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Under the Affluence: Shaming the Poor, Praising the Rich and Sacrificing the Future of America
Tim Wise is one of America's most prolific public intellectuals. His critically acclaimed books, high-profile media interviews, and year-round speaking schedule have established him as an invaluable voice in any discussion on issues of race and multicultural democracy. In Under the Affluence , Wise discusses a related issue: economic inequality and the demonization of those in need. He reminds us that there was a time when the hardship of fellow Americans stirred feelings of sympathy, solidarity for struggling families, and support for policies and programs meant to alleviate poverty. Today, however, mainstream discourse blames people with low income for their own situation, and the notion of an intractable "culture of poverty" has pushed our country in an especially ugly direction. Tim Wise argues that far from any culture of poverty, it is the culture of predatory affluence that deserves the blame for America's simmering economic and social crises. He documents the increasing contempt for the nation's poor, and reveals the forces at work to create and perpetuate it. With clarity, passion and eloquence, he demonstrates how America's myth of personal entitlement based on merit is inextricably linked to pernicious racial bigotry, and he points the way to greater compassion, fairness, and economic justice. Tim Wise is the author of many books, including Dear White America and Colorblind .
"Tim Wise is one of the great public moralists in America today. In his bracing new book, Under the Affluence , he brilliantly engages the roots and ramifications of radical inequality in our nation, carefully detailing the heartless war against the poor and the swooning addiction to the rich that exposes the moral sickness at the heart of our culture. Wise's stirring analysis of our predicament is more than a disinterested social scientific treatise; this book is a valiant call to arms against the vicious practices that undermine the best of the American ideals we claim to cherish. Under the Affluence is vintage Tim Wise: smart, sophisticated, conscientious, and righteously indignant at the betrayal of millions of citizens upon whose backs the American Dream rests. This searing testimony for the most vulnerable in our nation is also a courageous cry for justice that we must all heed."— Michael Eric Dyson , author of The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America
"Tim Wise is one of the great public moralists in America today. In his bracing new book, Under the Affluence , he brilliantly engages the roots and ramifications of radical inequality in our nation, carefully detailing the heartless war against the poor and the swooning addiction to the rich that exposes the moral sickness at the heart of our culture. Wise's stirring analysis of our predicament is more than a disinterested social scientific treatise; this book is a valiant call to arms against the vicious practices that undermine the best of the American ideals we claim to cherish. Under the Affluence is vintage Tim Wise: smart, sophisticated, conscientious, and righteously indignant at the betrayal of millions of citizens upon whose backs the American Dream rests. This searing testimony for the most vulnerable in our nation is also a courageous cry for justice that we must all heed."— Michael Eric Dyson , author of The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America
360 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2015
About the author
Tim Wise
22 books521 followersTim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and activists in the U.S., and has been called the foremost white anti-racist intellectual in the nation, having spoken in 46 states, and on over 300 college campuses, including Harvard, Stanford, Cal Tech and the Law Schools at Yale, Columbia, Michigan, and Vanderbilt.
From 1999 to 2003, Wise served as an advisor to the Fisk University Race Relations Institute and in the early 90s was Associate Director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism: the group credited by many with the political defeat of white nationalist, David Duke. His anti-racism efforts have been termed revolutionary by NYU professor and award-winning author, Robin D.G. Kelley, and have also earned praise from such noted race scholars as Michael Eric Dyson, Kimberl Crenshaw, Derrick Bell, Joe Feagin, Lani Guinier, and Richard Delgado.
Tim Wise is now the Director of the newly-formed Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE) in Nashville, Tennessee. He lectures across the country about the need to combat institutional racism, gender bias, and the growing gap between rich and poor in the U.S. Wise has been called a "leftist extremist" by David Duke, "deceptively Aryan-looking" by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and "the Uncle Tom of the white race," by right-wing author, Dinesh D' Souza. Whatever else can be said about him, his ability to make the right kind of enemies seems unquestioned.
Wise is a featured columnist with the ZNet Commentary program: a web service that disseminates essays by prominent progressive and radical activists and educators. His writings are taught at hundreds of colleges and have appeared in dozens of popular and professional journals. Wise serves as the Race and Ethnicity Editor for LIP Magazine, and articles about his work have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle.
He has contributed to three recent anthologiesWhen Race Becomes Real: Black and White Writers Confront Their Personal Histories (Chicago Review Press, Jan 2004); Should America Pay (HarperAmistad, 2003), a compilation of essays concerning slavery and its aftermath; and The Power of Non-Violence (Beacon Press, 2002)."
From 1999 to 2003, Wise served as an advisor to the Fisk University Race Relations Institute and in the early 90s was Associate Director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism: the group credited by many with the political defeat of white nationalist, David Duke. His anti-racism efforts have been termed revolutionary by NYU professor and award-winning author, Robin D.G. Kelley, and have also earned praise from such noted race scholars as Michael Eric Dyson, Kimberl Crenshaw, Derrick Bell, Joe Feagin, Lani Guinier, and Richard Delgado.
Tim Wise is now the Director of the newly-formed Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE) in Nashville, Tennessee. He lectures across the country about the need to combat institutional racism, gender bias, and the growing gap between rich and poor in the U.S. Wise has been called a "leftist extremist" by David Duke, "deceptively Aryan-looking" by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and "the Uncle Tom of the white race," by right-wing author, Dinesh D' Souza. Whatever else can be said about him, his ability to make the right kind of enemies seems unquestioned.
Wise is a featured columnist with the ZNet Commentary program: a web service that disseminates essays by prominent progressive and radical activists and educators. His writings are taught at hundreds of colleges and have appeared in dozens of popular and professional journals. Wise serves as the Race and Ethnicity Editor for LIP Magazine, and articles about his work have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle.
He has contributed to three recent anthologiesWhen Race Becomes Real: Black and White Writers Confront Their Personal Histories (Chicago Review Press, Jan 2004); Should America Pay (HarperAmistad, 2003), a compilation of essays concerning slavery and its aftermath; and The Power of Non-Violence (Beacon Press, 2002)."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 31, 2015
This was like a blast in the face. I have to quit reading these kinds of books. So depressing, but so informative, so I guess I won't stop reading them. But at this moment I am reading a fun loving book, which I have to do in-between some books I read.
First, I don’t believe that all the affluent people have these negative beliefs about welfare people, nor do I believe that that are all racists, and neither does the author. I know many wealthy people who are out there helping people to rise above what has been given to them, which is hard to rise above in our society.
One of the things that this book does is quote from those in the media who are on the far right who believe that we have a lot of welfare fraud, and that people should just be able to pick themselves up, etc. Tim Wise's findings are what I call a blast in the face, because I knew only a little of what was being said in the media, because unless you watch Fox news or listen to Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, and others, you will not really get the full impact of all that is being said. And unless you work at a welfare office or have other facts, you won’t know the truth of the matter.
I know a woman who worked at the welfare office and saw her put someone straight who believed that we should send the Hispanics back to Mexico and get everyone off welfare. One of her statements was, "It is hard to get on welfare." Tim Wise puts people straight. He has spent a lot of time researching this subject. As a result, this book is very well documented.
Anyway, this is a book for those like me and for the unmentionable others who didn’t know the full story or who just don't know, period. It should be required reading in high schools.
First, I don’t believe that all the affluent people have these negative beliefs about welfare people, nor do I believe that that are all racists, and neither does the author. I know many wealthy people who are out there helping people to rise above what has been given to them, which is hard to rise above in our society.
One of the things that this book does is quote from those in the media who are on the far right who believe that we have a lot of welfare fraud, and that people should just be able to pick themselves up, etc. Tim Wise's findings are what I call a blast in the face, because I knew only a little of what was being said in the media, because unless you watch Fox news or listen to Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, and others, you will not really get the full impact of all that is being said. And unless you work at a welfare office or have other facts, you won’t know the truth of the matter.
I know a woman who worked at the welfare office and saw her put someone straight who believed that we should send the Hispanics back to Mexico and get everyone off welfare. One of her statements was, "It is hard to get on welfare." Tim Wise puts people straight. He has spent a lot of time researching this subject. As a result, this book is very well documented.
Anyway, this is a book for those like me and for the unmentionable others who didn’t know the full story or who just don't know, period. It should be required reading in high schools.
December 7, 2015
Ok, let's start with the good: Tim Wise is a very readable writer, he obviously cares about the subject at hand (the pathologization of poverty and the lauding of wealth) and he finds really good statistical, demographic and social psych information to tie his points together. He spoke at the college i am teaching at and he has an excellent sense of oratory of which his books are a reflection. So why am i disappointed in this offering? Firstly, i think one of the core problems is that plenty of people are good at identifying these problems (they stretch back to Karl Marx and before him to Utopian Socialists and before that to messianic religious movements who realized the have-nots are getting the short end of the stick). I'm not denying that it is an omnipresent reality that people persist in believing that "the rich deserve to be rich" and this is a way more approachable book than Capital vol 1 or any similar call to arms about the horrifying inequalities promoted by contemporary (at time of publication) governance. The problem with Wise is he bent too far in making this approachable: there is an inherent contradiction in pointing out the police are "underpaid" while simultaneously decrying them for being a necessary component for perpetuating inequality. There is additionally this tendency to push the "nobility in suffering" narrative (i.e. the cuts to welfare started under Reagan and finished by Clinton were based in hyper racist rhetoric and the turn against government intervention to help the poor was overwhelmingly part of non-whites gaining access to these agencies) BUT Wise wants to make the working-poor out to be good workers (rather than those who perhaps could do without work or a lot of the work they are stuck doing). That is, if we're going to push a narrative of regaining compassion, perhaps turning to some of the most racially homogeneous and virulently anti-immigrant and islamophobic countries (Scandinavian Socialists) as a model for success but rather maybe go back to the origin link between a lot of the radical left "some work is unfit for human beings, has no social value and exists solely for the benefit of an elite class of capitalists. Perhaps untangle why to be considered valid as human beings you turn back to the image of "hard working" or "disabled and suffering" because it might be a way that this book ends with you QUOTING FUCKING DJ OF DGR i.e. someone whose organization has utilized anti-racism in brutally silencing ways, who are dyed in the wool transphobic and advocate the extermination of about 80% of the human race which will overwhelmingly NOT BE WHITE PEOPLE WITH HIGH CALORIC LOADS. Maybe some compassion for people trapped in unlivable situations would make you NOT TAKE THE ROUTE OF QUOTING A RACIST, TRANSPHOBIC, ABLEST GARBAGE HUMAN BEING TIM WISE. Anyway, this isn't a bad book per se but i probably didn't *need* it as it worked with information i kinda already knew and then turns to easily palatable solutions that maybe could be replaced with more effective ones?
January 18, 2018
This book is really hard to read if you are at all concerned about the current situation in our country. It is subtitled "shaming the poor, praising the rich and sacrificing the future of America" and Wise spends a lot of the book illustrating through statistics and stories how deeply ingrained in our society it is to shame the poor. And, of course, so much of this is based on ingrained racism. I fear the people who need to read and learn from this book will not. But, as he says in the last chapter, those of us who can tell stories of our own privilege and can illustrate the truth of poverty, must do that. At this point, in 2018, I fear this will be a long, hard fight.
October 19, 2015
All of Tim Wise's books are excellent and I recommend them, but I'd really encourage you to read this one - especially with all that's going on with our nation's political climate and the upcoming election. Examining how class, race, and sex are intertwined, he brilliantly explains structural inequality and the conditions and attitudes that helped create and continue to perpetuate a "culture of cruelty," especially against the poor, and what could be done to achieve a more just and compassionate America. Wise's oft-witty style, mixed with some incredibly moving stories and loads of supporting data, will stir an array of emotions in the reader. Everyone (even those who think they already know a lot about these topics) will learn something from this extremely well-researched and important book.
April 19, 2020
This book is focused on the culture of cruelty and shame the United States has around the poor and how our false narrative of meritocracy has exacerbated inequality. Wise has a great deal of empirical evidence to support his claims (which can be a bit much to sift through), but ultimately comes up with some pretty straightforward recommendations: that we shift the narrative away from blind meritocracy to acknowledge inequalities in our country and be willing to talk about the racial privilege and government support that allows us to be successful (such as great public schools that offered substantial opportunity for academic achievement down the line) and that we generate a culture of compassion in America that will allow us to come closer to creating equality of opportunity.
November 16, 2015
This book takes every argument used to justify the class system in America, explains how it arose, and proceeds to demolish it with facts.
If you want to become radicalized, here are the books to read:
Hand to Mouth (Tirado): A ground level view of living poor in America
Under the Affluence (Wise): A sweeping, macro take on class and race in America
The Divide (Taibbi): Alternating chapters describing how the rich and the poor are dealt with in the American justice system
Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Piketty): How if, left to run its natural course, the rich will always get richer
If you want to become radicalized, here are the books to read:
Hand to Mouth (Tirado): A ground level view of living poor in America
Under the Affluence (Wise): A sweeping, macro take on class and race in America
The Divide (Taibbi): Alternating chapters describing how the rich and the poor are dealt with in the American justice system
Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Piketty): How if, left to run its natural course, the rich will always get richer
July 18, 2016
Every once in while there comes a book that makes me want to shout from the roof tops, “Everybody, please read this book if you truly care about humanity and society!” Tim Wise’s book Under the Affluence: Shaming the Poor, Praising the Rich and Sacrificing the Future of America, is one such book. And though it may sound melodramatic, I truly think Mr. Wise’s book is an excellent primer on exactly why our nation seems so skewed, confused and messed-up, especially during one of our most scary, yet important presidential election years ever.
Scholar, activist and writer, the aptly named Tim Wise, has focused on societal issues since college and one of his first jobs was working against former KKK grand wizard, David Duke’s presidential bid. Since then Wise has worked on behalf of many progressive causes and has written several books, Under the Affluence being his latest.
In 2016 Wise wonders why do we (as a nation and a society) shame the poor (and let’s face it, anyone who isn’t mega wealthy) while praising the super-rich? And what does that say about us and what impact is this having on society?
Wise calls this detestable movement “Scroogism,” and, yes, based on Ebenezer Scrooge from the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. And it is a theme that has shaped our thinking about the haves vs. the have-nots and have-lessers, much of it encouraged by big business, Wall Street, billionaires and millionaires, CEOs, the radical right political pundits, the current state of the GOP, conservative Christianity, mainstream media and often, ourselves. And yes, that includes the have-nots and have-lessers. And Wise offers evidence through nearly 40 pages of end notes to give gravitas to Under the Affluence.
Under the Affluence and its theme of Scroogism is divided into three well-researched, scholarly, yet audience friendly, maddening, heartbreaking and in the end, cautiously hopeful chapters. These chapters include:
1.Pulling Apart-The State of Disunited America
2.Resurrecting Scrooge-Rhetoric and Policy in a Culture of Cruelty
3.Redeeming Scrooge-Fostering a Culture of CompassionIn Resurrecting Scrooge,
Wise carefully researches how in the 21st century the United States is a society that bashes the poor, blames victims, the unemployed and underemployed, embraces a serious lack of compassion and celebrates cruelty while putting the wealthy and the powerful on a pedestal. And Wise examines the origins of class and cruelty in the United States, the ideas of the Social Gospel and FDR’s New Deal, the myths and realities of the War on Poverty from its inception to Reaganism (and how liberals responded), and the concept how culture of cruelty affects who receives justice and who receives nothing at all except horrifically de-humanizing insults, both in rhetoric and reality. It is probably these two chapters that truly stirred my rage, and at times, I had to put Under the Affluence down and take a few deep breaths.But just as I was about to chuck Under the Affluence across the room and spend a week in the corner rocking back and forth, I read the final chapter, and felt a bit of hope. Perhaps, as nation things aren’t as bleak as they seem. In this chapter, Wise reminds us to look for possible roadblocks on the way of redemption. He also mentions that besides facts, use storytelling because behind every fact there is a very human face with a story that must be heard. He behooves us to create “a vision of a culture of a compassion” and how we can help communities to control their destiny.
Now, I am a realist. I know for the most part Under the Affluence is a book that preaches to the choir, especially in 2016. But maybe, just maybe, Under the Affluence will open minds, soften hearts and act an agent for, as Elvis Costello so aptly put it, “peace, love and understanding.” Under the Affluence is not only one of the most important books to come out in 2016; it is one of the most important books to come out in the 21st century.
Wise also takes a look at the world of the working poor and the non-working rich, the myth of meritocracy, horribly mean-spirited remarks, much of it coming from the radical right, including pundits and politicians, excessive CEO and big business pay, the devaluing of work that truly benefits all of society-nursing, teaching social work, protecting the public, improving our infrastructure, creating art, taking care of the elderly and disabled, and so on. And let’s not forget the very valuable work that doesn’t pay-parenting, eldercare, volunteering, etc.
In Pulling Apart, Wise takes a hardcore look at our current state of joblessness, wage stagnation, underemployment and how they affect us in this stage of “post-recession recovering” America. He investigates today’s realities and the long-term effects of income and wealth inequality. Wise contemplates who and what caused these problems and how race, class and economics are involved.
Originally published at The Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
Scholar, activist and writer, the aptly named Tim Wise, has focused on societal issues since college and one of his first jobs was working against former KKK grand wizard, David Duke’s presidential bid. Since then Wise has worked on behalf of many progressive causes and has written several books, Under the Affluence being his latest.
In 2016 Wise wonders why do we (as a nation and a society) shame the poor (and let’s face it, anyone who isn’t mega wealthy) while praising the super-rich? And what does that say about us and what impact is this having on society?
Wise calls this detestable movement “Scroogism,” and, yes, based on Ebenezer Scrooge from the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. And it is a theme that has shaped our thinking about the haves vs. the have-nots and have-lessers, much of it encouraged by big business, Wall Street, billionaires and millionaires, CEOs, the radical right political pundits, the current state of the GOP, conservative Christianity, mainstream media and often, ourselves. And yes, that includes the have-nots and have-lessers. And Wise offers evidence through nearly 40 pages of end notes to give gravitas to Under the Affluence.
Under the Affluence and its theme of Scroogism is divided into three well-researched, scholarly, yet audience friendly, maddening, heartbreaking and in the end, cautiously hopeful chapters. These chapters include:
1.Pulling Apart-The State of Disunited America
2.Resurrecting Scrooge-Rhetoric and Policy in a Culture of Cruelty
3.Redeeming Scrooge-Fostering a Culture of CompassionIn Resurrecting Scrooge,
Wise carefully researches how in the 21st century the United States is a society that bashes the poor, blames victims, the unemployed and underemployed, embraces a serious lack of compassion and celebrates cruelty while putting the wealthy and the powerful on a pedestal. And Wise examines the origins of class and cruelty in the United States, the ideas of the Social Gospel and FDR’s New Deal, the myths and realities of the War on Poverty from its inception to Reaganism (and how liberals responded), and the concept how culture of cruelty affects who receives justice and who receives nothing at all except horrifically de-humanizing insults, both in rhetoric and reality. It is probably these two chapters that truly stirred my rage, and at times, I had to put Under the Affluence down and take a few deep breaths.But just as I was about to chuck Under the Affluence across the room and spend a week in the corner rocking back and forth, I read the final chapter, and felt a bit of hope. Perhaps, as nation things aren’t as bleak as they seem. In this chapter, Wise reminds us to look for possible roadblocks on the way of redemption. He also mentions that besides facts, use storytelling because behind every fact there is a very human face with a story that must be heard. He behooves us to create “a vision of a culture of a compassion” and how we can help communities to control their destiny.
Now, I am a realist. I know for the most part Under the Affluence is a book that preaches to the choir, especially in 2016. But maybe, just maybe, Under the Affluence will open minds, soften hearts and act an agent for, as Elvis Costello so aptly put it, “peace, love and understanding.” Under the Affluence is not only one of the most important books to come out in 2016; it is one of the most important books to come out in the 21st century.
Wise also takes a look at the world of the working poor and the non-working rich, the myth of meritocracy, horribly mean-spirited remarks, much of it coming from the radical right, including pundits and politicians, excessive CEO and big business pay, the devaluing of work that truly benefits all of society-nursing, teaching social work, protecting the public, improving our infrastructure, creating art, taking care of the elderly and disabled, and so on. And let’s not forget the very valuable work that doesn’t pay-parenting, eldercare, volunteering, etc.
In Pulling Apart, Wise takes a hardcore look at our current state of joblessness, wage stagnation, underemployment and how they affect us in this stage of “post-recession recovering” America. He investigates today’s realities and the long-term effects of income and wealth inequality. Wise contemplates who and what caused these problems and how race, class and economics are involved.
Originally published at The Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
May 31, 2019
If I had to make a list of books that fight evil, this would be one of them.
Wise uncovers the treacherous truth and the history of economic inequity in the United States. He discusses how Americans view government backed safety nets with racist goggles. In short, when post Great Depression white families struggled to make ends meet due to the economic downturn, government assistance was embraced by both Republican and Democrats alike. Support and unity throughout the country was the back drop of these times. Of course, only white families at the time benefited almost exclusively. But once the image of government assistance took the face of African Americans and people of color, Reagan and conservatives through the media exploited racial resentment to flip the script. By stating that government assistance created a culture of poverty, dependency, and laziness, Americans shifted its view on government safety nets.
However, backed with much cited data and research, Wise debunks the myths about the culture of poverty and reveals how the wealthy minority is able to manipulate the white poor and middle class to help set policies to benefit the rich, even when those policies play against their own lives. Wise makes us reflect on how the ideology of meritocracy and racism influences the perpetual inequities. But he also gives us tools to help us pave the path towards turning this culture of cruelty to a culture of compassion.
I truly believe that if every single open-minded American were to read this book, we will achieve to live in a country we claim to be.. equal and just.
Wise uncovers the treacherous truth and the history of economic inequity in the United States. He discusses how Americans view government backed safety nets with racist goggles. In short, when post Great Depression white families struggled to make ends meet due to the economic downturn, government assistance was embraced by both Republican and Democrats alike. Support and unity throughout the country was the back drop of these times. Of course, only white families at the time benefited almost exclusively. But once the image of government assistance took the face of African Americans and people of color, Reagan and conservatives through the media exploited racial resentment to flip the script. By stating that government assistance created a culture of poverty, dependency, and laziness, Americans shifted its view on government safety nets.
However, backed with much cited data and research, Wise debunks the myths about the culture of poverty and reveals how the wealthy minority is able to manipulate the white poor and middle class to help set policies to benefit the rich, even when those policies play against their own lives. Wise makes us reflect on how the ideology of meritocracy and racism influences the perpetual inequities. But he also gives us tools to help us pave the path towards turning this culture of cruelty to a culture of compassion.
I truly believe that if every single open-minded American were to read this book, we will achieve to live in a country we claim to be.. equal and just.
January 6, 2016
This excellent book brings us face to face with the inequality and injustice that exist in the United States…”the culture of cruelty”. There are pages of statistics, with examples which will blow your mind. The comparison of distributing Super Bowl seats between the very rich and the poorest half of the fans was riveting. I couldn’t help feeling depressed and then angry as I continued to read. I hope our nation can somehow turn in a compassionate direction so that the American Dream will be possible for all our people. Since I’m in my 80’s I know it won’t happen in my lifetime….that saddens me.
I received this eloquent book for free from Goodreads First Reads program.
I received this eloquent book for free from Goodreads First Reads program.
May 18, 2017
This is a strongly researched book about the economic inequalities in the United States with a focus on what is happening and why there are such inequalities. Wise focuses on the thinking that keeps the U.S. rooted in thinking that valorizes the rich and demonizes the poor as well as offering some suggestions to remedy the situation. It was a very compelling and saddening read.
May 11, 2025
Tim Wise’s “Under the Affluence” is a well-researched and data-backed book that gets to the hows and why’s of our growing disparities. A chasm he aptly traces back to Plato’s earliest assertion that cities are divided between the haves and have-nots. The book is as equally damning of the right for their racially tinged war for power, as it is of the left’s inability to craft a narrative that will pull everyone into the fight for an equitable future that cedes no ground on the human needs Maslow called out in his hierarchy.
This book asks the questions and provides the evidence that will squash many right-wing arguments. More importantly, it sheds light on a growing level of cognitive dissonance that became all too clear to me during the pandemic. People just don’t get what people are going through at the ground level, and much of that can be traced to a class divide undergirded by racial bias. That combination is the root of this Affluence problem that stops all progress.
As Wise puts it, “The intersections of race and class have made addressing inequalities here more complicated than in many other modern democracies with more monocultural populations.” Truths like this will leave you seething and ready to riot. But riot is what we cannot do. Wise lays out a simple strategy for progressives. Challenge the narrative of meritocracy at every opportunity and demand that we deliver on the ideal of that image by demonstrating how the idea fails most of us.
This book is necessary reading that is accessible to everyone. It is simply organized and moves swiftly with eloquent language. It makes more and more sense with every section because, let’s face it, the argument here isn’t very complicated. When we get down to the heart of it, the growing income inequality comes down to one thing: greed. The tools the right uses to keep us stuck here are mostly language. It’s time progressives refresh their approach to achieving a truly equitable future that makes sure human brilliance can flourish under a real meritocracy.
This book asks the questions and provides the evidence that will squash many right-wing arguments. More importantly, it sheds light on a growing level of cognitive dissonance that became all too clear to me during the pandemic. People just don’t get what people are going through at the ground level, and much of that can be traced to a class divide undergirded by racial bias. That combination is the root of this Affluence problem that stops all progress.
As Wise puts it, “The intersections of race and class have made addressing inequalities here more complicated than in many other modern democracies with more monocultural populations.” Truths like this will leave you seething and ready to riot. But riot is what we cannot do. Wise lays out a simple strategy for progressives. Challenge the narrative of meritocracy at every opportunity and demand that we deliver on the ideal of that image by demonstrating how the idea fails most of us.
This book is necessary reading that is accessible to everyone. It is simply organized and moves swiftly with eloquent language. It makes more and more sense with every section because, let’s face it, the argument here isn’t very complicated. When we get down to the heart of it, the growing income inequality comes down to one thing: greed. The tools the right uses to keep us stuck here are mostly language. It’s time progressives refresh their approach to achieving a truly equitable future that makes sure human brilliance can flourish under a real meritocracy.
June 25, 2020
Great book. Everyone should read it
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July 8, 2020This month, I read Under the Affluence: Shaming the Poor, Praising the Rich, and Sacrificing the Future of America by David Wise. This book provides an excellent (if openly liberal-leaning) analysis of the state of income inequality and social welfare programs in the United States. Although many of the statistics provided were familiar, I still found it a good reminder of the extent of poverty in America and the degree of privilege I have, which I think are important to keep in mind in my service. And Wise also provides some important analysis of the role of narrative in promoting opposition to welfare (through racist and false representations of recipients), but also in helping to counteract it. He argues that supporters of social welfare programs have failed to persuade many because they overwhelmingly focus on policy details and outcomes rather than a broader narrative of fairness and equity.
This book was especially interesting in light of the recent announcement of a Trump administration proposal to replace SNAP benefits for many recipients with food boxes (https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/...). Beyond the litany of obvious practical problems with this policy, from distribution challenges to loss of local economic stimulus, Wise’s book stresses the moral problems with proposals like these, which emanate from a paternalistic and often downright cruel view of those in poverty and problematically deny them agency. Such policies are widespread: we expect the poor, especially those of color, to send their children to schools and accept policing practices we would never tolerate for ourselves or our families, check up on their job searches, and limit what foods they can purchase. Ironically, of course, as Wise notes, these are not the values we teach children or expect in our acquaintances and friends. “The culture of cruelty - our culture - violates virtually every lesson that responsible parents … teach our kids: about caring, compassion, respect, the importance of sharing and taking care of one another. …. [and] no responsible parent would dole out portions at the dinner table based on which of their children had done the most chores, or gotten the better grade on a test” (297). Wise’s analysis really highlighted for me the importance of a comment made in the NPR article I linked above, where a commenter said, “Whenever you see proposals like this that attack [SNAP] ... it harms the program even if it doesn't pass, in the long term reducing support for the program and stigmatizing people who use it.” It is incredibly disheartening, especially after reading a book like Wise’s, to see the country going in the opposite direction.
This book was especially interesting in light of the recent announcement of a Trump administration proposal to replace SNAP benefits for many recipients with food boxes (https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/...). Beyond the litany of obvious practical problems with this policy, from distribution challenges to loss of local economic stimulus, Wise’s book stresses the moral problems with proposals like these, which emanate from a paternalistic and often downright cruel view of those in poverty and problematically deny them agency. Such policies are widespread: we expect the poor, especially those of color, to send their children to schools and accept policing practices we would never tolerate for ourselves or our families, check up on their job searches, and limit what foods they can purchase. Ironically, of course, as Wise notes, these are not the values we teach children or expect in our acquaintances and friends. “The culture of cruelty - our culture - violates virtually every lesson that responsible parents … teach our kids: about caring, compassion, respect, the importance of sharing and taking care of one another. …. [and] no responsible parent would dole out portions at the dinner table based on which of their children had done the most chores, or gotten the better grade on a test” (297). Wise’s analysis really highlighted for me the importance of a comment made in the NPR article I linked above, where a commenter said, “Whenever you see proposals like this that attack [SNAP] ... it harms the program even if it doesn't pass, in the long term reducing support for the program and stigmatizing people who use it.” It is incredibly disheartening, especially after reading a book like Wise’s, to see the country going in the opposite direction.
June 23, 2017
First, this is a great companion piece to White Trash because of the historical discussions of poor-shaming. Second, Tim Wise is good at laying out arguments and overall does a solid job at debunking conservative myths about welfare dependency. Third, I was pleasantly surprised that this book was not purely bashing-- he did try to keep it in check. Fourth, one of the strengths was the collection of truly outlandish anti-poverty laws and commentaries made by conservatives. There's really no way to argue with it, and they were really quite damning in and of themselves. Finally, he balances discussion of race well. The things I didn't enjoy: inconsistent quality and neutrality of sources, rapid-fire numbers, and the final third (which was supposed to be suggestions for creating a culture of compassion) was not that helpful in its suggestions.
September 23, 2023
This was an almost 5 star review, until the literal last paragraph / page.
What Wise set up as a compelling argument for the disparities that the US faces and gives great insight on how and why we behave the way we do, ended with an overused generalization; that it all boils down to left versus right. I think this is boring and bit of BS compared to the data that Wise presented elsewhere in the book.
Would I recommend the book? Yes it was informative and a bit guilt-inducing at times (in a good way).
Would I say that leaned back on L vs R rhetoric that IMO is overused and often misses those who fall in the grey areas of those polar opposites? Yes, and there are plenty of other books you could instead choose to read.
What Wise set up as a compelling argument for the disparities that the US faces and gives great insight on how and why we behave the way we do, ended with an overused generalization; that it all boils down to left versus right. I think this is boring and bit of BS compared to the data that Wise presented elsewhere in the book.
Would I recommend the book? Yes it was informative and a bit guilt-inducing at times (in a good way).
Would I say that leaned back on L vs R rhetoric that IMO is overused and often misses those who fall in the grey areas of those polar opposites? Yes, and there are plenty of other books you could instead choose to read.
October 1, 2018
Tim Wise takes a small detour from his usual anti-racist writing to compile a statistical take-down of the American myth that the wealthy are to be applauded for their hard work, and the poor are to be condemned for their lazy inability to provide for themselves.
The reality Wise presents is depressing; reading the litany of statistics about our American greed was sickening. This is not an easy read.
The reality Wise presents is depressing; reading the litany of statistics about our American greed was sickening. This is not an easy read.
May 16, 2026
Insightful & Intriguing
It’s a shame how many people are suffering in this world while others are basically Gods living upon mount Olympus looking down on us so called peasants suffering for scraps there needs to be an entire system reset the inequality has gotten out of control and is only going to get worse. Thank you Tim Wise for creating this book and informing the public about this massive wealth inequality and how right wing propaganda is fueling this inequity
It’s a shame how many people are suffering in this world while others are basically Gods living upon mount Olympus looking down on us so called peasants suffering for scraps there needs to be an entire system reset the inequality has gotten out of control and is only going to get worse. Thank you Tim Wise for creating this book and informing the public about this massive wealth inequality and how right wing propaganda is fueling this inequity
June 7, 2020
An advancement for vocabulary and facts about systematic discrimination for me. The author provides a long list of reference at the end. I appreciate that.
January 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBPJo...
Great interview about this book~
Great interview about this book~
March 18, 2017
Sad story of growth of inequality in US. Weslthy get away with anything and poor are told they just need to work harder as if the wealthy didn't inherit a lot to start with. Not paying a living wage means people struggle no matter how many jobs they work. Four stars for weak third part on how to improve. The only important message in this part if improving humsn connection. When did making millions off the backs of the workers replace looking out for other humans to help them live.
May 5, 2025
Overall I appreciated and am glad I read this book. If you have any compassion for those consistently living in poverty and/or are even a little left-leaning, be aware that you're going to be furious while reading this. It took a fast-reading friend of mine a while to finish this because it kept his blood boiling. It's extremely well written and often caustically witty, but it's not something you can binge-read without wanting to burn down the house and most of the people in it. That being said, I didn't agree with all the author's conclusions, mainly because most of my family lives below the poverty line and the majority of them can't legitimately blame "outside circumstances" or wealthy people for their predicament. Yes, lots of people (especially people of color in America, which my family are not) have a completely valid claim that they've been marginalized, stereotyped and discriminated into their unfortunate circumstances. But there's a certain portion of the population that consistently makes terrible decisions despite all glaring indications they should choose differently, and/or are patently lazy, and will happily blame the rich *or anyone else who is an easy scapegoat) as long as they don't have to take the blame and go forward on a better path. Whether you agree with that last part or not, this book should increase your awareness of the extreme unlikelihood of anyone in poverty significantly and permanently bettering their financial situation, and with it, their overall quality of life, and the general unattainability of the American Dream for people whose parents hadn't similarly realized it. We all can and should contribute to creating a more equitable and happy society.
October 9, 2015
RH Reality Check
"Under the Affluence is an important source of data—bubbling over with hard, footnoted facts—to strengthen readers' resolve against the escalating inequalities in the United States … the book is an essential compendium of numbers, one that will prove useful in strategizing to end inequality and arming readers with the facts they need to tackle these seemingly intractable problems. Overall, the book is an impassioned and heartfelt defense of the poor that is rooted in the idea that America can, as Wise says, 'crawl from under the affluence to a place more equitable.’"––Eleanor J. Bader
Kirkus Reviews
"Acclaimed inequality essayist and community activist Wise (Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority, 2012, etc.) reports on the damage being incurred in America whereby 'the have-nots and have-lessers are dehumanized while the elite are venerated.' In describing how modern society has become a 'culture of cruelty,' as past attempts to sympathize and support those less fortunate have collapsed beneath the weight of classism and racism, the author explores the framework and the consequences of the nation's economic crisis. He lucidly ponders its genesis as well as the ramifications of wealth inequality, including the rampant demonization of the poor and the valorization of the rich by way of what he refers to as 'Scroogism.' Wise’s extensive experience as an anti-racism activist and a longtime member of the radical left greatly informs his text, which demonstrates, through facts and case histories, that America's enduring racial divide continues to be directly tied to its economic problems. His well-rounded scholarly discussion benefits from the varying intellectual perspectives he offers, including opinions on the damaging effects of blind corporate obeisance to the 'myth of meritocracy.' What is apparent, he believes, is the need for solutions to achieve the kind of 'culture of compassion' necessary for true redemption and a dismantling of social stratification. Wise recognizes that this achievement is a tall order to fill, particularly in the presence of the current elite economic oligarchy possessing the capital and the influence to trounce equalization efforts. Sharp and provocative … the book concludes with hope that his analysis and those like it will spur a counter-narrative outwardly challenging the false notion that both the wealthy and the poor 'deserve' their places within our culture’s economic stratum. An impassioned, intellectual, and vigorously dense report on the repercussions of severe socioeconomic imbalance in the United States."
"Under the Affluence is an important source of data—bubbling over with hard, footnoted facts—to strengthen readers' resolve against the escalating inequalities in the United States … the book is an essential compendium of numbers, one that will prove useful in strategizing to end inequality and arming readers with the facts they need to tackle these seemingly intractable problems. Overall, the book is an impassioned and heartfelt defense of the poor that is rooted in the idea that America can, as Wise says, 'crawl from under the affluence to a place more equitable.’"––Eleanor J. Bader
Kirkus Reviews
"Acclaimed inequality essayist and community activist Wise (Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority, 2012, etc.) reports on the damage being incurred in America whereby 'the have-nots and have-lessers are dehumanized while the elite are venerated.' In describing how modern society has become a 'culture of cruelty,' as past attempts to sympathize and support those less fortunate have collapsed beneath the weight of classism and racism, the author explores the framework and the consequences of the nation's economic crisis. He lucidly ponders its genesis as well as the ramifications of wealth inequality, including the rampant demonization of the poor and the valorization of the rich by way of what he refers to as 'Scroogism.' Wise’s extensive experience as an anti-racism activist and a longtime member of the radical left greatly informs his text, which demonstrates, through facts and case histories, that America's enduring racial divide continues to be directly tied to its economic problems. His well-rounded scholarly discussion benefits from the varying intellectual perspectives he offers, including opinions on the damaging effects of blind corporate obeisance to the 'myth of meritocracy.' What is apparent, he believes, is the need for solutions to achieve the kind of 'culture of compassion' necessary for true redemption and a dismantling of social stratification. Wise recognizes that this achievement is a tall order to fill, particularly in the presence of the current elite economic oligarchy possessing the capital and the influence to trounce equalization efforts. Sharp and provocative … the book concludes with hope that his analysis and those like it will spur a counter-narrative outwardly challenging the false notion that both the wealthy and the poor 'deserve' their places within our culture’s economic stratum. An impassioned, intellectual, and vigorously dense report on the repercussions of severe socioeconomic imbalance in the United States."
February 23, 2017
Tim Wise has some good insights in this book. In particular, I agree with his call for progressives to develop narratives that speak to the value and strength of liberal policy, and to reclaim the language and symbolism of American patriotism. However, much of this book expounds his argument using statistics and figures which makes reading a bit of a slog. In my opinion, the real meat came at the end where he offers an impassioned rebuttal to the culture of selfishness and greed that consumes American society. Still, I think this book is useful as a reference and will hang on to it.
February 15, 2017
I received this book from Goodreads. This is a well researched, well written, insightful book that should be read by people on both sides of the political spectrum. The author adds important information to the ongoing discussion of the economic policies of this country.
February 14, 2017
A good book if not obviously liberal in nature. Some of the language was intention in its trying to get people angry. And while this is something people should be upset about, getting angry doesn't solve problems. Some of the facts seemed so unreal that I would have to fact check, but if true a very well written book about a hot topic.
March 4, 2016
Despite having rather sternly told myself I was not allowed to check out any books because I already had too many checked out at home, I saw this one in the new non-fiction section and could not resist. Reading it swayed me more to Bernie than any articles actually about the candidates did. The system of inequality is just too unjust for tinkering to fix. It needs a sledgehammer.
Reading this book was highly emotional for me. In many sections, especially early on in the book, the ideas Wise was selling I was already convinced of, but the details and examples were so maddening that I had to skim over them to avoid flying into a rage. At the same time, there were so many stories, studies, argument that we so strongly worded that I had to quote them on goodreads, on Facebook, read them to my family. One section in particular pushed me over the edge, and I had to put the book down so that I could go buy my own personal copy that I could mark up and underline for future debates, so that I could safely return my library copy.
If yu want to learn about systematic inequality, read this book. If you want to know how our (white) racism has damned us, causing us to shred our own safety nets just to erode the (rather more wobbly) nets for people of color, read this book NOW.
Reading this book was highly emotional for me. In many sections, especially early on in the book, the ideas Wise was selling I was already convinced of, but the details and examples were so maddening that I had to skim over them to avoid flying into a rage. At the same time, there were so many stories, studies, argument that we so strongly worded that I had to quote them on goodreads, on Facebook, read them to my family. One section in particular pushed me over the edge, and I had to put the book down so that I could go buy my own personal copy that I could mark up and underline for future debates, so that I could safely return my library copy.
If yu want to learn about systematic inequality, read this book. If you want to know how our (white) racism has damned us, causing us to shred our own safety nets just to erode the (rather more wobbly) nets for people of color, read this book NOW.
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April 28, 2016The bad news (for me) is Tim Wise wrote exactly the book I was going to write...I even had begun researching (that's how I stumbled onto it). The good news though is he is a great writer and has hit it out of the park. I wish this book could become some sort of required civics reading. It covers income inequality, the myths around welfare, the coddling of the rich, the history of the way economics developed in this country, white privilege and race, the broken notions of who is deserving and undeserving, and so much more. Fantastic reading. The rare 4 Martinie glasses rating.
June 30, 2016
I feel like this would have worked better as a feature article in a magazine. I'm not a big nonfiction reader, but I'm trying to expand; unfortunately, while this started out as a compelling read, it quickly got bogged down with paragraphs of numbers and data that were relevant, but started to feel repetitive. I know the poor are treated horrendously, that's one of the reasons I picked up the book, I don't need 100 pages telling me I'm right. I'm glad I read what I got through, and Wise is an excellent writer, but I was not interested in finishing the book.
October 1, 2016
This was an amazing read. I've heard a lot of talk about "the poor" as if those less fortunate are some how not human but a thing. Compassion is certainly lacking. This book forces a look at this difficult subject and it's complexities. Full of information it is a must read, especially for those who feel compelled to pass judgement on others.
I received a free copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway. Opinions are my own.
I received a free copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway. Opinions are my own.
November 7, 2016
Alas, the combination of the author's ego and lack of wish or ability for deeper analysis shallows the subject. The entire book reads like a long post on a message board and is the epitome of bumbling finger-pointing.
There are better works on the matter (albeit a somewhat different angle), e.g. "Who Stole the American Dream?" by Hedrick Smith.
Still, "Under the Affluence" deserves two stars for we'd rather have that than nothing at all.
There are better works on the matter (albeit a somewhat different angle), e.g. "Who Stole the American Dream?" by Hedrick Smith.
Still, "Under the Affluence" deserves two stars for we'd rather have that than nothing at all.
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