This Is Why You're Poor

Second Thought
14 Jul 202321:16

Summary

TLDRThis video script challenges the myth that poverty is a result of laziness or lack of motivation. It argues that poverty is a systemic issue, intrinsic to capitalism, which maintains a 'Reserve Army of Labor' to exploit workers. The script uses historical context and statistics to debunk the idea that hard work alone can overcome economic hardships, emphasizing that even in times of growth, inequality persists due to the nature of profit-driven employment. It calls for a reevaluation of societal structures that perpetuate poverty and inequality, rather than blaming individuals.

Takeaways

  • 🌌 The video is sponsored by Nebula, a creator-owned streaming platform that supports the content creators of Second Thought and the D program.
  • 🐟 The narrative that 'teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime' is critiqued, suggesting it oversimplifies the complex issue of poverty.
  • πŸ’ͺ The video challenges the myth that poverty is due to a lack of motivation or hard work, instead arguing that it's a systemic issue within capitalism.
  • πŸ”„ It highlights how economic recessions can lead to increased poverty rates, affecting people regardless of their individual efforts or motivations.
  • πŸ“ˆ The script points out the disparity between the wealth accumulation of the richest individuals during crises, such as the pandemic, and the hardships faced by the working class.
  • 🏭 The concept of the 'Reserve Army of Labor' is introduced to explain how unemployment is used as a tool for maintaining capitalist bargaining power.
  • 🀝 The video argues against the idea that full employment or welfare measures are detrimental to profits, stating they could actually benefit capitalists in the short term but are opposed due to long-term power dynamics.
  • πŸ’Ό It discusses the exploitation inherent in capitalism, where the value of work is not necessarily tied to the effort put in by the worker but to how exploitable the worker is.
  • 🏘️ The working poor are highlighted, noting that many work multiple jobs yet still struggle financially due to low wages and rising costs of living.
  • πŸ›οΈ The script touches on the history of the concept of laziness, linking it to the Protestant work ethic and its use in justifying exploitation and inequality.
  • 🌐 The video concludes that poverty is artificially created and maintained under capitalism, and that the concept of laziness is used to justify and perpetuate this system.

Q & A

  • What is the main argument presented in the video script against the common belief that poverty is a result of individual laziness or lack of motivation?

    -The main argument is that poverty is not a result of individual laziness or lack of motivation, but rather a systemic issue deeply rooted in the structure of capitalism, where consistent profit often necessitates a 'Reserve Army of Labor'β€”people kept unemployed to maintain capitalist bargaining power.

  • How does the script address the myth that the poor are poor because they deserve it?

    -The script refutes this myth by presenting evidence that economic circumstances beyond individual control, such as recessions and the business cycle, can lead to poverty, and by highlighting the increase in wealth among the richest individuals during economic downturns, which is not a result of increased effort but rather their class position and luck.

  • What is the 'Reserve Army of Labor' and why does it exist according to the script?

    -The 'Reserve Army of Labor' is a Marxist term referring to the pool of unemployed people kept out of work not because there is a lack of jobs, but to ensure that those who are employed remain fearful of losing their jobs, thus giving employers bargaining power.

  • How does the script explain the fluctuation in poverty rates during economic recessions?

    -The script explains that during recessions, more people become poor as businesses lack the revenue to sustain labor costs, which is unrelated to the individual's effort or motivation, demonstrating that external economic factors, not personal attributes, drive these changes.

  • What evidence does the script provide to counter the idea that hard work always leads to wealth?

    -The script cites the example of the world's 10 richest men who doubled their fortunes during the pandemic without necessarily working harder, attributing their wealth increase to their class position and luck, rather than effort.

  • How does the script discuss the impact of public services on the bargaining power of capitalists?

    -The script suggests that capitalists oppose measures leading to full employment and welfare because they diminish the threat of unemployment, which is a tool to keep workers exploitable. Public services that improve life quality make it less likely for people to accept poor working conditions.

  • What is the script's stance on the idea that everyone can do anything with their circumstances?

    -The script challenges this idea by arguing that even if everyone worked extremely hard, poverty would still exist due to the structural need for a 'Reserve Army of Labor' to maintain profit margins in a capitalist system.

  • How does the script relate the concept of laziness to the exploitation of workers?

    -The script argues that the concept of laziness is used to justify self-exploitation and resentment towards others who appear to be idle. This distracts from the real issue of exploitation by the capitalist system, which maintains poverty as a means of control.

  • What historical context does the script provide for the association of laziness with moral failure?

    -The script traces the concept back to the Reformation and the Protestant work ethic, which was used to justify chattel slavery by claiming that slaves needed to be forced to work to avoid idleness and moral corruption.

  • How does the script connect the idea of laziness to broader societal issues like race and class?

    -The script explains that the idea of laziness has been historically tied to race and class, with the poor and black populations being stereotyped as lazy to justify their economic status and to rationalize opposition to welfare.

  • What is the conclusion of the script regarding the end of poverty under capitalism?

    -The script concludes that there will be no end to poverty under capitalism because it is artificially created and maintained for the benefit of the system, regardless of how hard individuals may work.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 Introduction and the Myth of Individual Responsibility

This paragraph introduces the video, highlighting a partnership with Nebula, a streaming platform. It challenges the common belief that poverty is a result of individual laziness or lack of motivation. The speaker argues that generational poverty is often attributed to a lack of effort, but this is a myth. The paragraph emphasizes that poverty is systemic and not merely a consequence of personal choices. It also critiques the idea that hard work alone can lift someone out of poverty, pointing out that economic conditions and systemic issues play a significant role.

05:01

πŸ“ˆ Economic Cycles and the Reserve Army of Labor

This paragraph delves into the economic cycles and the concept of the 'Reserve Army of Labor'. It explains how poverty and unemployment are not solely due to individual failures but are systemic issues inherent in capitalism. The speaker argues that during recessions, poverty rates increase, affecting many people who are not necessarily lazy or unmotivated. The paragraph also discusses how the wealthy can become wealthier during crises due to their class position and luck, not necessarily hard work. The speaker further explains that capitalists oppose measures that could reduce unemployment or improve welfare, as these would reduce their bargaining power over workers.

10:02

πŸ’Ό Exploitation and the Working Poor

This paragraph focuses on the working poor and the myth that hard work guarantees financial stability. The speaker points out that many people work multiple jobs or part-time positions, often involuntarily, and still struggle to make ends meet. The paragraph highlights the reality that wages have not kept pace with the rising costs of living, such as rent, utilities, and healthcare. The speaker argues that no amount of individual effort can overcome systemic economic issues, and that the belief in laziness as a moral failure distracts from addressing the real causes of poverty.

15:03

πŸ“š Historical Context and the Creation of Laziness

This paragraph explores the historical roots of the idea of laziness, tracing it back to the Reformation and chattel slavery. The speaker discusses how the Protestant work ethic was used to justify exploitation, suggesting that hard work was a moral imperative. The paragraph also touches on how these ideas became intertwined with race and class, leading to the stereotype of the 'lazy black person' or 'lazy poor person'. The speaker argues that this stereotype is used to justify welfare cuts and to deflect attention from systemic issues that contribute to poverty.

20:04

🌐 Conclusion and Call to Action

The final paragraph concludes the video by reiterating that poverty is a systemic issue, not a personal failing. The speaker emphasizes that under capitalism, poverty will always exist as it is a necessary byproduct of profit. The paragraph also includes a call to action, encouraging viewers to support the content creators by signing up for Nebula. The speaker highlights the importance of viewer support in maintaining the financial stability of the operation and the potential for creating more content, such as a highly produced Nebula Original Series.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Poverty

Poverty is a state of having little or no money, and it is a central theme in the video. The script discusses how poverty is often misconstrued as a result of individual laziness or lack of motivation, rather than systemic issues. The video challenges the notion that the poor are to blame for their situation and highlights that poverty is a structural problem inherent in capitalist societies.

πŸ’‘Generational Poverty

Generational poverty refers to the persistent poverty experienced by members of a family across multiple generations. The script uses this term to emphasize that poverty is not merely a temporary state but a deeply entrenched issue that affects people over long periods, often due to systemic barriers rather than personal failings.

πŸ’‘Motivation

Motivation in the context of the video is portrayed as a misunderstood factor in the perpetuation of poverty. The script argues against the common belief that the poor lack motivation, suggesting instead that systemic issues like economic cycles and the reserve army of labor are more significant determinants of poverty.

πŸ’‘Reserve Army of Labor

The Reserve Army of Labor is a Marxist concept that refers to the pool of unemployed workers that serves to keep wages low by creating a surplus of labor. The video uses this term to explain how capitalism maintains a surplus of unemployed people to exploit those who are employed, thus keeping wages down and profits up.

πŸ’‘Recessions

Recessions are periods of economic decline, typically characterized by a drop in economic activity, employment, and investment. The script points out that poverty rates increase during recessions, illustrating that economic downturns can disproportionately affect the poor and are not a result of individual choices or efforts.

πŸ’‘Wealth Inequality

Wealth inequality refers to the uneven distribution of assets and income among different social classes. The video discusses how wealth inequality is exacerbated during economic crises, with the rich often becoming richer while the poor become poorer, highlighting the systemic nature of economic disparities.

πŸ’‘Working Poor

The working poor are individuals who are employed but still live below the poverty line. The script mentions that despite working multiple jobs, many people remain impoverished, indicating that employment does not necessarily equate to financial stability in a capitalist system.

πŸ’‘Laziness

Laziness is depicted in the video as a myth used to blame the poor for their circumstances. The script refutes the idea that laziness is a moral failure, arguing instead that it is a concept used to justify exploitation and to deflect attention from systemic issues that cause poverty.

πŸ’‘Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production, with a focus on profit. The video argues that capitalism inherently creates poverty as a byproduct of its profit-driven nature, suggesting that the system itself is responsible for economic disparities rather than the individuals within it.

πŸ’‘Public Services

Public services are government-funded programs and systems designed to benefit the public, such as healthcare, education, and transportation. The script criticizes the opposition to public services by capitalists, explaining that these services could alleviate poverty but are often resisted because they challenge the exploitative power of the wealthy.

πŸ’‘Welfare

Welfare refers to government assistance programs intended to support those in need. The video discusses the public's suspicion of welfare recipients and the myth that poverty is a result of laziness, which contributes to opposition to welfare spending and further marginalizes the poor.

Highlights

Poverty is a necessary byproduct of consistent profit, not a result of individual laziness or lack of motivation.

Generational poverty is often used as a motivator, but it is not a personal failure but a systemic issue.

The belief that the poor are lazy is a popular myth in American culture, used to justify inequality.

Economic circumstances, not individual effort, often determine wealth, as seen in the wealth accumulation during the pandemic.

Recessions demonstrate that poverty can affect many people at once, independent of their individual work ethic.

The Reserve Army of Labor concept explains how unemployment is used as a tool for capitalist bargaining power.

Capitalists oppose measures that could reduce unemployment or improve welfare, fearing loss of control over workers.

Even in economic growth periods, poverty and inequality persist due to the structural nature of capitalism.

The idea of laziness as a moral failure is used to justify exploitation and to divide workers.

The working poor often work multiple jobs and still struggle, showing that hard work does not guarantee financial stability.

Rising costs of living, such as rent and utilities, make it impossible for many to afford basic needs, regardless of their work ethic.

The belief in laziness distracts from the real issues of exploitation and the need for collective action.

The concept of laziness has historical roots in the justification of chattel slavery and the Protestant work ethic.

Racial and class stereotypes have been used to justify the idea that poverty is a result of laziness.

The myth of laziness is used to justify cutting welfare and maintaining an exploitative economic system.

The video suggests that there will be no end to poverty under capitalism, regardless of how hard individuals are convinced to work.

The video was made possible by Nebula, a creator-owned streaming platform, highlighting the importance of supporting independent creators.

Transcripts

play00:00

this episode is brought to you by nebula

play00:02

if you'd like to help support second

play00:03

thought and the D program and first

play00:06

thought consider signing up for nebula

play00:08

at the link below

play00:10

teach Amanda fish and you feed him for a

play00:12

lifetime or give a man a fish then what

play00:15

now he has your fish and you have a

play00:17

story hardly you just gave him a fish no

play00:19

one cares about that get a grip

play00:23

so this

play00:24

is about poverty poverty poverty poverty

play00:27

generational poverty it is an incredible

play00:30

motivator it's fantastic and this is a

play00:32

great thing because it inspires

play00:34

everybody gets the motivation to look up

play00:36

to the one percent and say I want to

play00:38

become one of those people I'm going to

play00:39

fight hard to get up to the top I'm

play00:41

either asleep or at work I don't take a

play00:43

second off I don't take a minute off I

play00:46

don't relax I don't rest I don't stop I

play00:49

don't chill none

play00:52

we've all heard stuff like this a

play00:54

million times before if you're poor it's

play00:56

your fault it's your bad mentality

play00:59

you're lazy you're not motivated enough

play01:02

nobody taught you how to fish I don't

play01:04

like you I won't go to the dance with

play01:06

you I'm the most popular kid in school

play01:07

and you play Magic the Gathering at

play01:09

lunch I've seen you at the tables

play01:11

outside the cafeteria I know you play

play01:12

alone JT and I didn't even think that

play01:14

was possible

play01:17

it's one of the most popular myths in

play01:19

American culture that if the poor are

play01:21

where they are in the socioeconomic

play01:23

ladder it's because they deserve it

play01:25

anybody can do anything with their

play01:27

circumstances so the myth goes so if

play01:30

you're born into poverty and you don't

play01:31

manage to escape it that's a moral

play01:33

failure you didn't work hard enough

play01:37

here in the U.S a lot of people

play01:38

genuinely believe that everybody gets

play01:40

what they deserve most of the time and

play01:42

that it's okay if some people deserve

play01:44

basically nothing

play01:46

and if you've ever seen one of those

play01:48

motivational Instagram Pages you can see

play01:51

this in action sometimes they'll post a

play01:53

cartoon like this and all the comments

play01:55

underneath are like those [Β __Β ]

play01:57

deserve it make better choices work

play02:00

harder stupid or this is why we need

play02:02

population control and like it

play02:06

cartoon

play02:08

jeez why why are there so many genocide

play02:12

comments

play02:13

anyway

play02:14

a bunch of people seem to believe that

play02:17

the best we can do to solve poverty is

play02:19

not to actually solve poverty you can't

play02:22

poverty is a static part of reality that

play02:25

just kind of exists no matter what the

play02:28

best we can do is inspire people and if

play02:30

people just don't feel inspired to work

play02:32

harder well then they deserve whatever

play02:34

they get and don't all those lies just

play02:37

suck I get the appeal don't get me wrong

play02:40

you work harder so you get to feel like

play02:42

a big strong deserving bald man and

play02:44

whatever happens to everyone else is

play02:46

just not your fault you can mostly check

play02:48

out from politics and from The Voice in

play02:50

your head that feels bad when you see a

play02:51

homeless person because whatever

play02:54

that's their own problem but it's all

play02:57

lies

play02:59

poverty and the crushing inequality of

play03:01

the 21st century is endemic not because

play03:03

people don't work hard enough not

play03:05

because people are lazy but because

play03:07

poverty is a necessary byproduct of

play03:10

consistent profit and that means that

play03:12

individual poverty isn't a measure of

play03:15

motivation

play03:16

in the past I've made this argument with

play03:18

a lot of Statistics stats about how

play03:20

people are more or less locked into

play03:21

whatever class they're born in because

play03:23

of things outside their control but this

play03:25

video will take a bit more of a static

play03:27

Evergreen approach one that will remain

play03:29

true even when the stats I use here

play03:30

become 5 or 10 years old because the

play03:33

truth about poverty is that even if no

play03:36

one on Earth ever took a day off there

play03:38

would still be poor people so long as

play03:40

profit is what guides our employment

play03:42

decisions

play03:45

[Music]

play03:48

it's actually really easy to prove this

play03:50

that poverty doesn't come from a lack of

play03:52

individual motivation or bad individual

play03:55

decisions for starters because every

play03:57

couple years poverty just happens to a

play03:59

bunch of people at once randomly just

play04:01

look here's two graphs of the number of

play04:04

people in poverty and the poverty rate

play04:05

over time those highlighted parts are

play04:08

recessions as you can see and probably

play04:11

expected when recessions hit more people

play04:13

are poor and the poverty rate goes up in

play04:16

tandem we already know that despite

play04:18

being guaranteed to happen eventually

play04:20

it's hard to predict exactly when a

play04:22

recession will take place and

play04:24

specifically what sectors are going to

play04:25

be hit the hardest

play04:27

next recession it could be that the

play04:29

place you work suddenly doesn't have the

play04:31

revenue to afford your labor anymore and

play04:33

it'll have nothing to do with the effort

play04:34

you put in

play04:36

and then on the other end of the

play04:38

spectrum you have how the pandemic

play04:40

affected the wealthy the 10 richest men

play04:42

in the world doubled their Fortune

play04:44

during the pandemic making around

play04:46

fifteen thousand dollars per second in a

play04:48

little over a year and I can guarantee

play04:50

they didn't work twice as hard in one

play04:52

year as they had for all the years

play04:54

before combined economic circumstances

play04:57

out of their control made people more

play04:58

exploitable and desperate governments

play05:01

pumped money into their monopolies so

play05:02

they wouldn't go under and they came out

play05:04

a lot wealthier did they work hard to

play05:06

get there some of them maybe others no

play05:09

what ultimately made them wealthier was

play05:12

their class position and luck not any

play05:14

special effort

play05:17

thank you

play05:18

so right off the bat unless you believe

play05:21

that once a recession hits suddenly

play05:23

people lose all motivation that right

play05:25

there is a solid number of poor people

play05:27

who are poor through no fault of their

play05:29

own their casual victims of the business

play05:32

cycle a feature of capitalism that

play05:35

doesn't exist in most other economic

play05:36

systems and conversely being in a

play05:40

favorable position before a crisis not

play05:42

hard work allowed the 10 already richest

play05:45

people in the world to pull themselves

play05:46

even farther away from the rest of us

play05:49

but that sudden bump to poverty and

play05:52

inequality happens in periods of

play05:53

economic decline to be clear stagnation

play05:56

and regular Global Market crashes are

play05:58

the norm of living under capitalism but

play06:01

I get that if I built my case around

play06:02

these circumstances alone this video

play06:04

would feel incomplete but don't worry

play06:07

quote unquote normal times where the

play06:09

economy grows care just as little about

play06:12

hard work that's because part of regular

play06:14

boring old growth capitalism is what's

play06:17

called The Reserve Army of Labor

play06:20

if you haven't heard of it before it's a

play06:22

Marxist term that refers to the amount

play06:24

of people kept unemployed not because

play06:26

there aren't jobs they could or would

play06:28

want to do but because their existence

play06:30

is a guarantee of capitalist bargaining

play06:32

power said differently a significant

play06:34

number of people are kept unemployed

play06:36

purely so that those who are working

play06:38

worry about losing their job to them one

play06:40

day this group exists because it's

play06:43

really useful for employers that you

play06:44

don't want to be fired and to make that

play06:46

threat more tangible capitalists oppose

play06:49

measures that would get us closer to

play06:50

Full Employment or would make being

play06:51

unemployed more bearable whether that's

play06:54

a job guarantee limits to the number of

play06:56

hours of work you can do each week or

play06:58

generally any sort of welfare that keeps

play07:00

food on the table during unemployment

play07:01

these things make the threat of being

play07:03

fired less powerful and in complement

play07:06

public services in Health Care

play07:08

Transportation housing and education

play07:10

make life cheaper and within reach of

play07:13

everyone capitalists staunchly oppose

play07:15

Public Services work reduction measures

play07:17

and Welfare and that's despite studies

play07:20

often showing that they could actually

play07:21

help individual capitalist net profits

play07:23

in the short run for example by

play07:26

relieving them of Private health care

play07:27

costs or making their workers happier

play07:29

and more productive if they oppose these

play07:31

measures then it's not because they

play07:33

can't see the short-term profit bump but

play07:35

because they challenge their long-term

play07:37

Authority without unemployment and with

play07:40

better Public Services people would be

play07:42

less willing to take demeaning unsafe or

play07:45

poorly paid and exploitative jobs

play07:46

working people could demand higher wages

play07:49

and while this could still work in

play07:51

capitalist favor by increasing the

play07:53

working classes buying power and

play07:55

therefore simultaneously delivering

play07:56

profits to the capitalists over time it

play07:59

makes people less exploitable

play08:01

and maybe eventually that could push

play08:04

profits down towards zero without the

play08:07

fear of unemployment and with good union

play08:08

organizing workers can slowly claw back

play08:11

a bigger and bigger cut of the value

play08:13

they generate for the company which

play08:15

leaves the guy whose only job is owning

play08:16

it with less and less and that means

play08:19

less relative profits which they don't

play08:22

like they like when number is more

play08:25

ultimately then while there are regular

play08:28

dips in unemployment and poverty some

play08:30

amount of it has to come back regularly

play08:32

and be maintained artificially by

play08:34

killing things that would make life

play08:36

objectively better for most people it

play08:38

would be objectively better for all of

play08:40

us to eliminate unemployment entirely

play08:41

and we could do it with simple measures

play08:43

like a more equal share of work that

play08:45

limits working hours each week

play08:46

eliminating pointless jobs and putting

play08:49

more investment towards automating the

play08:50

jobs very few people want to do all of

play08:53

which is easy enough if you're okay not

play08:55

maximizing profit and you should be at

play08:58

the end of the day profit only goes to

play09:00

the tiny sliver of people who own

play09:01

businesses the capitalist Society will

play09:05

always statistically have a one percent

play09:06

that's always going to be the case

play09:08

but back to our main point if you think

play09:11

unemployment only happens to lazy people

play09:13

it makes very little sense why it would

play09:15

have dramatic swings from year to year

play09:17

or suddenly boom after a recession and

play09:19

if you can see the benefit of poverty

play09:21

for capitalist bargaining power you can

play09:23

also see how even in a quote-unquote

play09:25

ideal scenario when absolutely every

play09:27

single person is fighting for a top spot

play09:29

being a busy little worker bee and

play09:31

absolutely crushing the grind set with

play09:33

23-hour work days some unemployment

play09:35

would continue to exist if for no other

play09:38

reason then to be a tool for exploiting

play09:40

the other grind Setters better and

play09:42

ensuring that workers can't build

play09:44

Collective power and you don't have to

play09:46

think in these big structural terms to

play09:48

see how this would naturally fall into

play09:49

place under capitalism

play09:52

when they're hiring your boss doesn't

play09:54

care about unemployment and poverty they

play09:57

would rather hire one person who does

play09:58

the work of two than hire two people and

play10:00

they'd rather hire someone who does

play10:02

three people's work than that guy hard

play10:04

work matters only when that one guy is

play10:06

in charge of how many jobs there are and

play10:08

we all need to satisfy him to earn a

play10:10

salary take the one guy away and we

play10:12

could just split the work up more or

play10:14

less evenly and do a lot less of it the

play10:16

point is lazy or not poverty will always

play10:19

be there to uphold profit meaning the

play10:22

goal post for laziness will constantly

play10:24

shift and not in the more Humane

play10:26

Direction

play10:28

and so far we've only covered

play10:30

unemployment a bunch of the rhetoric

play10:32

I've been kind of responding to has been

play10:34

mostly targeted at some imaginary lazy

play10:36

person someone who doesn't have a job

play10:38

and definitely exists and actually

play10:40

there's a million of them and it's 100

play10:42

their fault you pay more in taxes so you

play10:45

should be very angry at them but what

play10:47

about the Working Poor because this hard

play10:49

work thing is [Β __Β ] for them too

play10:53

in the US about 23 percent of workers

play10:56

work in low-paying jobs roughly on par

play10:58

with countries like Lithuania and Latvia

play11:00

over 400 000 Americans work two

play11:03

full-time jobs and nearly 8 million

play11:06

Americans have two or more job positions

play11:08

counting both full-time and part-time

play11:10

that's a lot of hard workers and as you

play11:13

might expect it's not really by choice

play11:15

over 7 million Americans are working

play11:17

part-time involuntarily working jobs

play11:20

that guarantee no paid sick leave

play11:21

benefits or vacation days in these

play11:24

circumstances job security is not only

play11:27

non-existent the hours are irregular and

play11:29

the pay of course is terrible for people

play11:32

working in these low-wage part-time

play11:34

positions full-time employment is rare

play11:36

or incompatible with their other

play11:38

responsibilities like parenting and even

play11:40

if secured it is just not enough to make

play11:43

it to the end of the month because no

play11:45

one making minimum wage on a full-time

play11:47

basis can afford a one-bedroom apartment

play11:49

anywhere in the US it is impossible rent

play11:52

has more than double doubled in the past

play11:54

two decades and over the same 20 years

play11:56

the cost of fuel and utilities has gone

play11:58

up by 115 percent in U.S cities health

play12:01

care costs have gone up and regular

play12:03

bouts of inflation keep pushing food

play12:05

prices higher and higher like we've seen

play12:07

these past two years

play12:09

the point is no amount of individual

play12:11

hard work and motivation will lower your

play12:13

rent or your grocery bill or raise the

play12:15

minimum wage your landlord can raise

play12:17

rent arbitrarily grocery stores can up

play12:20

their prices with a little press about

play12:21

inflation and the wealthy can Lobby

play12:23

governments and fund mass media

play12:24

organizations so their pundits delay and

play12:27

decry any increase to minimum wages you

play12:29

can't outrun rent hikes by working

play12:31

harder and here are the grind set types

play12:34

will often tell people to just go work

play12:36

somewhere else if they aren't happy but

play12:38

not only is that incredibly difficult

play12:39

think about what that actually means for

play12:42

a second

play12:42

[Music]

play12:45

still want Baristas right having a nice

play12:47

well-made coffee is a wonderful thing

play12:49

most people think coffee shops should

play12:51

exist but if everybody leaves where are

play12:54

you gonna get your latte you're not we

play12:57

need Baristas and cooks and farmers and

play13:00

artists and most every service or retail

play13:04

or manufacturing worker currently making

play13:06

more or less minimum wage who works just

play13:08

as hard as you do and can't get by not

play13:11

only can those people not usually leave

play13:13

their jobs we shouldn't want them to we

play13:15

don't

play13:16

this is essential labor but these

play13:19

workers aren't getting paid enough to

play13:21

reflect that because these are

play13:23

Industries where it's easier to take

play13:24

advantage of workers not Industries

play13:27

where workers do something less valuable

play13:29

we don't desperately need more people in

play13:31

fintech because hard work has nothing to

play13:34

do with how exploitable you are and

play13:36

that's what ultimately decides how much

play13:37

you make you can work as hard as you

play13:39

want but if your job is especially

play13:42

exploitative that will never be enough

play13:44

to become wealthy and all of this boils

play13:47

down to the fact that laziness isn't

play13:49

real

play13:52

exploitation is and the great thing

play13:54

about laziness is that if you can get

play13:56

people to feel really guilty about it

play13:57

they will willingly exploit themselves

play14:00

more and find it morally wrong when

play14:02

someone else isn't being exploited

play14:04

enough in other words instead of

play14:06

thinking hey I do a lot of work I bet

play14:08

the world would be fine if we all worked

play14:10

a lot less let's figure out how to do

play14:12

that the belief in laziness as a moral

play14:15

failure takes that original correct

play14:17

observation I work a lot and gets people

play14:20

to think hey why isn't he working as

play14:22

hard as I am here's what I think happens

play14:24

that people who work hard start to feel

play14:27

resentful because there's always that

play14:29

person in the office who who is lazy and

play14:32

and maybe get getting just as much money

play14:35

how do we make sense of this in the

play14:36

workplace where you are supposed to be

play14:38

working

play14:39

yeah I think that's such a good example

play14:41

because really who's the real enemy

play14:43

there right it's probably the employer

play14:45

who's either putting too much on

play14:46

someone's plate or not dividing up

play14:48

duties fairly or not noticing there's a

play14:49

problem uh and so this book talks all

play14:51

about how we turn against each other

play14:53

especially if we work really hard we

play14:54

come to resent other people who maybe

play14:56

are struggling and instead of asking

play14:59

more questions of who needs help maybe I

play15:01

shouldn't be working as hard as I am if

play15:03

I'm feeling resentful and I even talk in

play15:04

the book about how resentment is a sign

play15:07

that you need to be slowing down

play15:09

this made-up idea of laziness makes us

play15:12

look at people being idle and judge them

play15:14

even though they're doing something

play15:16

perfectly normal and human something

play15:18

that we ourselves want to and could do

play15:20

more of with a little Collective

play15:21

organization we come to see their

play15:23

idleness at our expense and in turn this

play15:27

judgment is used to justify imposing

play15:29

more exploitation on them and on

play15:31

ourselves

play15:32

it would probably help if I ran very

play15:34

quickly through the history of where

play15:36

this idea comes from let's do that

play15:40

laziness being idle in a morally corrupt

play15:43

way starts with the reformation and

play15:45

chattel slavery see one of the ways

play15:47

chattel slavery was justified in the U.S

play15:49

was through the idea of the Protestant

play15:51

work ethic slaves were obviously

play15:53

exploited and this made a lot of not

play15:55

enslaved people uncomfortable but to

play15:57

reassure them that it was okay a myth

play15:59

was created that without being forced to

play16:01

work slaves would otherwise be idle

play16:03

slothful or ding ding ding lazy and

play16:07

because in parallel Protestants had just

play16:09

made up the idea that hard work and

play16:11

accumulating a lot of wealth was proof

play16:13

you'd go to heaven they felt good or at

play16:15

least better that enslaved people would

play16:17

be working so hard because it meant they

play16:19

would go to heaven instead of being lazy

play16:21

and going to hell

play16:23

working hard had acquired the biggest

play16:25

thumbs up the one on God's big old hand

play16:27

there's nothing that God hates more than

play16:29

sloth and that man were to sit around

play16:31

and do [Β __Β ] all God will frown upon you

play16:34

it's why you're never lucky if you're

play16:35

listening to this and you think I'm

play16:36

never lucky I'll tell you why because

play16:37

God dislikes you because you're [Β __Β ]

play16:40

lazy start to work start to show God the

play16:43

beauty of his own Creations you'd be

play16:45

amazed how lucky you'll become

play16:47

to continue with the quick history

play16:49

lesson these ideas pretty predictably

play16:52

became tied up with Notions of race and

play16:54

class because that's just what happens

play16:56

in this country the poor and the black

play16:58

were depicted as lazy while the wealthy

play17:00

got painted as hard-working and

play17:02

therefore deserving of their idleness

play17:05

you can see this in cartoons like this

play17:07

one from 1866 where a newly freed black

play17:09

man is depicted as being idle quote at

play17:12

the expense of the white man

play17:14

this soon turned into the still relevant

play17:16

myth that black people and working-class

play17:18

whites are lazy which became Reagan's

play17:21

very famous Welfare Queen slogan and

play17:23

here we are today

play17:25

being poor is a sign of being lazy

play17:28

because if you're poor it must mean you

play17:30

could be working harder and if you

play17:31

aren't working harder then you're being

play17:33

idle at the expense of the rest of us

play17:35

and just like that you stumbled into a

play17:37

way of justifying cutting people off

play17:39

welfare when this whole economic system

play17:41

is designed so that someone has to be on

play17:43

it

play17:44

I'm not just making this up by the way

play17:46

if you read this book you'll find that

play17:49

Americans do broadly think this way in

play17:51

understanding why Americans oppose

play17:53

welfare spending the author of this book

play17:55

who conducted a bunch of studies when

play17:57

writing it says quote the public is

play17:59

strongly suspicious of the true need of

play18:01

welfare recipients and white Americans

play18:03

view blacks as lacking commitment to the

play18:05

work ethic later on the author doubles

play18:08

down saying quote the most important

play18:10

race-based source of opposition to

play18:12

welfare is the perception that lacks

play18:14

economic problems stem from their own

play18:16

lack of effort not structural racism not

play18:19

capitalist necessity people oppose

play18:21

welfare because of a racist myth and a

play18:23

false idea

play18:24

anyway there's a lot of math in this

play18:26

book as well as media analysis it's a

play18:28

good read not a fun read but you know

play18:31

let's close out this video

play18:34

poverty isn't a mindset

play18:36

it's not something that just exists it's

play18:39

something that is artificially created

play18:41

and maintained laziness doesn't explain

play18:43

it and as a concept laziness plays into

play18:46

how we cast aside those who experience

play18:48

poverty today bottom line there will be

play18:50

no end to Poverty under capitalism no

play18:53

matter how much we can convince people

play18:54

to work harder assuming that's even

play18:56

something we want to do given how burnt

play18:58

out everyone is and because I couldn't

play19:00

find room for it in this video if you're

play19:02

wondering if this applies to countries

play19:04

that aren't the US I'll end by

play19:05

recommending my buddy hakeem's video he

play19:07

debunks pretty convincingly the idea

play19:09

that capitalism has lifted millions of

play19:11

people out of poverty and it's a good

play19:12

companion piece to what you just watched

play19:14

if you want a sort of part two

play19:15

anyway hope you enjoyed this video and

play19:18

I'll see you next time

play19:20

I mentioned at the beginning of the

play19:22

episode that this video was made

play19:23

possible by nebula I'm sure you're all

play19:25

aware of nebula by now it's the

play19:27

creator-owned streaming platform that's

play19:29

home to content from all your favorite

play19:30

creators where we can make the content

play19:32

we really want to make what you might

play19:34

not know is that you can find not just

play19:36

second thought on nebula but also first

play19:38

thought and the D program if you've ever

play19:40

listened to the D program you understand

play19:42

why it's always demonetized that's why

play19:45

I'm so glad we have nebula we can be

play19:47

honest we can have fun we can produce

play19:50

content for people to enjoy without

play19:51

having to choose our words carefully to

play19:53

avoid being punished the three of us on

play19:55

the D program are toying with the idea

play19:57

of making a highly produced nebula

play19:58

Original Series in a similar style to

play20:00

blowback doing a deep dive into an

play20:02

interesting topic in socialist history

play20:04

but that will only be possible if we can

play20:06

prove there's enough interest if that

play20:08

sounds like something you'd enjoy let us

play20:10

know in the comments below and sign up

play20:12

for nebula to show there's an audience

play20:13

for the series here's the heartfelt part

play20:16

every person who signs up using my link

play20:18

is directly contributing to the finance

play20:20

stability of this operation that second

play20:23

thought the D program and first thought

play20:25

none of this would be possible without

play20:27

the generosity of viewers like you

play20:28

especially since pretty much all my

play20:30

sponsors have bailed and it doesn't take

play20:32

a huge investment to help keep the

play20:34

lights on if you sign up with the link

play20:35

below you'll get access to nebula and

play20:38

will be directly supporting your three

play20:39

favorite socialists the annual plan is

play20:42

just 30 bucks for an entire year I

play20:44

honestly think that's an amazing deal

play20:46

for all the great content on nebula so

play20:48

if you'd like to help support my work

play20:50

and get access to the streaming platform

play20:52

built and owned by the creators sign up

play20:54

for nebula using my link below it really

play20:56

does help support me and educational

play20:58

creators all across YouTube

play21:01

if you enjoyed this video consider

play21:03

dropping a like if you hated it a thumbs

play21:05

down you can watch my other content by

play21:07

following the links on your screen

play21:08

thanks for watching and I'll see you

play21:10

next time

Rate This
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…
β˜…

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Related Tags
Poverty MythsCapitalism CritiqueEconomic InequalityWork EthicSocial JusticeClass StruggleWealth GapLabor ExploitationReform HistorySocialism