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Started By
Message
Why is Appalachia so poor and decrepit
Posted on 9/23/25 at 12:57 pm
Posted on 9/23/25 at 12:57 pm
I’ve been to some crap holes across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and ex Soviet Bloc countries and none of those are comparable to an Appalachian county without an interstate running through it.
47
Posted on 9/23/25 at 12:59 pm to ClemsonKitten
De-industrialization, war on coal,and the proliferation of drug addiction
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:00 pm to ClemsonKitten
Historically, people lived places they could work, whether for sustenance or pay. Historically, when either/both of those dried up, they moved. With the rise of the modern welfare state, the pressure to do so has disappeared. Now, people live places with practically no capacity to work either for sustenance or pay, simply because that's where they were born. Those places have, and will always, display abject poverty.
Then end.
Then end.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:00 pm to ClemsonKitten
quote:
Appalachia's poverty and decline are the result of historical factors like land dispossession and the "resource curse" theory, compounded by ongoing issues such as isolation from urban centers, a lack of economic diversification, poor infrastructure, and limited access to quality education and healthcare. The collapse of traditional industries, particularly coal, has left the region struggling to transition to new economic models.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:01 pm to ClemsonKitten
Poverty, drugs, welfare, lack of employment.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:01 pm to ClemsonKitten
quote:
I’ve been to some crap holes across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and ex Soviet Bloc countries and none of those are comparable to an Appalachian county without an interstate running through it.
No you haven't
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:06 pm to ClemsonKitten
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:06 pm to ClemsonKitten
quote:
I’ve been to some crap holes across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and ex Soviet Bloc countries and none of those are comparable to an Appalachian county without an interstate running through it.
Hyperbole. Grant and Pendleton counties in WV lack interstates and I’d rather live there over much of the US let alone slums of the developing world.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:09 pm to ClemsonKitten
Lagos Nigeria
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:11 pm to ClemsonKitten
secluded small towns far from work. Anything else is tourist related and retirement $$ places
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:12 pm to Gifman
quote:
war on coal
There is no war on coal. That's a horseshite political talking point.
Other fuel sources like natural gas being more efficient, cleaner, and cheaper than coal and industries like shipping and rail no longer needing it are why coal is no longer as important.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:13 pm to AlextheBodacious
Drive up Hwy 71,Montgomery to Coushatta.I’ve never been to Appalachia but it can’t be much worse than that stretch of 71.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:14 pm to Dr RC
quote:
There is no war on coal. That's a horseshite political talking point.
Other fuel sources like natural gas being more efficient, cleaner, and cheaper than coal and industries like shipping and rail no longer needing it are why coal is no longer as important.
Its a pretty good way to spot someone that has no clue what they are talking about though so at least it still has some use
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:14 pm to ClemsonKitten
quote:
I’ve been to some crap holes across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and ex Soviet Bloc countries and none of those are comparable to an Appalachian county without an interstate running through it.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:16 pm to Dr RC
quote:
There is no war on coal. That's a horseshite political talking point.
So shutting down coal plants had nothing to do with jobs leaving Appalachia? Or are you just sky screaming?
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:17 pm to Gifman
quote:
De-industrialization, war on coal. . .
It was pretty bad even when coal mining was strong. Just low paying moning jobs with all the real money headed to NYC..
Seems there was never reallly much stable middle class job growth and focus on education.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:18 pm to Gifman
Appalachia was great for the coal industry. The coal industry wasnt so great for Appalachia.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:21 pm to wm72
quote:
It was pretty bad even when coal mining was strong
No doubt it’s never been a great area for well paying jobs. The the coal industry going nearly dead didn’t help
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:22 pm to Gifman
quote:
war on coal
The issues started well before any war on coal.
The middle class built up in WV during the early 1900s but pretty quickly got snuffed out.
Owners of the mines realized they were the only game in town and depressed the wages with people often working for company scrip.
The mine owners pushed for more and more mechanization which saw less need for labor causing more and more competition for the same jobs and subsequently lower wages.
Western coal reserves came online with much lower extraction costs leaving the only viable WV products as low-sulfur thermal coal and metallurgical coal. Both of which have seen demand slide. The price pressure from places like Wyoming saw the WV companies resort to mountain topping which is horrible in many respects and drew ire from locals and environmentalists.
The mountains caused slow or no infrastructure building and left much of Appalachia in and out of WV behind the rest of the country as well as fostering an insular culture.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 1:25 pm to Gifman
quote:
De-industrialization, war on coal,and the proliferation of drug addiction
No major roadways too.
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