U.S. “death line” episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 10, 2026 · 54 MIN

U.S. “death line”

from The Chair · host Horng Vothana

Featured contributor Professor Josef Gregory MahoneyRecently, the term “U.S. death line” has been trending across Chinese social media. Originally a term from the gaming world, it’s now being used to describe the financial fragility haunting everyday Americans. Why are so many people in the U.S. just one crisis away from poverty? What does it tell us about the deep-seated institutional gaps in the country’s social safety net? Host Xu Yawen joins Prof. Li Lun, Assistant Professor of Economics at Peking University, and Prof. Josef Gregory Mahoney, Professor of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University, for a chat. Get full access to The Chair at theaseanchair.substack.com/subscribe

NOW PLAYING

U.S. “death line”

0:00 54:56

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Chair?

This episode is 54 minutes long.

When was this The Chair episode published?

This episode was published on January 10, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Featured contributor Professor Josef Gregory MahoneyRecently, the term “U.S. death line” has been trending across Chinese social media. Originally a term from the gaming world, it’s now being used to describe the financial fragility haunting...

Can I download this The Chair episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!