Have you heard the latest news? Apparently, according to the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University, almost 50 million Americans are living in poverty. That’s a whopping 14.3 percent of the population! We’re not talking about some far-flung country here – we’re talking about the United States, one of the richest countries in the world. You’d think we’d be able to figure this stuff out, but apparently not.

The question on everyone’s mind is: why does poverty persist here in the land of the free? Well, according to Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond, it’s quite simple – poverty is a policy choice. We’re choosing to live like this, folks. We’re choosing to let people struggle and suffer instead of helping them out. And why, you may ask, are we making this choice? Because apparently, a lot of us are benefiting from the exploitation of the poor. Who knew?

Now, you might think that things like food, shelter, and healthcare would be basic human rights, but apparently, that’s too much to ask for. Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Evicted” gave us a taste of what it’s like to live in poverty. But his latest book, “Poverty, by America,” is less about the poor and more about the rest of us. It’s about the people who are perfectly fine with poverty being a thing. They don’t want to make any changes because it might rock the boat, and they’re way too comfortable to do that.

So, to summarize: we have a ton of people living in poverty in America, and we could do something about it, but we’re choosing not to because some people are getting ahead by exploiting the poor. Lovely. It’s almost like we’re living in a twisted version of “The Hunger Games.” May the odds be ever in your favor, folks.

Serious News: nytimes