1 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: This is a podcast about money and inequality, but I've 2 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: been thinking about earthquakes a lot lately. I found these 3 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: videos on YouTube. The footage is grainy. It's usually coming 4 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: from a surveillance camera or one of those spy camps 5 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: people used to keep an eye on their pets while 6 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: they're out. At first, nothing's happening. You see a nondescript 7 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: office or living room, sometimes inside of a store, and 8 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: then a dog jolts into the frame or jumps up 9 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: from somewhere you didn't notice he was lying. He starts sparking, 10 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: then darting around, seemingly away from whatever danger he senses, 11 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: but also maybe towards it. To the viewer. At first, 12 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: it's funny because it looks like he's trying to scare 13 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: the wind. But then a few seconds later, everything in 14 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: the room starts moving, televisions fall over, lamps, wobble, painting, swim. 15 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: But the dogs are reacting to our pea waves, the 16 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: earliest signs of an earthquake. Humans can't hear them. Sometimes 17 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: we feel them as a jolt, but they sound an 18 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: alarming signal to dogs and some other animals up to 19 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: a minute or two before the bigger waves come and 20 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: the damage begins. There's another thing I learned about earthquakes. 21 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: The fault lines, the cracks in the earth whose movement 22 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: caused the shaking. Each one has an upper limit to 23 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: its potency, determined by its length and depth. In other words, 24 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: the existing fractures are what determined how bad the event 25 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: will ultimately be. The pandemic, in so many ways, has 26 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: felt like an earthquake to me. It was an event 27 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: that we all felt, but not equally. There were existing 28 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 1: fault lines. Some economies had programs that people could depend 29 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: on when their jobs suddenly disappeared because of lockdowns. Others didn't. 30 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: Some health care systems were already dealing with doctor and 31 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: nurse shortages going into a pandemic that would sap the 32 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: last bit of their resources. Others didn't. And in some 33 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: countries workers had few protections like paid time off if 34 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: they caught the virus, others didn't. As soon as the 35 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: impact hit in early we knew where those fault lines 36 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: were and saw the damage immediately and death's, job losses 37 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: and so many other ways. And it's only now that 38 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: some of the dust from the initial hit has settled 39 00:02:51,200 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 1: that we're able to see what we're left with Jovis 40 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: claims coming in, I mean really jumping from the week 41 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: before pretty brutal. Three point to a million records. Six 42 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: point six million Americans filed for unemployment last week. Many 43 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 1: Brazilians lost their jobs during lockdowns. While prices for rent, food, 44 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,959 Speaker 1: and gas are on the rise, engine working women were 45 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: the worst impacted by the pandemic. Well now to the 46 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: billionaire boom. According to Bloomberg's super yacht charters are up. 47 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: Over three hundred and a billionaire was created every twenty 48 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: six hours during this pandemic. No, I'm not waiting in 49 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: line for a COVID test with the public. The gross 50 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: in his time for a wealth tax in America. Welcome 51 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: to the paycheck. I'm Rebecca Greenfield. It's not often that 52 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: a crisis heads the entire world. The effects of war 53 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: and famine and natural disasters canry far and wide. COVID 54 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: was different because it happened everywhere. But over the last 55 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: two years we've seen how a million different variables, or 56 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: those fault lines, determined our health, safety, and economic security. 57 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: People with the fewest resources were more likely to die, 58 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: especially in the earliest waves, and then poorer countries had 59 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: less access to life saving vaccines. Then there were the 60 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: economic disparities. Millions of people are at risk of hunger 61 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: because of the COVID nineteen pandemic. Even in the US 62 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: and Europe, more and more individuals are relying on food 63 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: handouts just to get by. With unemployment levels sloring, international 64 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: organizations expect the income gap between the richest and the 65 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: poorest to get even wider. The fear early on in 66 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: the pandemic was that we'd come out of this crisis 67 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: worse off. It felt almost inevitable. But that's not exactly 68 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,679 Speaker 1: how things played out over the last few years. In fact, 69 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: what happened varied widely depending on how governments and society 70 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: has stepped in to address the crisis and what kinds 71 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: of foundations they had. Going in over the next eight weeks, 72 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: we're going to seven different countries to see how this 73 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: world changing event shifted the balance between the very richest 74 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: and the very poorest and everyone in between. Even before 75 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: the pandemic, alarm bells had been going off about global inequality. 76 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: Places with greater relative equality are more stable, They provide 77 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: people with economic security and more mobility to better their lives, 78 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: and going into the pandemic. Some of the most equal 79 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: places in the world, like the US and European countries, 80 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 1: we're moving in the wrong direction. So when COVID rattled 81 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: the global economy, economists and policymakers were worried about what 82 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: might happen. So it happened. I decided to ask Ben 83 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: Steve Verman. He's a reporter at Bloomberg who covers wealth inequality, 84 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 1: spending his days deepen data and talking with experts and economists. 85 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: He's been keeping a close eye unwealth inequality during the pandemic. 86 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: Right before the pandemic hit. What direction was wealth inequality 87 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: headed in globally coming into the pandemic. There were several 88 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: trends that we were watching. There were a few positive trends. 89 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: There was a growth of the middle class in Asian countries, 90 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: especially China that overall reduced inequality worldwide. And then you 91 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: had the number of people living in extreme poverty had 92 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: actually fallen. So those were positive trends, but there was 93 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: some concern that they were running out of steam, and 94 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: we had these negative trends that we're making inequality worse. 95 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: In the developed countries like the United States, middle class 96 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: was not doing as well and then you also had 97 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: not just the top one percent. Really it's the top 98 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: point one percent or point one percent. The people the 99 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: very top were doing much better than every one else. 100 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: And really there was a lot of concern about the 101 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: amount of power and wealth that folks at the top had. 102 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: So we were wondering would those trends continue, And there 103 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,679 Speaker 1: was a lot of pessimism that basically a recession would 104 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: come along and it would hurt the middle class and 105 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: the wealthy would benefit. Okay, so then March economy is 106 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: basically shut down entirely. It sounds like economists and politicians 107 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: and policymakers they would all think it's definitely gonna get worse. 108 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: There was a lot of pessimism at that early moment 109 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: in in the pandemic, and I ended up writing about 110 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: this and researching some of the history, and what I 111 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: found was that when you have these major disruptions, if 112 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: you look at past pandemics, for example, inequality doesn't always 113 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: get worse. Sometimes it gets better. Sometimes these disruptions either 114 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: they can destroy a lot of wealth at the top 115 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: and then allow people at the bottom to rise up. 116 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: Or it can change the labor market, it can change 117 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: the financial market in these really surprising ways. So I 118 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: didn't think at that moment we really knew what was 119 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: going to happen. We were really entering into an unpredictable situation. 120 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: So of those two potential scenarios, thanks getting worse or 121 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: something surprising happening, what ended up happening. We're only just 122 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: starting to get the data to answer that question. What 123 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: we do know from the last two years is that 124 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: the billionaires and the top one percent have done very 125 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: very well. The world's five richest people gained about one 126 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: point seven trillion dollars over a couple of years. If 127 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: you just look at Elon Musk, for example, there was 128 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: a moment after he became the richest man in the 129 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: world where he was worth more than three hundred billion dollars, 130 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: and there was a lot of chatter at the time 131 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 1: that he might have a chance to become a trillionaire. 132 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:52,439 Speaker 1: At the same time, governments, at least in the United 133 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: States and the EU had more of a sense that 134 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 1: we need to spread the relief, and so people at 135 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: the bottom got a fair amount in terms of stimulus payments, 136 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: extra unemployment checks, and enhanced child text credit that was 137 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: introduced in the United States, and so if you actually 138 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: look at the bottom fifty percent or so, their wealth 139 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: has actually gone up quite a bit. It's basically doubled 140 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: in the last two years in terms of dollar amount, 141 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: and it's still a tiny share of total US wealth, 142 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: but their share has been growing. And we don't know 143 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: how long this is going to last as inflation comes 144 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: along here, inflation could actually just completely erase all these 145 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: games in the next few years. We'll see, But for now, 146 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: there's some signs that the poorest Americans sort of the 147 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: working class you could say, and the bottom fifty of 148 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: the country have done pretty well. Considering so that sounds 149 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: like a pretty US or maybe Western Europe focused story. 150 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: How did it play out in other countries that were 151 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 1: maybe starting from different places of an equality. Well, not 152 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: every place had the resources to give a big bail out. 153 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 1: Not everyone can afford to trillions and trillions of hours 154 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: of stimulus, So different countries made different policy choices and 155 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 1: that ended up influencing the economy and how those countries 156 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: went through the pandemic. Another issue there is COVID and 157 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: how how countries managed COVID and how much either lockdowns 158 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: or the virus itself disrupted their economy. Some were in 159 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: lockdown for really long periods of time, and both of 160 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: those things, the stimulus and managing the virus, ended up 161 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: having disparate impacts depending on where you lived. If you 162 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: look at Taiwan, which really managed the virus quite well, 163 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: its economy actually grew in unlike most of the world, 164 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: and it actually grew faster than Somehow, US economy of 165 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: course shrank in. But then if you look down at Peru, 166 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: which had pretty severe lockdowns and it was really impacted 167 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: by the virus, Peru's economy shrank more than eleven percent 168 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: in one of the biggest drops in GDP in the world. 169 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 1: If you look at it, it's really country by country. Again, 170 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: we're still getting the data. We don't know exactly where 171 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: this is all going to end up. But one area 172 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: I'm really interested in is South America and Latin America. 173 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: Why is Latin America so interesting too? Before the pandemic, 174 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: we had a situation where inequality was getting worse than 175 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: a lot of Western countries. One of the questions we 176 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,559 Speaker 1: had was where is this all headed. If you look 177 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: at Latin America, these are middle income countries and they 178 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: have a level of an equality that is about the 179 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: same as Sub Saharan Africa, places that are much much poorer. 180 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: So you have a situation where in Brazil, for example, 181 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: you have almost half the wealth of the country is 182 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: owned by the top one percent. In the United States, 183 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: it's about a third. But the question was, are the 184 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: US and other rich countries on the way to that 185 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: same kind of level of inequality? Are we going to 186 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: also maybe have the same kind of extreme polity x 187 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: and extreme gaps in society they seem to go along 188 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: with high inequality. So it's basically a cautionary tale. Ben 189 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: mentioned Brazil. It's one of the most unequal countries in 190 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 1: one of the most unequal regions in the world. So 191 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,599 Speaker 1: that's the first place we're going this season, specifically to Brazilia. 192 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: It's the capital and it also happens to be the 193 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: most unequal place in the country. My colleague Shannon Sims, 194 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: an editor at Bloomberg, lives there and is giving us 195 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: the view on the ground. Well, I first moved to 196 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: Brazil back in two thousand and twelve. When I got here, 197 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: it felt like a totally different country. There was a 198 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: sense at that time that the middle class called classes 199 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: was completely booming, So families were booking Disney World vacations, 200 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:12,959 Speaker 1: and they were investing in real estate, they were opening 201 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: new businesses. In two thousand nine, the Economist magazine published 202 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: an iconic cover story that showed the famous Christ the 203 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: Redeemer statute taking off like a rocket, and the headline read, 204 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: Brazil takes off Latin America's success story. By two thousand fifteen, 205 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: things had already started moving in the other direction. Growth 206 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: was slowing down, the currency was hurting, and then the 207 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: pandemic hit, and it hit really hard. More than six 208 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand people here have died so far, 209 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: but the impact on the daily lives of braziliance has 210 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: also been really startling. There are lots of things I 211 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: could point to to show how bad things are, like 212 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: how the Hayal plunged in value almost overnight in March, 213 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 1: and how Brazilians have loaded up on debt that they 214 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: can't keep up with. The average credit card interest rate 215 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: here has hit almost three hundred and fifty. But there's 216 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: one big, big group of people who we don't often 217 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 1: hear about and who have had it particularly bad during 218 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: the pandemic, single moms. Ever since I moved to Brazil, 219 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: I've been struck by the number of single mothers here. 220 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: Current estimates suggest that there could be as many as 221 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: twenty million single moms in Brazil. That's close to the 222 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: entire population of Australia. The trend is only increasing. The 223 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: number of birth certificates registered without a father jumped by 224 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: about over the past year, which indicates the group is growing. 225 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: Before COVID, single mom has already had it tough with 226 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: trying to sort out childcare, taking unpaying fathers to court, 227 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: commuting to jobs they were lucky to have in a 228 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: tough market. They seem like they were barely hanging on 229 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: in a precarious position, almost like an underclass. COVID, it seemed, 230 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: would have only made their struggle harder and only widened 231 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: the distance between their reality and how they'd like their 232 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: lives to be. So to better understand just how these 233 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: women are managing in the wake of COVID, I followed 234 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: one woman, a thirty five year old mother of two 235 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: named Hanata, through her day, which starts before dawn at 236 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: five am. It's still dark when I pull up to 237 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: Hanata's house. She's opening the gate for me and immediately 238 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 1: starts blurting out how she's grappling with a dilemma already. Clusion. Today, 239 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: we got a problem. My kids will go to school 240 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: this morning. There's going to be a teachers strike, so 241 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: they won't go. Teachers are striking for better pay here 242 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: and some Umbaya, a working class satellite city on the 243 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: outskirts of Brazilia. So rather than drop her kids off 244 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: at school on the way to work like she normally would, 245 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: she's happy to set up Plan B. They'll stay at 246 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: home until they walk alone to their after school programs. 247 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: Fourteen year old Juan is learning trombone and nine year 248 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:20,239 Speaker 1: old Hailani likes dance and Notaza rummages through their backpacks, 249 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: checking to make sure they have what they need for 250 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: the day. As they stir in their beds, she wishes 251 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: them a good morning. Oh. As she gets ready for work, 252 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: she makes sure to leave some dinner on the stove 253 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: as well. That's because she won't get back before nine 254 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: pm tonight, hopefully in time to pull up the covers 255 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: on her kids as they get in bed, but maybe not, 256 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: and not to course coffee from a brown thermis. As 257 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: she eyes the time on her phone, she's got to 258 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: be out the door when her alarm rings in about 259 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: five minutes. She works from seven thirty to five thirty 260 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: every day and a big glass government building in the 261 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: heart of Brazilia a forty five minute drive away. She's 262 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: called a colpea, a cup lady, and she serves little 263 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 1: sugary cups of coffee to government officials all day long. 264 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: The people in suits who drink her coffee are the 265 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: same officials making the kinds of decisions that can change 266 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: the lives of Hanata and other single moms overnight women 267 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: who are just trying to figure out how to get 268 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: by in the wake of the pandemic. Despite their numbers, 269 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: single mothers are also one of the segments of the 270 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 1: population that most often get left behind. The National Statistics 271 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: Agency here reports that sixty three percent of households led 272 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: by single moms are living below the poverty line. For 273 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 1: those living above the poverty line, like Hanata, the unforeseen 274 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: arrival of the pandemic and now it's economic fallout are 275 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: threatening to pull her under. To avoid that plummet, she's 276 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: had to pivot, and so she is piled on top 277 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,679 Speaker 1: of her regular coffee lady job. A hodgepodge assortment of 278 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: side hustles, jobs that are what economists might call part 279 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,920 Speaker 1: of the gig economy. As a pandemic has worn on, 280 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: she's added more and more, and so now there's hardly 281 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: a minute in her day when she's not workings. Fessile 282 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: me the SA could think only time to get out 283 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 1: the door. Hanata says COVID has turned her life upside down. 284 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: She said she's been backed into taking on these extra 285 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: jobs just to keep pace with the cost of living. 286 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: As she darts around the house, quickly packing up for 287 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: the day, she tells me how she's battling to keep 288 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: above the welfare line because she doesn't want her family's 289 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: finances left to the whims of government assistance. In just 290 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 1: the past year, consumer prices have risen more than ten 291 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: percent here, and the most recent inflation forecasts show that 292 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: trend's only going to get worse. Nowhere has been spared 293 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: by the economic impact of COVID, but in brazz Ill, 294 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 1: the shutdowns disruption to the supply chain was compounded by 295 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 1: extreme drought conditions that ruined crops last year, and that 296 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: was before Brusha's invasion of Ukraine made everything worse the result, 297 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 1: the price of a tomato doubled over a period of months, 298 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: along with so many other staples. The value of the 299 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: local currency started evaporating amid all the turmoil, and soon 300 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: and not that went from serving fresh salads to her 301 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: kids to not being able to afford anything beyond rice 302 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: and beans. Nya sena sini fister doesn't size, they say, 303 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: saints it since basic bacasco guys gazolin the basics. Today 304 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: you can't. It's six hundred seven hund the highs, the basics, 305 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: the most basic of the basics. So the cost of 306 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: living through Brazilians due to COVID, due to the war, 307 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: due to everything that's happening, the cost of living increased 308 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: a lot. Really you a lot? No. I mean, it's 309 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 1: not impossible to manage as a single mom, but it 310 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: is complicated. As we get into her car, I noticed 311 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: the gas gage shows that we have less than a 312 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: quarter tank. It seems a little low for us to 313 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: get all the way into the city. I don't know, 314 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: as Scotts. Now we're going to pick up Dona Halsa 315 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: and she's a warrior woman to you know, to make 316 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,119 Speaker 1: a little extra cash. One of Hanata's side hustles is 317 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: driving a woman named Dona Josa for a flat feed. 318 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: Hanata met her when she ubered her home one night, 319 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: and as it would turn out, Donal Hols is a 320 00:20:46,880 --> 00:21:04,880 Speaker 1: single mom, herself a mask that a hole. It's been 321 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: years that I get up at four am. It's been 322 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: years I raised my kids and this ridom. Hanata, who 323 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 1: still has her eye on the time, instructs Dona Halsa 324 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: to put on her seatbelt as Halsa hands her thirty 325 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: hay eyes. Dona host is a small woman in her 326 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 1: sixties from the northern Brazilian state of It's one of 327 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: the poorest in the country and the kind of hot, 328 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: desperate place where they say only the strong survive. Dona 329 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: Holsa carries that battle faced spirit with her. I'm from 330 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,640 Speaker 1: I got here in seventy five. When we got here, 331 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: we would roll up our sleeves and get to work. 332 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: She raised her children on her own, but as she 333 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 1: tells me, things are worse today than she's ever seen them. 334 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: Hosa works as a housekeeper and one of the richer 335 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 1: neighborhoods of Brazilia called where organic grocery stores and cocktail 336 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: bars and fancy playgrounds for the kids line the blocks. 337 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: She's worked for the same family for more than five years, 338 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: but since COVID began, they cut back her days from 339 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,479 Speaker 1: five to two per week, so she used to make 340 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty eyes per week. Now she's paid 341 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: three d And there's a big catch. They told her 342 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: they don't want her taking the bus because she'll have 343 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: too much exposure to the virus and can bring it 344 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: into their house. That way, if she wants to keep working, 345 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: she has to take an uber and she has to 346 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 1: pay for it. As a result, the cost of her 347 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: daily commute increased tenfold, and Haulsa is not happy about it. 348 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 1: Last last, she should be paying part of my fair 349 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: I think she had the obligation to pay, don't you think? 350 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: But no, I pay with the tiny bit that I learned. 351 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,919 Speaker 1: Hanata and Paulsa dive into a heated conversation about how 352 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: COVID has underlined inequality here, I no sabe somewhere LETI 353 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: rich thing that COVID only comes from poor people. So 354 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna let the cleaning woman come because she 355 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: could bring it to me. But they don't think about 356 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: the fact that the people who actually bring the virus 357 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 1: are those who travel around everywhere will take plane to 358 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 1: go to other countries. We'll just stay in our little world. 359 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 1: We just go downtown, back home, downtown, back home. We 360 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: don't leave the house. The fact that rich employers view 361 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 1: people like Hanata and Donna Haza as the source of 362 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: infection is especially going to Hanata because of how the 363 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: outbreak happened here. At the beginning of the pandemic, there 364 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: was a major super spreader event a luxury beach resort 365 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,640 Speaker 1: called Frangozo. It put on display how the wealth He's 366 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: jet setting lifestyle was contributing to the outbreak. Meanwhile, Hanata 367 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: has never traveled outside of the city. In fact, she's 368 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: only able to travel as far as her gas tank 369 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: can take her. We pull up to the gas station 370 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:20,640 Speaker 1: and Hanna to ask the attendant for thirty he eyes 371 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: worth the gas. I realized the thirty hey eyes Josa 372 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: gave her earlier is the exact amount Hanata needs to 373 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 1: get them into Brazilia this morning, and not just constantly 374 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 1: on the hunt for cheap fuel, which is getting harder 375 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:40,879 Speaker 1: to find. Petro Bras, the state oil giant, increased prices 376 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: by nearly in mid March. Now Brazil has some of 377 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: the most expensive gas in the world, and since she 378 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: can only afford a little bit at a time, she 379 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: has developed this finely tuned sense of exactly how much 380 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: she'll need in the tank to get her to the 381 00:24:54,840 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: next destination before the cardpt have meals she has, but 382 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: COVID it has gotten worse. We could buy things then 383 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 1: that we can only buy now. Working double the hours 384 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 1: because the price of everything increased also jumps out America. 385 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: Just watch what happens when I go to the grocery store. 386 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 1: I can't even buy a killo off chicken compan It's complicated. 387 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 1: This is the reality for Brazilians, a choke hold. Every day. 388 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: Hanata drops Holsa off and heads to the government ministry. 389 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 1: Ten hours later, I meet her as she's getting out. 390 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:17,959 Speaker 1: Why as she's walking to her car, I asked her 391 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: how her day went, But I noticed her mood has shifted. 392 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:23,959 Speaker 1: When I left her at work, she was a chipper. 393 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,479 Speaker 1: Now she seems like she's forcing a smile, and I 394 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:31,120 Speaker 1: soon discover she's actually furious. One alone, just get out 395 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:38,120 Speaker 1: of his front of the face. I'm going to send 396 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: an audio message and let's see if to answer me. 397 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: Because the son of the owner is ignoring me. He 398 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: is ignoring all of us. I've got to call quickly 399 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:52,120 Speaker 1: because the office is about to close. She sits down 400 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: on the driver's seat and almost immediately starts sending a 401 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: firm but polite voice note to her former employer. The 402 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: company owes her seventy eyes. That is week's overdue for Hanata. 403 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: That's a month and a half pay missing from her 404 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: bank account. It's not the only problem she's dealing with. 405 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 1: She's also taking the father of one of her kids 406 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: to court for not paying child support, money she desperately needs. 407 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: And throughout the day she's had to be checking in 408 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 1: on her kids because they're home alone. But she doesn't 409 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 1: have time to worry about all that now, not when 410 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 1: she could be making money driving Uber her new pandemic job. 411 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 1: She's got four to six more hours of work ahead 412 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: of her. What did Let's go ahead and turn on 413 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: the app. Let's work and make some money. Hanata had 414 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: never considered driving an uber before until the pandemic made 415 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: it necessary. She needed a quick way to start making 416 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 1: money to keep up with a surge and costs of food. 417 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: A friend suggested buying a car and paying it off 418 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 1: by driving Uber, except now costs of increase even higher 419 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 1: than she imagined, So she's locked into having to drive 420 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,359 Speaker 1: Uber as much as she possibly can, and so she 421 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 1: can barely hold her eyes open just to not fall 422 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:22,120 Speaker 1: behind on her carpet at it. Sometimes I leave work 423 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: and say I'm not going to drive today because I 424 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: am not in the right head space. But then I 425 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 1: think I will have to drive around because I've got 426 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: this carnet and everything else to pay. She starts to 427 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: pull up to a gas station, but sees the price 428 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: and swerves back one of the road. Did she about 429 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: the second month geez for already increased the price of gas? Shoot, 430 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: I'm not going to fill up here. Riding around all 431 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 1: day made me realize she'd been holding her life together 432 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 1: by a thread, and then COVID came and took all 433 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: these tenuous situations and just stretched her to the breaking point. 434 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: Things were never ze for Hanata. And then COVID came 435 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: along and threatened to snap all of those fragile strings 436 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: that Hanata was tying together. Job market disruptions from shutdowns 437 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: and supply chain breakdowns that led to inflation. It all 438 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: meant that Hanata's options for work got smaller, even while 439 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 1: she had to work more and more to keep up 440 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: with prices. In the aftermath of the pandemic, Hanata is 441 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 1: facing down economic forces that are too much for even 442 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: a self described geheira or warrior woman, and not as 443 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: a hustler. But she's working to her max. And she's 444 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 1: just one woman, just one mom, in a place where 445 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: there are twenty million like her, each of them just 446 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 1: trying to sort out a way to get by in 447 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: this new, harsh, increasingly unequal world. It's starting to get 448 00:29:51,440 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: dark out and she's running low on gas as always. 449 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 1: Let me see how much it is here. Oh my god, 450 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: it's going up everywhere. Just because the government said they're 451 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: going to lower the price of gasoline. They say the 452 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:21,960 Speaker 1: station increased the price of gasoline. There's really screwing us. 453 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: During Hanata's Uber shift, she drives from Asasul to Asanoichi, 454 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 1: from one nice neighborhood to another, bringing people home from 455 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 1: work to their families. She tells me how driving uber 456 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: gives her a unique window and to other people's lives. 457 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: She says she sees people Austin showing off every weekend. 458 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 1: Maybe says it's a trip on the yacht or drinks 459 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: or women or drugs. Meanwhile, a lot of people are 460 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: experiencing hunger. Inequality is on her mind that she goes 461 00:30:56,600 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: from one ride to the next. Stine vivan Pi Social East. No, 462 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 1: capitalist in equality is enormous. We don't live in a 463 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: socialist country. We live in a capitalist country where the 464 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 1: rich would always be on top and the lower class 465 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 1: will be at the bottom of the well. Her uber 466 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: rights also make her think about her own life in 467 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: limitations on the open back downing Elias, that's a suging 468 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: Ways school. Yesterday I went to pick up a young 469 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: person at one of those English language schools in the 470 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: South Zone, and I thought, Wow, my daughter is never 471 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 1: going to be able to attend a school like this 472 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: with the money I make. I looked it up. A 473 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: year of tuition at that school cost more than fourteen 474 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: tho US dollars per year, and not just total income 475 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: is less than half that. My fast we think, don't 476 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: The photoco was mostly if there are days when I'm 477 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 1: totally wiped out because I have three jobs and I 478 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 1: have my kids and run the household, and I can't disappoint. 479 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: She continues driving along the way. She passes the modern monuments, 480 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 1: the hulking shopping malls, the Congress Building, and the Presidential Palace. 481 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: If she's lucky, she drives across one of Brazilia's postcard 482 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: bridges at sunset. I was seeing something I like a 483 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 1: lot as well. It's when I passed by the side 484 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 1: of the lake. I always stopped to look at the 485 00:32:42,520 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: horizon over the water and thank God. No that. Oh, 486 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: she's arriving home at nine thirty pm tonight, But she 487 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: could work longer. If she does eleven more rides, she'd 488 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: get a hundred and twenty he eyes of incentive bay 489 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: about US dollars today, though she makes the tough choice 490 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: to forego that money so she can see her kids 491 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: before they go to sleep. Yeah, she gets home and 492 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 1: they have a family dinner, a late one. After she 493 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: sends them to wash up and get ready for bed, 494 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 1: she does the dishes and sets the alarm for five am. 495 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: The pandemics toll on Brazil and people like Hannada is 496 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: the worst case scenario, a widening divide between the rich 497 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: and everyone else, which has made daily life a struggle 498 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: for many people. But there's another issue. Something then and 499 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: I talked about the real question is is there sort 500 00:33:56,440 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: of a natural spot that inequality heads a capitalist society, 501 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: Like over time, do we naturally become more and more 502 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: unequal up to a certain level until something comes along 503 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: and stops it, or can we do things policy things 504 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: that will prevent inequality from getting to that point or 505 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: from or reverse it so that without having a revolution, 506 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: Like it would be nice if we could have a 507 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 1: more equal society without having the kind of disruption that 508 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: World War Two, for example, brought along, or or the 509 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: pandemics of the Middle Ages brought along. Next week on 510 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: the Paycheck, we had to be part of the world 511 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:37,600 Speaker 1: where wealth and equality actually reversed. For one simple reason, 512 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: poor and low income people got a lot of no 513 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: strings attached cash. The first emotion I feel, I remember 514 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: it was like almost disbelief, like me I got, like 515 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 1: my name never gets Thanks for listening to The Paycheck. 516 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: If you like our show, please how to over to 517 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or We're where you listen to rate, review 518 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: and subscribe. This episode was hosted by Me Rebecca Greenfield 519 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,879 Speaker 1: and reported by Me, Shannon Sims, and Ben Steve Verman. 520 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,760 Speaker 1: It was edited by Francesca Levi with help from Janet Paskin, 521 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: Rocksheeta Saluja and Me. We also had editing help from 522 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:23,280 Speaker 1: Daniel Balby, Shelley Banjo, Kristin V. Brown, Nicole Flato, Gilda 523 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,560 Speaker 1: to Carly, Elissa McDonald, and Kai Schultz. This episode was 524 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:30,399 Speaker 1: produced by Gilda to Carly and sound engineered by Matt 525 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: kim Our. Original music is by Leo Sidrin. The voiceovers 526 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 1: you heard were by Camilla Fontana and Isadora Colombi. Special 527 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: thanks to Magnus Hendrickson, Mckinninda Keeper, Margaret Sutherland, Stacy Wong, 528 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: and Aisha Diallo. Francesca Levi is Bloomberg's head of Podcasts. 529 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: See you next week.