist dictator so maybe that's a "on a case by case basis" type of thing.
Our system needs the fear of poverty so that we fight amongst ourselves for scraps rather than band together. Also without poverty, people wouldn't be desperate enough to enlist and fight our wars for resources.
yep Poverty is not a failing of this system but a feature.
@@AndyMorrisArt always has to be someone at the bottom of the ladder. It used to be kids starting out. Now it's people with kids. Ask yourself why.
The problem is that Unions did not miraculously "get weak", they were in many places deliberately cut off at the knees by introducing laws to limit or prohibit collective bargain rights.
I watched Reagan and his cohorts do just this, with the agreement of the Dems and the media. Even the Dems became "anti people"(pro business). American citizens have been being robbed for over 40 years. Now we look at our pockets and finally see that they are empty.
Yes all that shit in the 1980s
@@namedrop721thanks again to Ronald Reagan
Auto makers squeezed the unions for concessions to "stay competitive". All the gains workers sweated for were gone. Now they are fighting back again..
Grew up in Mich. The whole Midwest was strongly Union Blue. Auto Industry pulls out - The right do a merciless job attacking unions. The political make up area flips. Not just Unions lose, everyone does. Paid time off, healthcare, pensions, work life balance --- all gone. Big Biz made Trillions - then they point at guy w union health care and says - He's lazy and has more than you. It Worked! Que skyrocketing wage and wealth inequality.
As a single parent (woman) with three children I would like to add that my life has completely changed since divorce and my outlook is quite bad. I had a good professional career for 15 years and I’m university educated. I gave up work to raise my children - this was 8 years when I separated from my husband. I couldn’t them work full time as the childcare costs would have taken all my income. I get the bare minimum from my ex husband despite the fact he has over 100k income but he’s remarried with new children. I work part time and claim benefits to cover the costs of rent and living costs. Also I can’t work full time now as I had to accept rental housing outside the school transportation zones so I still have to drive my kids to and from school. I feel trapped by circumstances and can’t save to improve my situation. I’m an intelligent person that did everything right but now I’m in poverty. Its insulting to perceive that these are my choices when I see it as systemic failure. I’d say the majority in poverty are single female parents and we are heavily judged for it
I’m so sorry for your hardship, you are heard and seen💜
Shouldn't have divorced. U had everything going for u and decided to break vows. No one's fault but yours tbh. Keep your head up. Life gets better
Society set up against single women.
@@MercenarySedwhat a charmer. Good god.
@@MercenarySed Never procreate because.. EW
can confirm, when i was going to college i couldnt get any support from FAFSA because combined my family made 10 bucks over the cut off. but here's the kickers:
1) i was working 20-30 hours a week to help pay for college
2) my parents were divorced so they each had to pay for their own housing, cars, food, etc
3) the information about our income was taken from the previous year's taxes and my mom had to stop working because she got diagnosed with stage 3b cancer.
we tried explaining all of that and it changed nothing
A friend of mine was in the same situation for the longest of times.
Their household worked no less then four low-income jobs, over three adults, and still needed Social Assistance in order to survive. Yet they where always scared of working over-time or getting a fifth income source* because it would mean less funds at the end of the month... and that is just insane. Any attempt to get themselves out of the poverty situation would lead to them being in a worse position....
*Kentucky wages are insanely low....
My college FAFSA I was clear that my parents weren't involved in my life in any capacity and would not be giving me 1 cent and had not given me 1 cent and I was working full time and paying for everything as I went. They told me to marry my boyfriend at the time or get my parents tax documents somehow bc I was under 25 yrs old. I had been living on my own and paying rent since I was 17 yrs old and needed a roommate who would cosign for me.
"go contact your estranged parents or marry your boyfriend if you want to go to college". . . ., but they have nothing to do with my life or my finances at all. My own job, health ins, 401k, stock option purchase plan, etc.
Yup same here. One of the reasons I didn't pursue college
My Pratt Degree cost my familay and I 20K, class of 1980. And incoming freshman with be expected to pony up over 350K for the same BFA, to be what… an unpaid intern and a life of indestructible debt? WTF? Just add Student Loans to the myriad mechanisms of wealth extraction visited on ordinary Americans.
Yep. Had to take out student loans my last year of college since my EFC was too high. I had to wait until after 25 just to pursue an education, and since I was working full-time to live and study in SF, I made too much money 😂😅
From one of my favorite songs:
"Their house is made of cardboard,
And the street is where they lay,
Their children beg for money,
and they get through another day.
When they can find a payin' job
They'll find a place to stay.
It's sad to say that people think
They choose to live that way."
"They Don't Choose to Live That Way" - Junior Brown
Another good one is by Neil Young called Keep on Rockin in the Free World
..& what's the songs name??
I think a lot of us have been convinced that we can't do anything about poverty.
I'd like to also point out that the child tax credit was more of an issue for many as we had to pay it on the back end. If it had been a straight payment it would have been million times better program.
My last thought is we always seem to have money for the military ans endless wars, but whenever an assistant program is suggested at fractions of our military budget it is always "how are we going to pay for it."
War is profitable.
Helping the needy is not.
It's that simple.
O U C?
A lot of us have been convinced that poverty is lazy non whites who are too stupid to take advantage of all the ' opportunities' this great country offers.
@@treacherousjslither6920 Hey, if we didn't go to war constantly in the middle east, to forcably instate regimes that are friendly to us, for better oil prices, think how much we'd have to pay to be able to destroy the climate! Then where would we find the money to give billionaires tax breaks on their yachts?!?!?
@@Strogman25 This world is fucked smh
My wife and I were on rental assistance from COVID, and our state had it end in a horrible way. When we went to call that month to renew for help, the employees told us they were informed that morning the program had ended. There had been absolutely no warning whatsoever even to the workers handling calls to register people for the help. They dropped it like a bad habit.
The guest wimped out. You can't abolish poverty in a capitalist system... because under capitalism, rich people have the most power, and rich people NEED poverty. Without the threat of poverty, no one would let themselves be exploited the way capitalism requires.
This is it right here. Furthermore, the wealth of the wealthy comes from the labor or the poor. They need to strip people of all alternatives besides wage labor and then not even pay them the wages they earn or they cease to be wealthy. Poverty is a foundational principle of capitalism. The only variation on this formula has been in Europe where a larger chunk of the poverty is outsourced to misdeveloped countries to feed the lifestyles of the imperial core.
Exactly. We’re in a class war. The capitalist class against the working class.
We don't need capitalism or rich people.
His main point is just that the government should really exist for the purpose of improving the lives of the people it serves. This is very possible if we "just" actually pay taxes and stop subsidizing the relatively wealthy (like with the mortgage interest subsidy).
This is politically obtainable solution compared to diving straight into "Let's abolish capitalism". While that would be pretty neat, it doesn't do the people who are suffering much good to gate their relief behind restructuring the economic foundation of the entire planet.
@@Drummerx04 I know. And I agree. But it's not politically obtainable in our current system, because only people deeply invested in capitalism can get elected, because the only way to get nominated is with major support from capitalists.
What is achievable politically is defined by who can be elected. And everyone who can get elected needs poverty to continue.
Maybe it's because I'm cynical, but when you talk about eliminating poverty by lifting up those that need it the most, everyone seems to forget the part of the equation that is people who enjoy looking down on those in poverty and actively reject helping those in need. They are so obsessed with their social status and are absolutely terrified of losing it that they will do everything in their power to keep every drop of it, especially when that means sacrificing someone else.
I see this in everyday life in this small town we're stuck homeless in.
We observed, and yep, just as you describe, they do it for the lulz.
And it's not even the super rich. It's people who are one paycheck away from also being impoverished. They think being assholes to the poor means it won't happen to them.
@@LARKXHIN Americans really do like punching down, even to the point they won't take a hand-out if "those" people get it as well. But hey, guns for all.
It also encounters one of the largest corrupting elements of Capitalism:
I know you have more money today then you did yesterday, so I will raise prices.
Not because the cost of production has gone up, but because you have more money for me to take. The equation used to calculate if something is a 'good deal' for you has nothing to do with my cost of production, but entirely how much money you have left after the transaction. And hey - if you had purchased this yesterday then you would have less money then if you purchased it today, even though the price went up.
So it is a good deal, right?
honestly I think this is the real reason. They actually need poor people for this country or many societies to fuction the way it is. They like looking down on people and why the super rich go do crazy things just for bragging rights.
I'm in the Uk and there are many similarities with the class system, poverty structures etc. Our housing system is in terrible shape because of a lack of building/repair/renovation and the reliance on property as investment instead of as places to live. Buy-to-let mortgages have contributed to skyrocketing house prices, ridiculous rents, poor housing conditions and homelessness, with working people needing to use food banks to be able to live. The rich keep getting richer, and fear is causing further division and cruelty. One of the things I've noticed (particularly in the US) is that the idea of socialism is often demonised by those who don't understand what it means, or deliberately misinterpret the term to ensure continuation of unfettered capitalism.
Here’s what struck me recently. During the pandemic while I was working from home (full time with full pay) I decided to get LASIK surgery. It cost $4K, but I qualified for a zero interest loan from CareCredit as long as I paid it off within two years. Which I did of course.
It occurred to me that I qualified for this loan because of my good income and responsible use of credit (I use CCs but pay them off every month so I never pay interest), but the reason the bank could offer me this free loan is because of other people who are paying interest to the bank, often because they can’t afford to pay off their balance every month.
And I am *thrilled* to hear the mortgage interest deduction being discussed! This alone creates so much inequality, and so many liberals would pitch a fit if it were rescinded.
I have been living in extreme poverty all my life. I'm 33 years old, disabled, mentally ill, and receive less than a thousand dollars a month to live on. Most medical procedures I need aren't covered by my Medicaid, or require jumping through impossible hoops to get covered. I pay attention to how things are because I don't get a break from it, ever. I hope we find a way to change the perspectives of those who have the power to make these changes and instill in them a sense of empathy and understanding, because this is not fair and it is not right. No one deserves to live like this, and I hope people who don't live like this come to see that.
This is the same situation for my adult son.
You are who the system was designed to help. And if somehow we could eliminate all those faking mental illness and those having babies to get more money, there would be more to help you.
@joecoolioness6399 those ppl taking advantage of the system are such a relatively small percentage and that is not why ppl who actually need help aren't getting help. It's everything this guy talked about plus conservatives would rather let ppl suffer that allow even one person to find the loop holes and take advantage. 🙄
I so agree with the never getting a break...ever
@joecoolioness6399 that's the problem , we pick on each other stead of the biggest fakers. The corporations taking subsidies and bailouts. Geez, could we please pay attention
how we treat our disabled americans is one of the things about poverty in america that really breaks my heart the most. Like you do your best to keep your head above water and play the game, then because of medical issues you can't fix or have any control over you have to sell your house if you ever even had one, practically be homeless, get rejected automatically and have to wait a year or two to even get a chance in court. and then you're stuck renting, and barely making enough to really do anything and that's only if you paid in enough to social security to even qualify for SSDI and SSI or are old enough to qualify. Then you have to just barely scrape by. And people tell you that you are a leech on society and just feeding off their taxes.
And if someone like myself has a partial disability from a chronic illness, so I can only work part-time, there is zero chance to qualify for assistance. I don’t make enough to pay my bills, but I’m not disabled enough to get $1000/mo, which won’t even pay rent
@@down-to-earth-mystery-school This is exactly why so many with chronic illnesses end up making their condition worse by pushing themselves to try to keep their full time job with the full time pay. The amount that we expect disabled people to live on has been one of the most horrific numbers I've ever seen. Nevermind the hoops they have to jump through just to prove they are in fact "disabled". But they are also punished if they make even a cent over the "limit". The mythos of the Welfare Queen has really succeeded in its purpose, to vilify the most vulnerable.
People who've never had to rely on those systems are completely clueless. Like, if you're disabled but could potentially work part-time, people scoff when you say you can't get a job. They don't understand that if you get a part-time job making $1,000 a month, you lose any assistance that you were getting to fill your medications, possibly help with rent or utilities, and you very easily lose any food assistance. Social security going up $100 a month took away my food benefits entirely.
This episode inspired me to become politically involved and contact my representatives. We CAN solve poverty if we have the willpower. If my representatives lack the willpower I will replace them
Is willpower of people really enough? Then, poverty would have solved itself from poor people's will, decades ago.
Anyone that admits to wanting to end the mortgage interest deduction can't get elected.
No, you can't solve poverty, and anyone claiming it's possible is either grifting money or delusional. There's ways to mitigate it, but it will never go away.
@@cmc5394oparvaYou can extremely reduce it.
It's the political will we need and actions. If you think something is impossible, it will always be impossible. Most people just lie to them selves so they don't have to take any responsibility and if someone questions that they are torn down.
I work in the non-profit housing sector. This is a conversation we have a lot: housing as an asset vs. a human right. Thanks for cueing me into these books. I'm going to look for them at my library this weekend.
i cannot stress enough that these kind of videos are very important because its open a debate and put words on issues that politicians refuse to talk about
My family was homeless 2x in 2 years. The second time, we were fortunate to be referred to a coop community. It has been a tremendous blessing because our rent is approx 1/2 the market rate for similar sized homes. We have been securely housed for 15 years as a result.
Where do you find places like that?
@noman2001 I live in Independence mo. There are 2 coops here. I was referred by a shelter worker but it's open to anyone. To see if there is a coop community in your area, try asking google.
@@0r1gam1Abby I understand if you wouldn’t want to share, but could I ask the name? I’m also in MO, near Independence, and I’ve been looking for some sort of community outreach program to volunteer with.
That gave your family the chance to escape the poverty trap.
The coop community network is fantastic. I've thought about that a lot. I think it could be expanded to be more beneficial to the community, y'know? Like in my town there is a Co-Op Grocery store and gas station and car wash, but just one. Actually two Co-Op gas stations. But then they aren't connected to a Housing Co-Op or a Community Garden who could grow and supply some of the food to the Co-Op grocery store, or there might be a Union shoe store, but they aren't part of the same co-operative as the grocery store, so if the shoe store is struggling for revenue, they might have to go out of business and then that means the big shoe store, even if not as as good, the shoe selection in the back of Wal-Mart now becomes the alternative.
What if we structured a community-wide cooperative that did things better than the big corporate, capitalist businesses and we became co-owners of all these projects and businesses, shared in the wealthy from them equally and put in at least 3 hours volunteer work per week - giving us the advantage of lower expenses - so we can lower prices, and sell more than the private capitalists?
Doesn't mean the 3 hours per week from each member isn't worth it, it'll be a huge bargain. A free gift basket of all the goods we produced for each member, each month. This is the basic principle behind Ubuntu Contributionism brought forth by Michael Tellinger.
It is a model that can be adapted to any town or community across USA, and across the world. Check out One Small Town website, read just the first page and you'll probably get it. It's a way forward, together!
the normalization of poverty hits me hard. a newer generation that is apathetic to exploitation is just sad.
Exploitation.... you mean employment?? LOL you don't have to, you can go be a homeless bum.
I think that's due to the indoctrination we've ALL had growing up in a monetary-market society and the lack of viable solutions that we are presented with. What are the kids to think? What are the adults to think?
Even with this conversation in the video above - these two guys, smart guys, caring guys, thoughtful guys - but they don't know, what they don't know about the systemic problem and how to fix it. Sure, they can talk about how building local cooperatives or supporting unions can help, or sometimes government programs can help as well, but that's all been said before. There is something broken that is not allowing the simple solutions to come forward.
Main problem: Money. Elephant in the room nobody wants to admit. But money is the root of all evil. It's the barrier to human health and prosperity. It was originally brought into human society long ago as a means of enslavement by the ruling elites. And guess what? It's still used that way today. People can read "Ubuntu Contributionism: Exposing the Global Banking Fraud" by Michael Tellinger for more detail on this.
Poverty exists because capitalism requires it. The system is the sickness. Just like playing the board game Monopoly, the game doesn't end until everyone else is bankrupt and one person has all the wealth and property. While playing Monopoly, as I had many times growing up as a kid, I realized, when I was lucky enough to land on the high value streets and start building up the value, making it a high cost for those who landed there, I'd get into a position where one of the other players who had some low value properties but had the railroads that I wanted, I'd "make them an offer they can't refuse", I'd pay them for developing their houses and hotels on their street in exchange for the railroads. Why? Because I could see they were still dead in the water. Their properties even with the most hotels on it wouldn't be as much as mine, they were going to go broke and I would gain the railroads at a sweet deal. The game is made to be unfair and slanted, just like our real lived monetary-market system.
What do we do? System change. How do we do it? Start local, but use a collaborative, sound strategy, like offered by One Small Town - they only ready to go strategy that I know of at this point.
Which newer generation do you mean? My landlords are all Boomers and nobody ever stopped them 😂
The education system is part of the problem. Not just the cost but who is teaching. Our teachers are those who were best indoctrinated in the last cycles. Our teachers go from primary to secondary back to primary. They have no real world experience. They have no reason to question what is in the books. Any cynics or critical thinkers are weeded out. Thus children are not taught these skills. They are trained just to accept what is put in front of them.
As one of the poors,this has been one of the best podcasts I've ever heard.And by the way I am amazed My. Laurel has ANY affordable housing. No idea where it would be, I'd love to know.. Man I wish my education included someone as smart with the real goal to abolish poverty. Camden County didn't have teachers like him.... buying the book
About a decade ago when I was 13 my dad lost his job. Suddenly only my mom was making money. Even with my dad's job we didn't have a lot of money, they made about the same amount, but we were surviving. Without his job things were very difficult. From then on I'd frequently come home from school to the electricity being shut off. Until the end of my sophomore year in high school when our house was foreclosed. So we started renting. School starts my junior year and my mom gets about a $500 raise. Great, except according to the government we were no longer poor enough for me and my sister to qualify for reduced price lunch. Lights were shut off for years, not poor enough. House foreclosed, not poor enough. So instead of $0.40 a day lunch was suddenly $4.00 a day. So instead of lunch costing about $130 a year for both me and my sister it was over $600 a year each. So with my mom's raise we actually lost money. That is why means testing is ridiculous, because my mom worked hard got that raise, did all the stuff they tell you to do and it made it more difficult for her to feed me and my sister. That's why I believe we need communism or at the very least socialism. I don't have kids now but I would like to some day. I would be much more comfortable with that idea if my hypothetical children being able to eat wasn't based completely on the whim of some random people in some random company. I hated it and I don't want to raise kids in a world where they might have that experience.
If it is not too private info, what is your actual occupation is? Just curious to know which social class shares this sort of ideas.
@@DerKontrabassI do, I'm nurse if you wanna keep track. America was best with part capitalism some socialism. Capitalism as it has become is killing us. It's like having the wolves tend to the sheep!!?? Can't rely corporations to care about common wellbeing of individual Americans...daaa
I'm a disabled person who substitute teaches and I recently lost my SNAP benefits because I made too much money, and really the amount I received as a single childfree person was very little but that little bit of money I got was very useful to me, but since if I only work 2 days in a month I make too much to receive SNAP the only months I would qualify is during the summer when I can't work I don't see it as worth my time and effort to reapply. I'm permanently disabled but not disabled enough to have my student loans forgiven.
The income and asset caps are ridiculous. People can't get off welfare unless they make a huge jump in wages. Let's face it, that's not in the cards for most people on welfare. I recently got kicked off the program I'm on for medical benefits because I had too many assets. They wouldn't allow me to spend down while still receiving benefits. They booted me off, I spent down, and now I need to reapply. It's really meant to keep people poor.
My answer to the "how can we afford it" q is usually to say, "well, does the pentagon reeeeally need literal multiple trillions of dollars for their budget?" Like, we could cover the nation's health care needs and only take an infinitesimal fraction of the military budget. Like, the military wouldn't even notice the change. Especially given how much military branches just blow cause of the user-it-or-lose-it budgeting they use for some reason.
Great conversation. I would love an episode on how much of the burden is place on the single/child free. We are constantly taxed into and to the edge of or into poverty. Any mitigation programs focus on "famlies." It was the same even during the pandemic. Most have multiple jobs to survive and get taxed to death as a penalty.
No! Shit! Every year I listen to unwed whore-mudders and families in general crow over child tax credit money. I've been told by turd coworkers that seeing as how I'm single and no kids I'm " not doing much..." (Were that's supposed to mean) and have no reason to complain about anything...
I have a second hand minivan 1996 gm venture I keep in really good shape. Neighbours and coworkers have "let me know they WILL be borrowing it..." Told my trash neighbor if he wanted I'd break his phuqin hands. The entitlement I deal with every other day or week staggers me.
We are not a 'rich country'. We a country in which some obscenely rich individuals happen to live.
I think that lets a lot of people off the hook. There is a huge upper middle class which has been growing for decades. We as a group are just as protectionist over our wealth as the wealthy are.
If you define the wealthy as the top 1% and the upper middle class as the rest of the top 20%, the upper middle class has nearly twice the wealth of the top 1%. The collective actions of this class can have far more impact than just the actions of the ultra wealthy.
Blaming this just on the rich ignores most of the problem.
@@kyleolson9636 The top 20% is, by definition, not the 'middle' of anything. If you're in the top 21% of Americans, you're not "upper middle", you're just rich. Perhaps not "super rich" like Bezos or Musk, but still rich.
@@kyleolson9636 More to the point, American culture is so hyper-focused on individualism that it rarely makes sense to describe the country as a whole as being rich, poor, or anything in-between. By and large, the people who control most of the wealth in this country do not view themselves as being part of a broader community to whom they could possibly have any kind of social responsibility. It's every-man-for-himself.
@@kyleolson9636 I don't disagree, but it depends on the type of impact we're talking about. Environmental and purchasing power, sure. But politically, I'm not so sure. I would expect much greater alignment between the top 1% than the top 20% (top 1% excluded), and a lot less racial, gender, and generational diversity too.
Bullshit
I've had a credit union account since I was like 15, but opened a Chase account when I moved out of my home state. The fine print on the account was bullshit. They charged me $12 a month because I had less than $100 in my account. I closed the account the next day. The nice woman at the bank asked me why I was closing my account and said, quite stern, "You're charging me money because I don't have enough money. There is nothing you can do to keep my account open."
Even if you go to another state your credit union debit card will work. Same with having an "electronic address" to deposit money. Almost all credit unions allow other c.u. members to use their atm for steeply discounted fees. I have never looked back in 18 years. Check policies you might be pleasantly surprised.
She doesn't want your fuaunky azz account. 🤔😂😂😭.
You couldn't keep $100 ... You don't need a bank account. My god ....
Thank you thank you. I have been thinking the same thing. How did we become so comfortable with not fighting to make change. We are resigned to dealing with the way things are and not trying to change it. So frustrating
Resignation to the way things are is a side effect of "opiate for the masses", sadly
Right before I saw this video, my boyfriend and I was having a conversation about how it is annoying for us that our waste collection system is being changed so we have 6 different trash cans (I live in Denmark). Then I saw this and checked myself. What a first world problem to have. I am so lucky.
Glass, cans, paper, kitchen scraps, cardboard and trash?
(I'm guessing the breakdown is different recyclables?
We have to take our recycling and sort it at the recycling center. No one picks ours up.
When I still had my family on a farm in the US, we didn't have any garbage pickup at all. We had to pay by the weight, and take it in ourselves. We recycled everything possible!)
I pay $35 a month for trash removal in the US.
As a person paying other people mortgages for a lifetime (through renting), I'd never even heard of mortgage interest deductions.
I thought, " maybe they don't have it in my country', but yeah, we do.
It seems the more money you have, the cheaper it is to borrow more, with all the capital gathered you can just gather more and more.
If you have no liquidity, then every vulture and jackal is out to rob you.
Ironically all these jackals are not desperate or starving, they are the richest and most privileged in our world, hiding behind the banks that store the ' filthy' cash they stole from the poor.
You hit the nail on the head: “it seems like the more money you have, the cheaper it is to borrow more.”
Billionaires don’t even live off their incomes-they leverage their assets to take out loans and live off those. Even millionaires take out low-interest loans they don’t need rather than see their assets decrease even a little bit. It’s wild.
That would make sense. That's more money the people with even more money to lend can make. Whole thing is a pyramid scheme. The problem is that the people in the middle are fooled into thinking they are somewhere near the top. When they hear equalization they think they are gonna be "down there" with all the people beneath them in the pyramid when hypothetically they'd be pulled up. None of this matters as long as ownership exists. This video is kinda pointless.
Please run for government somewhere.
@@KHBogWitch the poor pay at both ends. The rich practice collusion against the poor while living off them expecting a thanks for their imposed poverty. Go figure.
The ones with the gold make the rules
Most of us struggle to make ends meet while the 1percent live in luxury they take from the 99percent for their luxurious lifestyles😮
When you brought up the fear of the affluent, I was reminded of the first book burning in history. A Chinese bureaucrat noticed that rats in granaries were more aggressive than rats in the wild. He then made a massive cognitive leap and equated "grain" to "knowledge" and came to the conclusion that lower class people shouldn't be granted access to knowledge, hence the first book burning. But if he had just equated "grain" with "money" he would have come to a much different conclusion. And that's kind of where we are right now in America.
The wealthy and affluent are the rats int he granaries. The rest of us are the rats in the wild. The wealthy and affluent will go to extreme lengths to protect their granaries. And that is why we can't have nice things.
Pretty great analogy there!
I’m going to Google “China bureaucrat, grain, rats, wealth”
i think the rats in the granaries are genetically different from the wild rats -- like city rat versus field rat -- and i think living in cities like that just does weird shite to your head :/
Shallow minded analysis -
The problem is not believing that the wealthy are the rats in the granaries.
The actual problem is in believing that the rest of us are rats in the wild.
As long as you actually believe that someone has power over you ... then that person shall always have power over you. Free yourself from such lunacy. People do indeed have free will, and they must act upon it without hesitation if they expect to get ahead in life. The idea is to get ahead of oneself, rather than to get ahead of other people.
@@scotthullinger4684 Okay, I was following along until you made the leap to rats in granaries as "having power" over rats in the wild. This is the point where the analogy breaks down a bit since granary rats and wild rats have very little interaction with one another in reality. Your connection here misses the broader point. That point being the wealth affects us in negative ways. Wealthy people are more likely to act out in violent ways to threats against their property than poor people. Poor people are more worried about their basic needs than their "non-liquid assets." This is because most poor people don't have "non-liquid assets."
To put it another way, The poor react violently to immediate threats while those in abundance tend to react violently to more abstract threats. And because there is a greater number of abstract threats to personal wealth than immediate survival, those with a great deal of personal wealth tend to be more aggressive. It doesn't go any deeper than that.
Trump has already demonstrated for us how temporary structural changes can be when you don’t have a unified culture that supports progress in human rights.
For that reason, I am a firm believer in a multi-pronged approach that focuses on cultural change just as much as shorter-term systemic changes.
Culture is built from the ground up, through individuals & their families; that’s where it starts for everyone.
We need to each take personal responsibility for the messages we send to the people close to us, through our actions, attitudes, & words. It’s also vital that we hold each other accountable.
THAT is how we change the world. We all need to be on the same page, so that we can take our power back & collectively advocate for our rights.
I think the shear dysfunction of all this should be a lot more prevalent in these sorts of conversations. Sure, how thing are is immoral and predatory and backsliding, etc. But, it's also gotten to the point where the current trajectory is suicidal. We are the most educated, heavily armed, and entitled people in human history. The current path does not have a happy ending for anyone, the wealthy included.
“How does the richest country in the world have so much poverty?” The sentence literally answers itself.
Definitely!
And yet, the poverty had to skyrocket there so you guys could start giving a flying fuck about it. I didn't see that kind of shitty self awareness when you guys were robbing half of the planet and implanting dictatorships in here.
Good old capitalism. The only reason why the ultra rich exist is because of poverty. Capitalism needs the poor so they can lift the rich even higher
The poorest in the USA are much better off than the middle class of most other countries. Go to places like Congo, Nigeria and Bangladesh and you'll come back full of gratitude and singing America The Beautiful. I lived in Africa for about 18 years of my life and I know.
Poverty in the USA is mostly precipitated by mental illness, physical disability, drug abuse and family breakdown. Of course there are those who are simply unfortunate, but they're a minority and there is a bare bones social safety net available for them.
@@ibezimokehie9526 Sure, imperialism will make your lot in life better, at least potentially. All those countries you mentioned? They are being exploited through imperialism, unequal exchange, value transference, etc. In short, they're being bloody well robbed blind and forced to accept it. All those social ills you decribed? Welcome to capitalism, the ultimate rigged economic system. Unfortunate, my arse!
Hardest thing to hear is this, and I am on Disability. I have barely worked, wasn't really able to do so and got awarded social security 10 years ago, back to age 19. I am 31 right now, and if I didn't have some people who were willing to pull my ass from the fire, I'd be dead. I get a little over 75% of what is needed a month to hit the federal poverty line in the US, and then hear people claim they "pay for me to live". If I wouldn't have had help, I wouldn't be alive. So no, they really don't.
Edit - mistyped. 10 years back.
I've been fighting SSI for over 8 years -- and despite all the evidence about my conditions, they continue to deny me - and have actively worked against me by giving me unrealistic deadlines and incorrect paperwork.
This country is an abusive hellhole... and it pains me to hear others suffer along with me, especially those who are significantly more disabled than I am - it's depressing...
I'm confused. If you're 31 and were awarded SS 20 years ago that would make you 11 when it was awarded to you. Is it possible to receive SS disability at that age?
@@tumbalo71Yea, it is - my lil brother got SSI due to his neurological disorder at that age.
It's a struggle (it shouldn't be, but alas - this is America), but doable.
@@tumbalo71t isn't disability, it's SSI. disability is the program for if you worked and then become disabled. They tend to get more money. SSI is if you're disabled as a kid. They're both colloquially referred to as being 'on disability'. But they're two diff programs. My daughter was on disability briefly. It's means tested so once I got a job when she was able to go to school then it got cut off which is fine. She got it around age 3 or so and it's so little money. It's basically impossible to live on.
And yet, how can anyone think that using money to help people to live is a bad thing? Truly disgusting attitude. The worst thing this system has done to us is make us believe that we don’t need anyone’s help and never will.
I regularly serve as a reviewer for a federal funding agency that works in housing and economic development. The housing situation is at such a crisis level that I can't imagine what's about to happen. There's no way to fix it just by throwing little grants at communities at random.
I work with several of those community aid groups dependent on grants.
Government refusing to put caps on rent increases, refusing to stop companies creating monopolies in rental properties, and refusing to enforce their own laws/rules regarding affordable housing is about to generate a nightmare of epic proportions.
The dwindling grants can't even cover the people already on vouchers, and there are more applicants than available units.
Meanwhile, new construction is shoddy, nobody is addressing the Colorado River water allotments, and other states are bussing unhoused people here.
I've been calling and emailing elected representatives. I think at this point, it's more effective to start creating coalitions to work together to try and legislate change?
And start making PSAs about voting records on poverty?
Love this idea of asking the wealthy to take less from the government. Nice thinking.
Adam is a great interviewer. ❤
The factors that go into determining the so-called poverty line in this country are woefully outdated. How do I know this? Well, several years ago, I had the opportunity to attend this meeting at a community center hosted by a big-wig in the county welfare system. Early on in her speech, she admitted to something many people often suspected: the federal income limit qualifications for most programs have remained virtually unchanged since The Nixon Administration. That means for going 50 (now almost 60) years, welfare recipients had been essentially given the same amount of aid despite the exponential rise in costs as a result of inflation over that time. In a nutshell, people on welfare are asked to much more for much less. But, God Forbid you try to make that right because if you do you're a Communist! 🙄😒😤
The poverty line here is like $33,000, and disability gives me around $20,000, here. It could be a lot worse, even in different areas of my own country. But it's definitely still a bit puzzling.
When they were giving people stimulus cheques, they made a statement like, "the minimum a person needs to survive is $2000 / mo." But, people on disability are given significantly less than that..?
The number also hasn't been updated for as long as I've been on it, which is around 6-7 years.
God does not forbid it. Greedy assholes forbid it.
Vote for the farthest left candidate you can find. Bernie Sanders was a good start, but we can do better. Find some actual socialists or communists if you can.
If you can engage in other direct action. Do that too.
@@Acidfunkishnever vote for anyone that will cut it.
Then find the candidate most likely to expand it, and vote for them. City, county, state and federal.
Vote every time, as far left as you can.
An important thing about "what happened to us" is that "us" became a more diverse group over time as the country made social progress, and the older ingroups realized they would rather hurt everyone than help an 'us' that included that more diverse representation of the country.
"We are very fluent in the language of critique and we are bumbling in the language of repair." 👍👍👍👍👍
This was so insightful and I was left feeling there is hope; we can do this, we can make this change as a society.
As a disabled artist, it's particularly rough. my mortgage (house was bought before) is more than my SSDI, when i got a renter to pay for utilities then my snap was reduced to $50 a month. Worse, i am not allowed to make more than $1500 additionally a month or have more than $2000 in savings for any period of time. How do i crawl out of poverty, even with all the art i make.
Yes and now try finding a car for either $2k o more than $10k, because any dealer won't keep something on a lot worth less than that nowadays, and find a way to pay it off as you are allowed to own 1 car and your 1 home. It sucks to function those parameters from IDK how long ago, but it's not exactly built to be functional.
Sell the art for cash or just don't report it, I have an extra bank account with scratch in it in case I must prove I'm poor from time to time, it's not right but it helps
@@juliantaylor1819fun until the IRS catches up because it is easier to nail the poor down than the rich
You're not supposed to. Disability is a way the government can claim they're "helping" and then blame the individual for failing when it doesn't work. They don't actually want us out of poverty because then you'd have time and energy (two things the disabled struggle to have when battling illness) to demand change. It's a slow, "civilized" murder of the poor, so people can't see it happening. And if you feel shame, that you failed, they engineered that too, blaming the victims of the system instead of those who perpetuate it.
@@juliantaylor1819 cash money, best money
Poverty is expensive.
I have to earn $50 to make $15.
Yes, and pay $600.00 a month to take public transportation that's paid for with my tax payer money also just to make $1,000.00 BEFORE taxes each pay day..
Gosh, what a beautiful, amazing podcast, I wanna cry💕💕 thank you Adam! You are the best!
I'm glad that a rich capitalist like Adam cares so much for us, poors.
The more I learn from Adam, the more I respect him. Seriously -- props.
Too many Billionaires pushing Austerity & Too many Politicians willing to go along with it.
tbh, I'm fine with austerity, as long as we start with scrapping the subsidization of affluence and tax breaks for billionaires
The politicians are NOT going along with it, they’re either extremely rich themselves or ARE in the pockets of the extremely rich.
I'll fix that for you: Too many upper middle class families pushing austerity and too many politicians willing to go along with it.
If you're in a household making about $150k+, you are part of a social class with nearly twice the wealth of the top 1%. Most of the solutions to poverty need to come from this group, not just the ultra wealthy. Most of Adam's talk is focusing on the lack of action from the upper middle class not just the top 1%.
Have you read the 1971 Powell memo? Really explains a lot about what’s happening in America.
They are one in the same, they are of the very same class.
Always good to be having these conversations until poverty ceases to exist. Love the way matthew speaks on these issues. 😊 Thanks so much for this video Adam, you are a goddamn star ❤️🔥🥰
Thanks for putting this out there. I absolutely, 100%, agree with you. My first time ever seeing any of your work, but I am now subscribed and looking forward to whatever you put out next. 😊
The strangest thing about society is that while it feel inevitable, we have all the power to shape it exactly as we want it.
It’s just currently being shaped how the billionaire class wants it…
too few folks realize exactly this.
The poverty rate in the US does not count everyone who is poor on purpose. The US government wants us to appear as if we are the "land of opportunity" but that myth died long, long ago. Curious to see if or how Desmond touches on that and explains it for the audience or not. The way we calculate poverty is very much long out of date.
Who is ‘poor on purpose’? That’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever read on the Internet
@@down-to-earth-mystery-schoolagree
@@down-to-earth-mystery-school "The poverty rate in the US does not count everyone who is poor on purpose."
This comment is *not* claiming that anybody is "poor on purpose"
It is stating that the miscounting/misrepresentation of the number of poor people is *on purpose* in order to keep up the "land of opportunity" myth.
The official poverty level is something like $19,000/year. The real number is more like $38,000 (or more). But if the government used the higher number a lot more people would officially be in poverty and the US would look like an even bigger shit hole.
The sense of community thing in lower class areas is true for me. I live in a low income area and I at the very least know the names of my neighbours. I have the phone numbers of a few of them. My sister and dad who both live in middle class areas and my dad knows the names of two of his neighbours and only really talks to one. My sister knows none of her neighbours other than her next door neighbour hates her
Over five years ago my sister, niece and I became homeless, no preamble, no soaring dramatic music, just the stone cold realization...we are homeless. By luck my sisters friend took us in, which in turn was another hell < lol >.
Any way, we struggled for a year to break free ( we never knew if she would cast us out, seriously, it was always in the background), but we did and we found a place. Now the reality for myself is that the fear of being homeless has never truly left, to be honest, I fear it more than death. Whenever I see homeless people on the street, my thought is always : that could've been us. And yes, there are government programs that help, but there's a price for that also.
Homelessness and poverty are required to get you to take any wage offered. You feel as they want you to feel.
This also really rings home. Town council contracted out maintenance of bridges that are required for people to be able to obtain access to groceries and basic needs in town and allowed them to charge a 5$ toll on the bridge per crossing under the guise that it's free for the first few years for residents. This is literally an example of how this impacts only the poor who cant afford the toll and are reliant on the busses that now cannot operate across the rover
Bankers, brokers, consultants, and lobbyists are consuming every aspect of our society to a very unsustainable degree.
Great topic, great talk, great channel! Keep it up!
Our inequality materializes our upper class, vulgarizes our middle class, brutalizes our lower class.”
-Matthew Arnold, English essayist (1822-1888)
You're doing more than most Adam with trying to bring a viable solution to the problems of poverty. Keep up the good work. If there's more I can do to become part of your movement let me know.
Worked hard for years, lost everything in months. If it wasn't for family members we be homeless. Damn right if that's your mental health & physical health.
So much so I can't watch it too much for me. I will save it and watch it when I can.
I'm sure this is going to give me information that I need..
Until next time, I hope everyone is good 👍
I'm from Milwaukee and I lived in those impoverished neighborhoods during my college years and have lived in fear of poverty ever since. As a single mother, I have struggled to get ahead and have been set back many times from being passed over for jobs and promotions, and bank loans, not because I wasn't qualified but because I'm not a white guy. Thanks for this discussion. The countries you mentioned don't have 'poverty' the way we define it. They have people living at subsistence levels but they have extended families, generational property security, church and small-community support, etc. The US has defined a new type of poverty. Only here do we see tent cities erected on the sidewalks of vacant high-rise buildings.
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Im an african German. I guerantee you we odinary people here suffer like the poor overthere. We get Unsufficiant Socialmoney. And even the FREE Healthy Insurence is worthless. Poor people are fucked up everywhere. Money is distibutionn knows only one direction. It seems to Mr Germany copies US. We are not better off. Beleive me!!!
When were you passed over for promotions because you weren’t a man?
This seems so disparate from my experience in the last 6 years as a man, since college completion in 2017. Perhaps this has changed or perhaps things are worse in America than Canada in terms of sexism.
@@dougpatterson7494 43:06
43:06 why are you following the exact template of criticizing someone else's experience?
Or, from a different perspective:
Politicians in Canada don't see how they are failing Canadians in the way they have defunded health care and introduced the US model of health insurance (to pay for extras, I know. And look at the differences in funding between Kamloops and Vancouver hospitals).
Many French Canadians and English Canadians think First Nations people are "too sensitive" and don't understand why there has been such a focus on MMIW and the Boarding schools.
Is there a chance, that because you are not a woman, you may have missed struggles that don't directly impact you, because you are not a member of the group being overlooked?
And yes, the US is worse, but not that much worse. I've been on both sides of the border, and help non-profits compile the data to monitor progress.
Canada is better....and it has plenty of room for improvement. Especially when it comes to WOC.
@inthehouse 1960 I think they termed it "American style poverty".
You should really have Professor Richard Wolff on the show! He's being point out the redistribution of wealth from the poor to the rich for years!
AND YANIS VEROUFAKIS
Holy hell no, he is pro socialist/communist, no one is tally for that grift again.
One of the best things i have watched…this year, maybe a whole lot longer. And one of the most rational. I’ve been around since the last years of WWII, so finding a return to intelligent discussion, on the internet, the world of “communication” by meme, is a rather nice surprise. Thank you.
May I recommend Beau of the Fifth Column?
He breaks down 1 item into a 5 to 9 minute video, and people have respectful conversations in the comments.
I can attest that I literally CANNOT go to a new job that pays me $20 an hour without living in my car. I'm STUCK! So I make due with my lack of funds where I'm at and it's so depressing. And honestly $20 I would still struggle to pay bills & eat, drive to work in a rural area. Never mind heating & cooling. I've been keeping a/c at 78, winter 68. 😡
Once had a family member tell me 'poor people are poor because they keep themselves poor.'
I ripped out his kidneys with the plastic spork I was using to eat my salad.
You, Sir, are amazing.
Poverty could be fixed, worldwide, *overnight* and yet people are still homeless and starving.
If it's that easy why havent we done it? 🤔
@@gsussman8617greed
@@gsussman8617 It's not easy. It's *possible* . It would take a lot of effort, a lot of people working together toward a single goal, and a lot of consensus on how to do it. But it *could* be done.
The fact that the resources exist to do it in a day and we've made almost no progress in decades is the problem I'm trying to highlight here.
@@renatocorvaro6924I'm homeless. It IS easy.
The people who should talk aren't listened to.
Solutions are mutable, as they should be.
Electricity for heat etc all winter up north would cost way less than $35/mo. So we could survive winter in our van. And then if the cops/city left us be....
You have no idea. We can solve the rest ourselves!
@@genossinwaabooz4373 I'll take your word for it, you probably know better than me.
new watcher of the channel... I, too, love Mr. Desmond, and loved his book 'evicted'. I cannot wait to dig into this newer title. Everyone needs to deal with this issue... and its sad that there are so many people affected by poverty. Fabulous guest, for sure.
The US has the highest income inequality ratio, the only industrialized nation without universal health care, the least affordable housing, the worst health care outcomes for an industrialized nation, the worst worker protections out of the G7 nations, and the list goes on.
People in the US don't realize that nearly 80% of people living on reservations don't have potable water, more than 60% don't have electricity, and the US government has made it impossible for reservations (places that the treaties were signed where the gov promised to take care of infrastructure, schools, healthcare, water, and commodities in exchange for the LAND that the rest of us live on) to get drinking water, grocery stores....and health care.
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The system is working exactly as designed.
Thanks for covering this topic. Too many vested interests distract us with misdirection and propaganda.
Something else to consider about how the Mortgage Interest Deduction disproportionately helps the wealthy; each year we choose between it or the Standard Deduction. For any couple who is paying less than $24k in INTEREST on their mortgage (and other deductibles), it's better to take the Standard Deduction. So, that Mortgage Interest Deduction is really for people who are buying $1m+ houses.
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More like $14k because you also get SALT (State and Local taxes) up to $10k in their own category - mortgage interest is separate on Schedule A.
Mortgage interest is only deductible on the first $750,000 worth of mortgage for married filing jointly couples or $375k if MFS
Yep. We've had our house for a decade, and I've always been better off with the standard deduction.
Not to knock either of the people in this video, but I think the fact that they are unaware that most homeowners take the standard deduction now calls into question their perspective of how policies are actually operating in reality. After the standard deduction doubled, there are likely very few itemizers that aren't either self employed, own a business, or own a rental property. People paid hourly or on a salary who have a mortgage aren't getting any more of a tax break than renters.
Frightened affluence! You said it! I saw some of that first hand.
Some years ago. I had a courier job. My car was an inexpensive older model that had seen better days. I wore my hair longer than most guys would.
I had a delivery to make in a residential neighborhood. This was one of the wealthier neighborhoods in the metro area. As I was coming up to the address, I slowed down to see the numbers. By this time, I had noticed a shiny new SUV had been following me and I had wondered why she wouldn't just pass.
I found the address and and had started to pull in the drive when I heard screeching tires behind me. A woman jumped out and started screaming,"THAT'S MY HOUSE!!THAT'S MY HOUSE! THAT'S MY HOUSE!"
As calmly as I could manage I replied, " Well, I had a delivery for Xxx at Xxxxx, but if this is a bad time we can come back later."
"Oh. Oh, no you can give it to me."
So I did. She did not apologize, but she got her package anyway.
I’m new to this channel. However, the information both individuals giving about poverty is so accurate.
Regarding the airline "status" thing, my mother in law is like that. She's absolutely APPALLED that I prefer to fly Southwest, where the seating and benefits are just a tiny bit away from being as equal as possible. She's literally going on a trip later this year where she flies to another city, spends the night in a hotel, and flies home just to maintain status with her go-to airline and hotel chain. It's honestly horrifying, and I can't imagine feeling that way.
As someone who cant afford to drive, let alone fly, this whole situation/drama is bizarre and otherworldly. Lol
@@thekingoffailure9967 I came from poverty as a child, my parents both got rich after I moved out, but I spent the last half a decade living in a dumpy trailer park (not manufactured homes, RVs) anyway, and I still can't afford an extra hundred dollar surprise expense without having to make significant sacrifices so I definitely understand. Shit's absolutely bizarre.
This episode is amazing. Started it on the way to WGA rally today. Finished it a quarter of my way home in traffic. I am riding my bicycle to all future picket lines. Pleasure meeting you there, Adam, and thank you for taking the time to answer my question about the DGA deal.
I wish everyone in the country would listen to this and take it to heart. Thank you for your excellent work, Matthew! And thank you Adam for letting me know about it. ❤
I became a POVERTY ABOLITIONIST in 1980, when I was 18. I am aware that there are many different forms of 'poverty'. Some people have 'poor vision', 'poor hearing', and some have 'poor taste' in men/women. I also understand that the word 'poor' means different things in different cultures and subcultures. For these and other reasons, I declare that the kind of poverty that I fight against is 'unearned/unchosen chronic human material poverty on Earth' (UCHMPE for short). One of the reasons for this narrowing of the target is the fact that SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE OR EARN POVERTY. Monks and 'sisters' of certain faith groups gladly "embrace lady poverty". It is not my (or your?) place to try to make them change their minds. Some people EARN their poverty through their crimes against other people, the flora and the fauna, or to scarce natural resources. For instance, if a person deliberately starts a major fire, destroys lives and/or property, his/her lifelong condemnation to material poverty for the rest of his/her life may be (depending on the damage that he/she has caused) far less than adequate compensation for his/her crime. 'Chronic' is there, because I am aware that natural disasters, accidents, etc., may render some people poor for a while, until help arrives. 'Human' is there, because (concerned) human beings, even when we work together, cannot prevent the poverty of certain species. Besides, some species are our killers; and it does not make sense for us to show them sympathy. If pregnant, thirsty mosquitoes die by the billions, I say "Let them die!" That said, as an environmental activist, I join many others in global efforts to improve the lives of countless other species of animals and plants. 'Material' is there, because some forms of poverty may be in the eye of the beholder. For instance, people who are not religious may be seen by religious people as hapless souls living in 'spiritual poverty'. Likewise, many people who choose not to make any effort to educate themselves in certain fields may be deemed 'culturally poor'. Such poverty may not be fairly or competently addressed by social policies. 'On earth' is there, because, as I see it, members of our species can be lifted out of poverty only by securing for each other safe and free access to the natural resources, the flora and the fauna on this planet. Those who choose to leave the Earth cannot have a just demand on the rest of us to provide them with continuous supply of water, food, etc. In the dark and cold space (until arrival on a similarly resource-rich planet) every astronaut should understand that he/she is doomed to be poorer than the poorest monk on earth, no matter how expensive their spaceship and equipment might be. (One can't even pick dandelions in space.) I believe that it is possible to ERADICATE the kind of poverty that lies within this framework --barring a major natural catastrophe, such as the collision of a large comet into our planet, etc. Few may be qualified to offer an 'educated guess' as to how long it might take to eradicate UCHMPE. It seems to me that it should not take more than two decades. I came to the U.S. in 1988. If the successive governments in this country had adopted a subset of what was socially possible, the poor and/or the conscientious among us would not have been condemned to be surrounded by it TODAY. I wrote a few thousand words in relation to this issue (which, as I see it, is connected to many other global and local issues). I promise to share some of my proposals free of charge. I also remain open to proposals by others (even if they do not share some of my core values or my optimism about the possibility of collectively eradicating UCHMPE). One short message is: STOP BRINGING CHILDREN INTO THIS WORLD!
We need to ask our elected officials "Why is poverty acceptable in the richest country?"
It’s to scare the crap out of the middle class to keep them working crappy jobs they hate.
This is a great question anytime you have a chance to talk to a politician. Just to gauge where their heart is at.
@@AngryVet44That's what George Carlin told us. He was right! Wisest angry old man I ever heard speak.
...and the poor made that way for Wall Street
Because profits over people! Americans are being told how lazy we all are, and too many people believe that bullsh¡t!
I like that you choose actually relevant topics.
I recently took a job at a sewing machine store , hired in at $10/ hr. At the time they had commissions, which they promptly discarded giving a raise to $12. For part time employees, hours are limited to 12 a week. They recently closed the store, I watched managers of other stores come and move heavy equipment and sewing machines to their stores in their personal vehicles. This is female dominated industry, many older who love the craft.
I am a retired nurse, this was an eye opener. Even the managers are making less than $20/ hour. Yet the mantra is sell, sell, sell. The sewing machines range in price from $250 to $19000.
You notice how the bus stop in the sixties as you say about the same time certain groups of Americans were actually being recognized as citizens of America. It is kind of amazing how the rise of equality came at the same time of the fall of social safety programs
I used to work at a big credit union in florida and it was absolutely depressing to see people who had accounts with us get stuck by payday lenders. I've seen people with $1500 paychecks 2x a month have them completely wiped out the second they deposit by a dozen payday lenders taking their fees. It's depressing as hell.
Yep, and they get stuck there because as a result they're short before next payday again. Requires external assistance more often than not to break the pattern. And then one short pay, boom it's happening again.
@@cericator one medical emergency, or one radiator leak, or one hurricane.....
I couldn't even express how important this discussion is. And even though here in Europe it is somewhat of a lesser problem, poverty is still at least stagnant & that is basically just as bad.
Thank you for having this discussion and all the other important ones you've are about to have! 🤘
I live off ssi & my rent & utilities eat over a 100% of that. My wheelchair is held together by duct tape & causes my disabled body pain to sit in. I leave my house ONCE every two to three months for doctor's visits only. That is not by choice. I cannot afford the gas or to pay for help i need to leave more often. I spend 99.99% of my time alone. My life is pure misery. No one deserves to be utterly abandoned & treated less than a dog as i have.
Once i was hopeful person. I was going to college to help people with their trauma & wanted to give back. I wanted to help people. How is humanity better off letting someone like me rot? I can't even tell people about my reality without getting attacked. No one wants to be believe it. I've learned to suffer in silence because trying to ask for help just makes people feel guilty which makes them mean. I can't take it. I'm too raw from my daily struggle to get crapped on by strangers.
Then every once in a while i will see something like this with well-meaning people talking about poverty in this abstract intellectual way that makes me want to leave comments about just how bad my life really is & here i am despite myself leaving comments.
Part of me feels like how will anyone know if you don't speak up? Then the other voice, the one that knows from years of solitude & suffering that I'm just crying into the void. No one is coming to save me.
Idk where you live, but there might be organizations who can help. Nadtc for free accessible transportation options, section 8 housing options for cheaper portion of rent (and charities to help even with that). Reason I'm saying this - my mom lives off of SSI and disability and we were able to get her a setup and help with apartment, appointments, and transportation through Trinity Services. It's Illinois specific, but I'd hope there might be a similar option in your state. Especially if they could help you to relocate to an area where there might be more around within better reach.
It really does sound rough, and I hope things do get better.
As a sociologist myself, I have always taught that the cause of poverty is WEALTH.
"Riches are the savings of many in the hands of one." ~ Eugene V. Debs
@@IslandArt61 $1 per American gives you $310 million, but, ok. It depends. Half of Americans did not have $1,000 in emergency savings. It's impossible for 150 million people to be too stupid.
Perhaps some of us are unaware of the history of so-called white people. Is it wealth that has had white people eating raping murdering robbing torturing genociding enslaving and colonizing innocent people for CENTURIES? Wow. And they gave you a PhD?
I equally loved and disliked this conversation. Some of this I was aware of, I learned a lot though. But it made me feel really sad, angry and helpless. Thank you for this video.
As a 37 year old who has only ever rented I have constantly teased my more affluent friends who own homes and have investments that they are contributing to poverty. That's it. No point or moral just wanted to say Andrew you are a monster!
I would say you need new friends.
@@tumbalo71 naw they are good people and over the years I have pulled them towards better values.
@@joshuahaferGood. Leaving people in their safe little bubbles gives them even less chance to change and be better.
I don't even know any friends who own their own home, unless it was from a settlement from almost dying from a negligent driver. You're friends sound like rich D bags. This is why I only hang out with poor people.
I know I am a monster, wife inherited a house and all.
But in my defense - I fill that house with as many friends as possible!
I've had two whole families under one roof, even though it costs me money.
The fear of poverty and the utter bleakness of that existence is by design to frighten those who have just enough into accepting their lot.
Such an important discussion to have. Thank you!
The rich have decided the rest of us don't DESERVE to live.
They actually need the working poor to work for them. Who else will work for the wages they are offering?
@@ForestGreen88 agreed but the rest of us non conformists are disposable.
"Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
-Greek proverb
"I got mine, so screw you!"
-American proverb
What a much needed conversation ❤️ thank you guys!
There must be acknowledgement and accountability as a start to open mindsets to want to TAKE ACTION FOR CHANGE. Good Will to this man and Others who Will proceed into making The Change!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
For the most part this podcast is very very good. The only thing that I think it misses is that credit card companies make 2.9% of all purchases no matter if you pay off your card or not. So them giving one to 2% back on every purchase doesn't actually cost them money.
The money paid back on all high end credit cards come from the merchants taking the card. The coffee shop, the grocer, they pay for your cash back credit card not the credit card company. Again ,
Our understanding of how we subsidize poverty it not common knowledge on purpose.
It does cost the poor money because they have to pay 2% more than someone getting 2% back, and the merchants charge more because the credit cards cost them 2.9%.
The interest on my home is $12k a year. $1k per month which is 50% of my monthly mortgage payment. However I cannot claim this as a deduction because the standard deduction covers it. I don't make enough money to live yet I also make too much money for any form of assistance. Also the $2k monthly mortgage means that I am paying 50% of my total income on a 30 year mortgage. DFW, Texas for anyone wondering and my interest rate is 5.5%.
I live in North Dallas making 90k/yr with 2 kids and I’m living paycheck to paycheck. We basically don’t have health insurance either. It’s insane to think that just six years we were doing great. America is collapsing fast.
There's something special about a wealthy person admiting the rest of us are impoverished by their own wealth while they're simultaneously striking for more money for themselves.
I help people find shelter in Rhode Island and I’ve literally been trained to tell people who give us pushback when there is no shelter, “unfortunately, we are such a small state that we don’t have the funds to guarantee people don’t stay on the street. We have families that sleep in the car, with their children, as they await for shelter.” It’s a horrible reality that we need to share so people understand, “I physically can’t give you what I don’t have; I don’t have any beds available in the entire state and there are no laws that guarantees you shelter.”