The War on Poverty Is Over. Rich Aholes Won. - May 14, 2023
The sociologist Matthew Desmond believes that being poor is different in the U.S. than in other rich countries.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/a...merica-book-matthew-desmond-interview/674058/
The article argues that the War on Poverty, a set of government programs aimed at reducing poverty in the United States, has failed and that wealthy people have benefited the most from it. The author claims that the rich have gotten richer while the poor have remained in poverty, and that the government's efforts to address poverty have only served to maintain the status quo. The article suggests that a fundamental shift in economic policy is needed to truly address poverty and inequality.
They point to the fact that the poverty rate has remained relatively unchanged since the war on poverty began in the 1960s, and that the gap between the rich and the poor has widened. They also argue that the war on poverty has been based on a flawed premise: that poverty is caused by individual failings, rather than by systemic factors such as inequality and discrimination. The authors conclude by calling for a new approach to poverty that focuses on addressing the root causes of poverty, rather than simply providing temporary relief.
Here are some of the key points from the article:
The poverty rate in the United States has remained relatively unchanged since the war on poverty began in the 1960s.
The gap between the rich and the poor has widened since the war on poverty began.
The war on poverty has been based on a flawed premise: that poverty is caused by individual failings, rather than by systemic factors such as inequality and discrimination.
A new approach to poverty is needed that focuses on addressing the root causes of poverty, rather than simply providing temporary relief.