If Books Could Kill

Hillbilly Elegy

57 snips
Mar 23, 2023
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INSIGHT

Vance's Poverty Thesis

  • J.D. Vance argues that a decaying culture in Appalachia and the Rust Belt worsens poverty.
  • He blames a lack of work ethic, illustrated by an anecdote about a fired warehouse worker.
ANECDOTE

Welfare Queen Analogy

  • Vance observed people using food stamps for food and cash for other items, perceiving this as gaming the system.
  • He contrasts their perceived ease with his own family's struggles, despite his family also receiving benefits.
INSIGHT

White Welfare Queens

  • While acknowledging racism, Vance applies the "welfare queen" stereotype to white people.
  • He claims to have known many "welfare queens," all of whom were white, furthering his argument about cultural decay.
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