Chaffetz was articulating a commonly held belief that poverty in the United States is, by and large, the result of laziness, immorality and irresponsibility. Never mind the fact that the largest group of poor people in the United States are children. Never mind the grim reality that most American adults who are poor are not poor from lack of effort but despite it. First, it’s founded on the assumption that the United States is a land of opportunity, where upward mobility is readily available and hard work gets you ahead. Just because what Chaffetz is saying isn’t novel doesn’t mean it isn’t uninformed and dangerous.

Source: Washington Post March 08, 2017 21:28 UTC