re: Why are many of the Southern states the poorest in the nation?

Less labor productivity.

Less capital productivity.

But besides the obvious economic factors, I'll play ...

... because the South is largely conservative and religious!!

Did I get it?

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And they are red states? Serious question, btw. I'm a right-winger.

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Conservative politics, my friend, conservative politics. Not party politics...don't confuse the two. Take a look at what has happened to the rest of the nation since Ronald Reagan convinced the nation that greed was good....now the entire middle class lives about the same way that we have lived in the south for many generations.

Conservative politics means an anti-labor, pro business environment. No one can deny that this defines the south and always has...labor has always been seen as less important than capital in the south.

Conservative politics means less education and more religion...a sure fire way to keep a populace ignorant

Finally conservative politics in the south means keeping black people and white people at one anothers throat so they don't have time to realize that they have more in common than they have in differences and using the resulting hatred to your advantage.

Of course ya'll will deny this because there is nothing in the world that means more to a conservative than denial...it is the only way to get through the day with the innumerable lies and the mountainous volume of bullshite one must hold near and dear to their heart to be a conservative as defined by today's conservative...

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Conservative politics means less education and more religion...a sure fire way to keep a populace ignorant

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Agreed

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Finally conservative politics in the south means keeping black people and white people at one anothers throat so they don't have time to realize that they have more in common than they have in differences and using the resulting hatred to your advantage.

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Very true. Moving to the south was a cultural shock. These people were basically kicked off the plantations and told to figure it out for themselves. We really need to find a way to get more education in the southern populace as a whole to start breaking the cycle.

You can also add the good ol boy system to this list. Louisiana should be raking in the money on oil and gas. Instead we have to make cuts to health care and education.