In Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver took down everyone from former President Ronald Reagan to Dr. Drew for creating and perpetuating the homelessness crisis in this country. But Oliver saved his harshest criticism for his own team when he called out liberals who believe homelessness is an "individual problem" that can be avoided.
"There are a lot of people, even liberals, who believe that homelessness is a personal failing, poverty can be avoided, and their own good fortune makes them not only better than the unhoused, but more worthy of comfort," said the HBO host. "It is basically Reagan's attitude from a Whole Foods crowd."
Oliver went on to say that solving this crisis "will take a massive commitment in infrastructure, funding, and resources," but that must come after "a collective change in perspective" towards the unhoused. "Basically, we need to stop being dicks and assuming that the unhoused are a collection of drug addict criminals who've chosen this life for themselves," he said, "Instead of people suffering the inevitable consequences of gutted social problems and a nationwide divestment from affordable housing."
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs Sundays at 11:00 PM ET on HBO.
Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.
TOPICS: John Oliver, HBO, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver