The real reasons people suffer poverty don't reflect well on the United States.
By Stephen Pimpare March 8
Stephen Pimpare is the author of "A People’s History of Poverty in America" and the forthcoming "Ghettos, Tramps, and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen." He teaches American politics and public policy at the University of New Hampshire.
Two homeless women wait for the bus to take their children to a shelter for the night. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)
In response to a question about his party’s plan to increase the cost of health insurance, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) suggested that people should “invest in their own health care” instead of “getting that new iPhone.” He doubled-down on the point in a later interview: “People need to make a conscious choice, and I believe in self-reliance.” Chaffetz is wrong. But he isn’t alone.
While he has been met with justifiable derision for the comparison… read more.
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