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People have been moving to cities in the US since Henry Ford's day (heck since the Pharoah's days). In US's early days the majority farmed (small landholders) but as non-farm jobs were created by various entities and better wages and education bloomed people wanted to better themselves by moving to a city. Ma and pa stayed on the farm with maybe the eldest son and his family. Farming has never been an easy or financially secure existence, not then and not now.
We have never lived in a large city but as we age we know we can't move to a more rural location, even though I would love to. There is a huge contingent of Boomers who want to stay near their grown children, who are generally located in cities with good jobs. So the aging Boomers stay nearby, in the suburbs, but not way out in the boonies where there is not good access to doctors or hospitals. Heck even poor Boomers can't afford to move to rural US where there are few places to rent and the grocery store may be 20 miles away. They stay where they are.
Japan and many other countries have exactly the same problem. Deserted small towns and rural locations. They are giving away houses to people who will live there.
I've been doing family genealogy and seen the movement of my ancestors from small farms to small towns then larger towns. None of them have farmed for 8+ generations. Why? Because their economic potential was greater off the farm. The towns they lived in had names back then but not now, just a reference on the map.
No one is to blame for loss of rural population. It's not liberal vs. conservative. It's progress and you can't stop it.
Get over the source. Overall, across the country, rural life is just fine and dandy? Rural America doesn't need help with anything?
What's the old saying...cut your nose off to spite your face.
You are taking the article as an insult when the real intention is to offer help. Is this how you react when someone offers you help?
Somehow 2mares pretends to speak for the whole Rural America.
He/she doesn't need help, ergo Rural America doesn't either. Such logic, so simple!
Never mind the opiod crisis, never mind population loss, never mind the increase in poverty compared to urban areas, etc, etc.
The things people will do and say in the name of identity and a need to take something as a personal offense (an article from sodomite NYC egads!).
-- edit --
This is not to say rural areas that prosper do not exists, or that urban areas inevitably prosper more than some rural areas, or they are inherently better or whatever. Life ain't black and white unless we are simple minded.
States like Montana provide examples of rural prosperity. Rural college towns typically provide other examples.
But the reality is that a good chunk of Rural America (or actually, the majority of it) has been experiencing a socio-economic existential crisis for decades, the reasons being too multivariate and complex to capture in an internet post, a tweet or an identity politics sound bite.
Having a prominent newspaper running an article about it should give a moment of reflection, to analyze the content therein and see what is right and what is wrong in the analysis it presents.
But nooooooo, let's take the article as something to be offended about, build it up into a strawman and then beat the heck of it as a way to feel good about something, I don't know what. Pride is cheap and easy to fabricate, or so it seems.
My town has internet access through the phone company. That is it. The only other option is satellite service. What other options are you thinking about?
Speaking for myself, born then raised a city boy, married, family, then to the burbs, once the nest was empty, off to rural part of Florida, after awhile couldn't take H/H, moved further North to rural Appalachia, thankfully the people accepted me, they are the salt of the earth.
Through my journey, I've come to realize rural life is where it's at, if you can afford it.
Sure there are run down shacks for bargain prices, in my neck of the woods, a decent house with a large tract of land will cost you, more so with a mountain/water view.
Like I’ve said before rural/small town life is not the same everywhere. We live 8 miles from a town of 4500. It has a hospital of over 100 beds that just built a cancer center. Four supermarkets, two car dealerships, a chain and a local hardware store. Yes even a Walmart. Even a 100 person tech firm. Many varied restaurants. At my house we have fiber internet, up to 150mps and cell service up to 25 mps. I could go on, but you get my point. We are over 50 miles from a town of 200,000.
One last point, boomers who desire to live near their children had better be prepared to move every five years as their kids pursue their careers
If rural living were prosperous and easy, everybody would do it.
Unless one is self-employed, retired, or independently wealthy, rural living will require significant financial sacrifices in return for a more relaxed way of living. Some people luck out and find awesome jobs in rural areas, but those are the exception.
Get over the source. Overall, across the country, rural life is just fine and dandy? Rural America doesn't need help with anything?
What's the old saying...cut your nose off to spite your face.
You are taking the article as an insult when the real intention is to offer help. Is this how you react when someone offers you help?
Metropolitan America is telling rural America that rural America has issues and thinks they know how to save us.
Living in a rural community is a choice. You may think that not making 6 figures, not having a Starbucks on every corner, no pizza delivery, no garbage pick-up, no million regulations, spotty WiFi, long commutes is a problem one needs saving from but people who choose to live in rural communities beg to differ. Everyone I know who wants to work has a job, most have at least a bachelors and with a few exceptions dont use drugs.
What exactly do you think those living in rural America need help with?
Somehow 2mares pretends to speak for the whole Rural America.
He/she doesn't need help, ergo Rural America doesn't either. Such logic, so simple!
Never mind the opiod crisis, never mind population loss, never mind the increase in poverty compared to urban areas, etc, etc.
The things people will do and say in the name of identity and a need to take something as a personal offense (an article from sodomite NYC egads!).
-- edit --
This is not to say rural areas that prosper do not exists, or that urban areas inevitably prosper more than some rural areas, or they are inherently better or whatever. Life ain't black and white unless we are simple minded.
States like Montana provide examples of rural prosperity. Rural college towns typically provide other examples.
But the reality is that a good chunk of Rural America (or actually, the majority of it) has been experiencing a socio-economic existential crisis for decades, the reasons being too multivariate and complex to capture in an internet post, a tweet or an identity politics sound bite.
Having a prominent newspaper running an article about it should give a moment of reflection, to analyze the content therein and see what is right and what is wrong in the analysis it presents.
But nooooooo, let's take the article as something to be offended about, build it up into a strawman and then beat the heck of it as a way to feel good about something, I don't know what. Pride is cheap and easy to fabricate, or so it seems.
And somehow those living in urban areas pretend to speak for the whole Rural America overlooking the fact that urban areas are also facing drug problems and poverty. Every area of our country faces its own problems, all have negatives and positives and we are free to live where ever we choose. I think metro, urban and rural areas should worry about their own issues.
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