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[phanphare]

Not the drug abuse part. Not down South. Towns here will fight tooth and nail against opening one in their borders.

yeah I was mostly referring to education there though it does affect those other aspects as well

 

[Aytumious]

Oh well, I'm sure this will all be a thing of the past once those high paying factory jobs come back, and we switch over to coal again, as promised. The wall keeping illegals out and the increased war on terror should help too. It's especially exciting to think about all the manufacturing that's going to be coming back, and seeing things like Apple products and cars all 100% made in America, just like was promised.

Good thing none of the above are just grandiose lies, otherwise this news would be really depressing.

Great post. This definitely only affects white Republicans. There are no minorities or Democrats in these parts of the country.

Herpa, derpa, lerp.

 

[Fox318]

Upstate New York and Northern Ohio are in pretty bad shape. Stop by and talk to the locals and someone's going to mention that X weeks ago, the son of X was found OD in one of those grimy McDonald's bathroom stalls.

Christopher Caldwell wrote a pretty interesting article on the subject a while back: https://www.firstthings.com/article/2017/04/american-carnage

Its really bad in upstate new york.

 

[WedgeX]

How were their social networks?

It was also foster care work so their social networks were typically already frayed. But the (rural Michigan) towns were small and incredibly low in density. Most, and I'm talking of parents who were getting their kids back from foster care, only had social networks that included their parents.

People drove everywhere. Only shopped at Wal-Mart. The towns had some semblance of downtowns but no one visited them, really. Didn't make for great rebuilding of social supports.

This contrasted with my doing mental health work in a major city. Almost impossible not to have services with 15 minutes walking. Hard not to talk to people on the streets or on public transit. Far healthier social support networks despite feelings of social isolation.

 

[Nokagi]

Yeah I've witnessed the opioid addiction myself. So many people I knew growing up( and even a lot of their parents) are now helplessly addicted to the stuff( or dead). It was rather shocking just how quickly the addiction spread. And it wasn't some outside force bringing the drugs in. It was doctors.They would write prescriptions for anyone who wanted them.Giving the stuff out like candy. I remember seeing lines of people waiting to get pills. Now they have since tried to crack down on that but the damage is already done.

 

[FStubbs]

The sarcasm of this post illustrates the elitist liberal attitude that small town people hate and that attitude is why democrats can never ever win rural towns.

Democrats don't win small towns because they don't hate minorities. If these small towns hated elitists so much, they wouldn't have supported this guy:

 

[smokeandmirrors]

This is so sad.

This country has left so many other groups of people behind and turned a blind eye to their, and now it's doing the same to the one group who thought they would safe and now we're all going to pay for it.

 

[The Kree]

No, but attitudes like that are a surefire way to never win them over. But they voted for trump, so fuck'em right?

These so called liberal elitists still vote in their favor though. That's more than they usually do for themselves come election time, and gerrymandering in middle America makes it virtually impossible for Dems to win there, so winning them over is meaningless. Tone policing is weak. When a political party spends decades campaigning on promises to essentially shoot you in the face and you still vote for them, then enjoy your misery.

 

[kess]

Trying to make rural areas feel important again is a pretty old tactic, Trump is advocating for autarky and is obsessed with trade balances, as nationalists are wont to do.

 

[ntropy]

white privilege indeed

 

[Slayven]

Democrats don't win small towns because they don't hate minorities. If these small towns hated elitists so much, they wouldn't have supported this guy:

Trump is old money, why does he has new rich gaudy tastes?

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Trump is old money, why does he has new rich gaudy tastes?

He was trying to impress his teen daughter.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

If only rural areas would stop voting against their best interests and making preserving outdated social and religious norms at the forefront of their voting concerns.

These people don't vote against their best interest to fuck over themselves or others. They're getting played, just like millions and millions and millions of people all over the world are getting played. Human beings are tribal, they're scared of change, and the more isolated they are, the more they fear outsiders.

That doesn't mean one cannot have empathy for them, or that is fair to stereotype them all for being Neo-Nazi sympathizers.

When fascism came about it, was in the wake of a similar situation. Millions of people in Europe had been displaced by the industrial revolution. Jobs were moving to the cities, and people clammered for the old ways as they couldn't adjust to the new world. The original appeal of fascism was nationalism. It would restore the old ways, peoples jobs and purpose.

People cannot do things beyond their own understanding, and rural areas are at disadvantage all over the world. Infrastructure, education, jobs and careers and wealth is invested into cities. It's exactly the same in Europe. Rural Areas are forgotten, towns fall into despair, politicians focus on city folk.

It's always easy to tell coal miners to get over it. Go pick of your checque from white privilage Inc, and stop crying, but it's not that easy for a lot of those people. Many people don't have the know-how or skills to make that change if all they've been is a factory worker in the last 3 or 4 generations.

I can just see the republicans having the same lack of respect and empathy when the next wave of automation hits the service, retail and truck industries. A lot of minorities are going to be hurt in that, and they also just won't be able to make a new adjustment.

The dangers of automation is also that it puts pressure on other industries. Suddenly everyone has to apply for a lot fewer jobs, so even professions that don't feel a squeeze, will feel it, once people who are desperate will try to make adhoc adjustments and transfers putting more competition, stress and people willing to worker for low pay.

The attitude that these people can fall of a cliff for being uninformed because your career is not on the line is dangerous, also to your own profession. You don't know how the round about ripple effect will affect others.

 

[Aikidoka]

That's terrible. This may not be related but local psychiatrists and doctors that are certified to prescribe suboxone say that Tennessee is actually the drug pill capital of the world. One said it may just be due to the large number of major interstates in TN.

 

[TheSeks]

One thing I hope for some of these areas is, in specific areas, boomers will start to retire and because of the house market being over priced (some areas, again) they will move out to these rural places and help the economies there.

That's not gonna happen if the jobs aren't there. Outsourcing, Wal-mart, et. al. have killed Rural jobs. Unless these folks want to take up farming (and even that isn't lucrative) or blue-collar work, those houses are easily ignorable for them.

 

[Slayven]

These people don't vote against their best interest to fuck over themselves or others. They're getting played, just like millions and millions and millions of people all over the world are getting played. Human beings are tribal, they're scared of change, and the more isolated they are, the more they fear outsiders.

That doesn't mean one cannot have empathy for them, or that is fair to stereotype them all for being Neo-Nazi sympathizers.

When fascism came about it, was in the wake of a similar situation. Millions of people in Europe had been displaced by the industrial revolution. Jobs were moving to the cities, and people clammered for the old ways as they couldn't adjust to the new world. The original appeal of fascism was nationalism. It would restore the old ways, peoples jobs and purpose.

People cannot do things beyond their own understanding, and rural areas are at disadvantage all over the world. Infrastructure, education, jobs and careers and wealth is invested into cities. It's exactly the same in Europe. Rural Areas are forgotten, towns fall into despair, politicians focus on city folk.

It's always easy to tell coal miners to get over it. Go pick of your checque from white privilage Inc, and stop crying, but it's not that easy for a lot of those people. Many people don't have the know-how or skills to make that change if all they've been is a factory worker in the last 3 or 4 generations.

I can just see the republicans having the same lack of respect and empathy when the next wave of automation hits the service, retail and truck industries. A lot of minorities are going to be hurt in that, and they also just won't be able to make a new adjustment.

The dangers of automation is also that it puts pressure on other industries. Suddenly everyone has to apply for a lot fewer jobs, so even professions that don't feel a squeeze, will feel it, once people who are desperate will try to make adhoc adjustments and transfers putting more competition, stress and people willing to worker for low pay.

The attitude that these people can fall of a cliff for being uninformed because your career is not on the line is dangerous, also to your own profession. You don't know how the round about ripple effect will affect others.

Stop coddling them. They been voting against themselves since the civil rights act. Millions of other people can look at trump and realize he is on some bullshit. Why can't they?

 

[Tain]

an awful lot of these people did not vote for trump

 

[elrechazado]

Democrats don't win small towns because they don't hate minorities. If these small towns hated elitists so much, they wouldn't have supported this guy:

They hate elitists that are dicks to them and talk down to them.

 

[sooperkool]

And the youngsters feel like their only choices in life are: Suicide or Meth

 

[Nikodemos]

These so called liberal elitists still vote in their favor though.

Yeah, that's the truth right there. Democrats might sneer at rural folks, think of them as a bunch of dumbass hicks, but they'll still vote for things that help them. Republicans will pat them on the back, tell them how great they are, tell them nothing needs to change, then promptly take a giant shit on them as soon as they're in office.

 

[commedieu]

These people don't vote against their best interest to fuck over themselves or others. They're getting played, just like millions and millions and millions of people all over the world are getting played. Human beings are tribal, they're scared of change, and the more isolated they are, the more they fear outsiders.

That doesn't mean one cannot have empathy for them, or that is fair to stereotype them all for being Neo-Nazi sympathizers.

When fascism came about it, was in the wake of a similar situation. Millions of people in Europe had been displaced by the industrial revolution. Jobs were moving to the cities, and people clammered for the old ways as they couldn't adjust to the new world. The original appeal of fascism was nationalism. It would restore the old ways, peoples jobs and purpose.

People cannot do things beyond their own understanding, and rural areas are at disadvantage all over the world. Infrastructure, education, jobs and careers and wealth is invested into cities. It's exactly the same in Europe. Rural Areas are forgotten, towns fall into despair, politicians focus on city folk.

It's always easy to tell coal miners to get over it. Go pick of your checque from white privilage Inc, and stop crying, but it's not that easy for a lot of those people. Many people don't have the know-how or skills to make that change if all they've been is a factory worker in the last 3 or 4 generations.

I can just see the republicans having the same lack of respect and empathy when the next wave of automation hits the service, retail and truck industries. A lot of minorities are going to be hurt in that, and they also just won't be able to make a new adjustment.

The dangers of automation is also that it puts pressure on other industries. Suddenly everyone has to apply for a lot fewer jobs, so even professions that don't feel a squeeze, will feel it, once people who are desperate will try to make adhoc adjustments and transfers putting more competition, stress and people willing to worker for low pay.

The attitude that these people can fall of a cliff for being uninformed because your career is not on the line is dangerous, also to your own profession. You don't know how the round about ripple effect will affect others.

Millions of americans are working multiple jobs, on shit wages, that republicans want to reduce/keep low. Minimum wage isn't a livable wage anywhere. Millions of americans, move to other states for work. Millions of people don't have the option to just vote for a handout, and wait. People literally risk death, without any skills, to get to this country and work on lower wages because Americans will not do this work. Granted, everyone can't just move into a better situation. But everyone also doesn't get the choice to keep voting for a Republican Party that is against your own health and well being. That is on them, every time, its on them.

Specifically speaking, people voting against their own interests, that are too ignorant to know that they are, is still a monumental problem in america. However, these counties that voted for Donald Trump, knowingly voted for a pussy grabbing bigot conman from the television, yelling about mexican rapists and banning muslims. Yes, I can easily say oh well, and have empathy for the families left behind. These people need to take responsibility for their actions. There is this bizarre attitude that rural adults are morons, and they need to be coddled to understand that fire is hot. This is not true.

This isn't going to be a problem in the next decade or so. Its unfortunate that programs to help rural communities didn't see the light of day, and that the Republican party is anti-education. These people need help, but the republican party isn't interested in helping people.

 

[FStubbs]

They hate elitists that are dicks to them and talk down to them.

And once again I submit this actually means "they don't hate minorities like we do."

 

[TenCentCoast]

Jesus Christ, some of the rhetoric in this thread is despicable. I don't like Republicans as much as the next person but victim blaming suicide victims and addicts is not the solution to the problem we're in. I realize it's frustrating to deal with people​ like this, but goddamn.

 

[elrechazado]

And once again I submit this actually means "they don't hate minorities like we do."

What?

 

[Slayven]

Jesus Christ, some of the rhetoric in this thread is despicable. I don't like Republicans as much as the next person but victim blaming suicide victims and addicts is not the solution to the problem we're in. I realize it's frustrating to deal with people​ like this, but goddamn.

Is it victim blaming to ask why do they keep hitting themselves on the hand with a hammer?

 

[Incarmine]

It's hard to call it victim blaming when if a mid-eastern person walked through their town he or she would likely be threatened at gunpoint at best, beaten to death at worse.

 

[Pancake Mix]

Really unfortunate. Lack of access, decaying communities, and nobody seems to care.

 

[entremet]

Is it victim blaming to ask why do they keep hitting themselves on the hand with a hammer?

I don't know what political interventions could do here. It's a very tough problem to tackle.

It's more of an issue of access--to education, jobs, mental health resources. Rural counties have a density problem.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

Economic anxiety, amiright lolz?

It's sad that these people got bamboozled by Trump. They obviously have real problems that need to be looked at more closely. By actual competent politicians hopefully.

 

[Aquavelvaman]

It's hard to call it victim blaming when if a mid-eastern person walked through their town he or she would likely be threatened at gunpoint at best, beaten to death at worse.

This is not a realistic portrayal of rural America.

 

[Caddywompus]

16 years ago? Isn't that about the time Social Media was born? If Rural cites are dying and you can't escape, it's easy to loose hope and die with them. Seeing the success of others who moved on from that small town, knowing that your life peaked in High School it could be easy to get depressed to the point of suicide.

That's just one facet that could attribute to the rise.

 

[Nokagi]

It's hard to call it victim blaming when if a mid-eastern person walked through their town he or she would likely be threatened at gunpoint at best, beaten to death at worse.

Uh. While I'm sure this has probably happen before it's not actually a common thing.

 

[Enosh]

This. And voting in an administration/party that seems content to cut funding and sweep these problems under the rug is only going to make things worse. The mental health/addiction problem in this country is completely ignored.

and what exactly did the previous D administration that is supposedly in "their economic interest" do for them except jack up their healthcare prices?

 

[Slayven]

I don't know what political interventions could do here. It's a very tough problem to tackle.

It's more of an issue of access--to education, jobs, mental health resources. Rural counties have a density problem.

I will say one thing, Trump's budget has illuminated how much Obama did to help people. Imagine what he could have done with a functioning government.

 

[mugurumakensei]

I'm definitely not an economist so I can't predict them. I just slightly noticed a trend around the DFW area, which was seeing a really fast increase in home prices and people movie away from the big cities.

It basically results in more urban sprawl not people retiring in the rural areas. Rural areas near city hubs become the burbs basically.

and what exactly did the previous D administration that is supposedly in "their economic interest" do for them except jack up their healthcare prices?

Healthcare premiums rose less ( over 10% less ) in the Obama administration compared the Bush administration. In pretty much every decade since 1980, healthcare premiums have basically doubled. The ACA didn't stop the growth but it at least slowed the growth.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Is it victim blaming to ask why do they keep hitting themselves on the hand with a hammer?

This argument might be better if Democrats had been particularly great for them.

 

[Dai101]

Losing jobs, getting addicted to drugs, and taking your life with the gun you bought to defend yourself from nefarious brown people who never came. Sheesh.

 

[Aquavelvaman]

Guys, hating poor people is the job of Republicans. If you consider yourself part of the left, a major part of that is working for a dignified existence for everyone, even the people who voted for Trump.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Trump is old money, why does he has new rich gaudy tastes?

He's trying to look rich and classy to compensate for the fact that he has no money and is a classless, racist, sexist, sociopathic, subhuman monster.

 

[ADS]

It's hard to call it victim blaming when if a mid-eastern person walked through their town he or she would likely be threatened at gunpoint at best, beaten to death at worse.

Stuff like this really makes me realize how sheltered much of neogaf is. Have you ever actually been to a rural area?

 

[Tain]

it's insane how eager some of y'all are to grind people into paste on the basis of what state they grew up in, jfc

40% of eligible voters did not vote, and then we can remember that we're not even considering the HRC voters in these rural areas, and then we can finally address whether or not we want to wave away suicide rates among trump voters.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Stuff like this really makes me realize how sheltered much of neogaf is. Have you ever actually been to a rural area?

I live in a rural area and they aren't far off the mark.

 

[Slayven]

This argument might be better if Democrats had been particularly great for them.

And they showed him by voiting for a guy that literaly is taking the food from their mouths

it's insane how eager some of y'all are to grind people into paste on the basis of what state they grew up in, jfc

40% of eligible voters did not vote, and then we can remember that we're not even considering the HRC voters in these rural areas, and then we can finally address whether or not we want to wave away suicide rates among trump voters.

Explain Kansas then

 

[Baron Aloha]

I'm not even just rural American either. I'm from the Baltimore area (think Wire season 2) and the shit is beyond ridiculous. So many people that I grew up with are now dead. 5 close to me, probably a dozen more acquaintances. The neighborhood I'm from is all Trump voters too.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

And they showed him by voiting for a guy that literaly is taking the food from their mouths

I mean sure, but people are acting like all these problems would be fixed if they just voted for Democrats, or that at the very least they would be less sad about them killing themselves off. They were killing themselves off before Trump, you know!

Explain Kansas then

Kansas actually has moved relatively Democratic since the brunt of Brownback's policies have begun to crush them. Clinton won more votes in KS-3 than Trump and improved overall on Obama's margin by a bit and the Kansas Democrats picked up thirteen seats in the state house in what was otherwise a terrible election for state houses. Brownback barely even got reeelected in a Republican wave year.

 

[Nokagi]

I live in a rural area and they aren't far off the mark.

This is one of those Newt Gingrich feelings vs fact things.

 

[riotous]

That's tragic; I bet the real number is higher too. I know 2 people who committed suicide whose family reported to authorities they were accidental.

 

[Slayven]

I mean sure, but people are acting like all these problems would be fixed if they just voted for Democrats, or that at the very least they would be less sad about them killing themselves off. They were killing themselves off before Trump, you know!

Kansas actually has moved relatively Democratic since the brunt of Brownback's policies have begun to crush them. Clinton won more votes in KS-3 than Trump and improved overall on Obama's margin by a bit and the Kansas Democrats picked up thirteen seats in the state house in what was otherwise a terrible election for state houses. Brownback barely even got reeelected in a Republican wave year.

Democrats were the only ones that talked about mental health care. But he still got relected.

I give NC created they got MCcory up out of there

 

[forrest]

As someone from Ky, I can attest to the shocking increase in opioid related deaths in my facebook feed over the past 2-3 years.

 

[Thelonelykoopa]

Yeah it's pretty bad out here ; my mom's sister commited suicide via Overdose last year.