This is an audio essay read by the author, me, Jenn McRae.

Welcome to the "Enshittocene," where indignity is by design. In Part 1 of "Why I'm Not a Welfare Queen," hear a raw, personal story of a mental health crisis and its aftermath. This episode unpacks how Canada's social systems are built to enforce poverty, not alleviate it, and why the "precariat"—millions living paycheck-to-paycheck—are a predictable outcome. This is Part 1 of a trilogy, a story of collective crisis and the urgent need for transformation.

***Read more of my work on my substack publication, f*ck i love you

Listen to my podcast, f*ck i loved that, an nsfw, highlight reel, tl;dr of what I've paid attention to recently so you don't have to. Deep dive synthesis in ~15 minutes on transformation and the Now/Future, this liminal, upside down, fuck around we're all trying to survive. Because love's the only thing we haven't tried yet. And because I fucking love you.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jenniferangelamcrae.substack.com