Ep. 368: It is Almost Impossible to Escape America's Poverty Trap

Colleen Shaddox is the co-author (with Joanne Goldblum) of the book Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending US Poverty. Her essays and other writing have been featured by NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post and other leading publications and media outlets.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Colleen Shaddox reflects on her journey to becoming an activist and truth-teller about poverty and other forms of social inequality and injustice in America.

Shaddox highlights the importance of emphasizing the agency and dignity and intelligence of the poor, the working class, and other strivers and hardworking people in America who are under assault by gangster capitalism as they try to make a better life for themselves, their families, and communities.

Colleen Shaddox and Chauncey DeVega also discuss social capital, poverty shaming, living a principled life, and maintaining one’s balance in a time of ascendant fascism, cruelty, and other evil.

Chauncey DeVega (again) calls out the hope peddlers and others who have convinced themselves that Donald Trump is going to jail and believe in other false happy endings.

And Chauncey has a rap session where he ponders the meaning of his first birthday since The Event of last year, journeys home to see his mama for Labor Day weekend, has a big only child working class attack of anxiety and worry, sees horrible things on these mean streets where life is so very cheap, goes to the movies, is the CM Punk AEW controversy a work or a shoot?, and updates everyone on his other (mis)adventures.

There is also an “Easter egg” at the end of this episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show.

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