Poverty in America is by design w/Matthew Desmond | The Chris Hedges Report

I am white. I was born in rural Arkansas and I lived in poverty until I join the army. I truly believe that poverty is the worst thing that can be done to a human being. It destroys the body and the soul

As a previous foster kid I can tell u that having a support structure in this life is huge. It's a whole different ball game when there really is nobody to fall back on. It's sink or swim. No inheritance coming. Nobody else. Sometimes it gets to be too much and your all alone. There are no family traditions to pass down. No history. No sense of community. Just me. That's hard to explain to your kids

According to certain economists, there are projections indicating the possibility of the United States and certain parts of Europe experiencing a recession during a portion of 2023. While a global recession, which refers to a decline in annual global per capita income, is relatively uncommon due to the faster growth rates of China and emerging markets compared to developed economies, it is important to note that if economic growth lags behind population growth, the world economy is generally regarded as being in a recession.

This man is absolutely right. I taught history for years. The Industrial Revolution is one of the best examples of this designed poverty. Wealthy industrialists were able to keep wages very low due to having a large class of poor people. The workforce was virtually endless because if a worker quit, died or got sick, someone else would take their place immediately. Poor families had all members working including small children. Poor women did not have access to birth control, so they were constantly having children they struggled to feed.

What bothers me most about poverty in America is people's unwillingness to recognize it's causes and finally DO something about it! So many people victim blame the poor and working poor in this country (America). It's sickening, to say the very least!!!!!

In 1990 I was making $250k/yr as a graphic artist. A judge's daughter rear-ended my car, totaling it, and me. She never got a ticket, I got nothing. Couldn't work, lost my home, savings, everything. Then a cousin who was "caring" for me, took all my inheritance when my parents died. The poor generally have been taken advantage of, and that is how we got here. Don't tell me I'm lazy, I AM DISABLED.

As a caucasian woman,at 86.5 yrs, I have lived under the poverty level many years. Single mothers struggle to support their families, and now I clearly see how poverty hurts all. Greed and selfish "representatives" pocket funds which are needed to balance the economy WE PAY FOR. These Criminal acts must be stopped

For the first time in my life as a young man when I had to move far away from the Security of my Parents Home, I was on my own living in a new city in an apartment on the university campus, I had met many people who were struggling to make ends meet. Now after 40+ years later those people are still my friends and keep in touch with me. Sadly most of them are still stuck in the same old poverty. What is wrong with this country??

The American dream is a nightmare.

I lived in Japan for many years and one of the things that I'll never forget about that experience is just how easy it was to live while not making much money. With basic budgeting I was able to live a pretty decent life making less than 30k a year. Now I make three times my old Japanese salary, but I don't really feel it. There are real structural problems that make poverty and even middle class life difficult.

I was a gig worker: An adjunct professor. I taught on 3 different campuses at a time, and had no time to devote to my students as I was so busy just doing the work administration required of me. I had no health insurance. I taught the equivalent of 1 and 1/2 full time jobs and made about half the money of a full-time instructor. I had to retire in a foreign country because my pension was too small for me to even rent a small 1 BD apartment in the US. That's what 8 years of higher education got me in the US.

I moved from Ohio to Alabama to homestead eight years ago. I'm shocked at the poverty here in the south and just accepted! Governor Kay ivey took millions in what was suppose to be money for struggling Alabama citizens from the financial devastation due to covid and instead built two massive prisons ...they claim the prisons cost $900 million dollars!!! Almost a BILLION DOLLARS!!! I watch the jail rosters for my county here , and nearby counties...the jails here are absolutely stuffed with the poor!!! People that couldn't pay their auto insurance, failure to pay fines from tickets, marijuana charges ( its still a serious offense here !), etc!! Families are torn apart because of this...children put into foster care, etc. This is ludicrous!!! Trying to bring awareness to this to locals is pointless I found ...all they care about in this state is football and beer. Unbelievable!!!!

What bothers me is that so many blame the poor for their own inability to get out of poverty. They just don't understand the realities of starting from a negative position. It's like climbing out of a hole with no rope.

For a single person in the continental United States, the 2022 federal poverty level is $13,590. For each additional person in the household, the federal poverty level increased by $4,720. (So for a household of three, for example, the 2022 federal poverty level is $23,030.) No one in the US can live on these amounts anywhere in the US. NO ONE. I couldn't live on what they expect 3 people to live on. It's insane. Politicians who are rich and never knew a day of poverty in their lives make these decisions.

I followed the 3 steps of success and put off marriage and having kids to get and work a full-time job. I am now 46 years old, unmarried, unemployed, no children and homeless in Denver Colorado.

I just came across this randomly and it actually makes me very sad to see what’s going innen the U.S. I’ve always known it’s hard to make a living over there being not rich but to listen to this was heartbreaking. It is unbelievable and actually makes me value my country even more. So many people in Germany are complaining how badly we are off but compared to the U.S. we live in paradise. I really feel for all those people trying to survive while the richest are living of them. Even with a good education you can’t make ends meet over there. Which is an absolutely shame. 😢

"telling kids that they can't have seconds." That really hits me because I always remember when I was child my grandmother always, always asking the question before we left the table, "Did you get enough." It wasn't because food was scarce, but it was just a priority that we always had enough and were satisfied. We didn't have much but always plenty to eat.

Cost of living increases are not taken into account in aid programs. I volunteer at a food bank and the folks that come in are either families with both parents working or seniors. Most seniors only qualify for $26/month in food stamps. In my state school-age children get free breakfast and lunch. Housing is most people's greatest expense, and people go without needed medical care. It's very scary and sad.

Poverty is exhausting and expensive. Now that I’m doing better I help others as much as I can. I donate. I always carry cash. People would be surprised how many people in need are all around you if you have your eyes open. I remember the days when an extra $5 - $10 dollars would have changed my whole week.

I recently came across Matthew Desmond's recent book Poverty By America and I was shocked at what I read. This conversation is a really good recap of the book - I'm so glad more people will hear his important message.