The Great Recession should have put the victim-blaming theory of poverty
to rest. In the space of only a few months, millions of people entered
the ranks of the officially poor—not only laid-off blue-collar workers,
but also downsized tech workers, managers, lawyers, and other
once-comfortable professionals. No one could accuse these “nouveau poor”
Americans of having made bad choices or bad lifestyle decisions. They
were educated, hardworking, and ambitious, and now they were also
poor—applying for food stamps, showing up in shelters, lining up for
entry-level jobs in retail. This would have been the moment for the
pundits to finally admit the truth: Poverty is not a character failing
or a lack of motivation. Poverty is a shortage of money.
- Barbara Ehrenreich
descensus Averno facilis est