[Editor’s note: August 5, 2016— Although this video is now 7 years old, it’s still remarkably relevant for a couple of surprising reasons. First, Joel Berg talks about the myth of the self-made man and references Donald Trump to counter how even a man as rich as he relies heavily on the government. Second, no one would have guessed that same individual would now be the republican nominee for president. As it turns out, Donald Trump appears to be neither a self-made billionaire as he so claims, and more evidence to believe he’s in fact a lousy businessman who was fortunate enough to inherit a large amount of money from his father. This video remains a relevant topic today as we continue to debate what the proper role of government should be to insure a level playing field for all and the importance of public policy in our daily lives.]

Part 2 of an interview with Joel Berg, published in March of 2009:
In this particular portion of the interview, Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH), and author of the book All You Can Eat: How Hungry Is America, talks about the myth of the self made man. In today’s parlance, “the self-made man” would be interchangeable with the chosen theme of “We Built It” from this year’s Republican National Convention.

As Berg explains, there is obviously an important role for government to play in our lives. If you watch the entire interview, including Part 1, Berg makes a persuasive argument for a compassionate society that addresses the underlying conditions that create hunger in America, and ways to eradicate this terrible societal scourge.