Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

As the North Rests on Its Laurels, South Is Rising Fast: Have America’s fastest-growing economies
The Daily Beast ^ | June 17, 2013 | Joel Kotkin

Posted on 06/17/2013 7:34:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

One hundred and fifty years after twin defeats at Gettysburg and Vicksburg destroyed the South’s quest for independence, the region is again on the rise. People and jobs are flowing there, and Northerners are perplexed by the resurgence of America’s home of the ignorant, the obese, the prejudiced and exploited, the religious and the undereducated. Responding to new census data showing the Lone Star State is now home to eight of America’s 15 fastest-growing cities, Gawker asked: “What is it that makes Texas so attractive? Is it the prisons? The racism? The deadly weather? The deadly animals? The deadly crime? The deadly political leadership? The costumed sex fetish conventions? The cannibal necromancers?”

The North and South have come to resemble a couple who, although married, dream very different dreams. The South, along with the Plains, is focused on growing its economy, getting rich, and catching up with the North’s cultural and financial hegemons. The Yankee nation, by contrast, is largely concerned with preserving its privileged economic and cultural position—with its elites pulling up the ladder behind themselves.

This schism between the old Confederacy and the Northeastern elites is far more relevant and historically grounded than the glib idea of “red” and “blue” Americas. The base of today’s Republican Party—once the party of the North—now lies in the former secessionist states, along with adjacent and culturally allied areas, such as Appalachia, the southern Great Plains, and parts of the Southwest, notably Arizona, largely settled by former Southerners.

“In almost every species of conceivable statistics having to do with wealth,” John Gunther wrote in 1946, “the South is at the bottom.”(continued)

(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: business; democrats; demographics; dixie; economy; entrepreneurs; manufacturing; mississippi; texas
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last
To: cripplecreek

It is too late, Midwestern states can offer business tax breaks to locate there or not relocate, but property taxes are two in some cases three times what they are in the South. I know I still own property in the Midwest. That means home owners pay more to maintain schools, infrastructure etc.. People relocate to the South for a reason and it is just not the jobs and beaches although they help. Life is slower, people say please and thank you, When someone says God Bless you they mean it, yes ma’am and no sir, are almost mandatory when speaking to an elder. I am a relocated Midwestern Yankee, and while I still believe Wisconsin is God’s Country and miss home. I cannot see me living back there anytime soon. I have turned down job opportunities North of the Mason Dixon, too cold, too many angry people, too costly and way too unfriendly to Christian white male gun owners.


21 posted on 06/17/2013 7:59:49 PM PDT by OldGoatCPO
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Big government vs. small government, you do the math. States with big government are floundering and are desperately trying to import illegal immigrants to keep their scam alive. Small government states can still compete and offer everyone a chance at success, not just those politically connected to the ruling criminal elite.


22 posted on 06/17/2013 8:02:38 PM PDT by centurion316
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
What is it that makes Texas so attractive?

Well, Duuuhhh! It is the freedom to do what you want. Nanny Statist simply do not understand how powerful and exhilarating open spaces and fresh air are. As well as the minimum intervention by bureaucraps.

23 posted on 06/17/2013 8:07:38 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Years ago (ca. 1975) I was talking with a Japanese friend about WWII. After I opined about something, he asked “who said the war was over?”

It looks like the war btwn the North and South is still going on as well and the Rebs are about to triumph!

Perhaps Yankee Doodle Dandy can pick tomatoes.


24 posted on 06/17/2013 8:07:45 PM PDT by Rembrandt (Part of the 51% who pay Federal taxes)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConorMacNessa

The problem is that as they evacuate places in the Northeast and moving south, they bring the very voting patters that caused the problems the northeast is experiencing. They cannot seem to connect the dots between voting A) for dems and B) nasty results.


25 posted on 06/17/2013 8:12:35 PM PDT by EDINVA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: All

we will see what 20mil illegals will do to the south once they get amnesty from Obama..


26 posted on 06/17/2013 8:14:06 PM PDT by newnhdad (Our new motto: USA, it was fun while it lasted.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: EDINVA
Good point ED - this is a damned thorny problem - that none of our putative "representatives" seem willing to address. It will be our undoing as a Nation.



"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

27 posted on 06/17/2013 8:19:29 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the A<font size=4><b>rchangel defend us in Battle!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: BBell

“People and jobs are flowing there
And so are Yankees.”

Liberals won’t move to Texas. They hate it.


28 posted on 06/17/2013 8:21:02 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: EDINVA

“The problem is that as they evacuate places in the Northeast and moving south, they bring the very voting patters that caused the problems the northeast is experiencing.”

Liberals won’t come to Texas - they hate it.


29 posted on 06/17/2013 8:25:45 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet; stylecouncilor

“You can all go to hell. I’m going to Texas!” —David Crockett


30 posted on 06/17/2013 8:28:25 PM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stevio

Liberal elitist Yankees. I’ve lived in North Carolina and I’ve lived in Virginia and I saw first hand what the liberal elitist types can do to state. They move in, become ‘active’ in the community and proceed to change things to the way things are ‘up North’. I remember seeing bumper stickers in North Carolina that simply said “I don’t care how you did it up North”.


31 posted on 06/17/2013 8:28:26 PM PDT by BBell (And Now for Something Completely Different)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Marcella
Liberals won’t move to Texas. They hate it.

Yankee liberals don't come here to God's Country of their own volition but some infiltrate our state because of corporate relocations. Here's a case in point...but it does have a possible happy ending.

The neighbor across the street is a tee-hugging, atheist leftist from Nashua, NH. He's been here in North Texas (as a result of a transfer in his high-tech job) since the mid-90s and still embraces the New England liberal values of his raising. But a gradual change is happening even in this guy. Why? His high school age daughter is a cheerleader in the good tradition of young Texans. A native of the Lone Star State, she speaks with an appealing Southern accent in contrast to her dad's clipped nasal Yankee tone. And, best of all, she's Conservative and goes to a solidly Christian church! Her plans are to go to Texas A&M not some liberal Yankee school. I really think she's making some headway since her dad recently put up a flagpole on the porch with both Old Glory and the Texas flag. When he finally removes that silly COEXIST bumper sticker from his little clown car, I know that a conversion is nigh.

...and a little child shall lead them. -- Isaiah 11:6

32 posted on 06/17/2013 8:34:03 PM PDT by re_nortex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

The problem is these “displaced yankees” come South, then they want everything to work the way it did in the hell hole they just left. They don’t assimilate any more than the Muslims do.


33 posted on 06/17/2013 8:39:58 PM PDT by PistolPaknMama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #34 Removed by Moderator

To: TexGrill

No sweat my Friend.


35 posted on 06/17/2013 8:54:59 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: BBell

Same thing happened to the once rock ribbed Republican state of Maine.

For 30 years every dingbat liberal from Massachusetts, NY, NJ and all over the US moved there to ‘ get back to the land ‘. They got involved in politics, local government and ruined the whole damned state. That place is so screwed up its appalling.

They get involved in such things because its the liberal mind set: they know whats best for everyone especially the ‘ hick natives of Maine ‘. That is not an opinion - I have heard this type of thing for years.

You and I both know how little the east coast liberals like the South or Southerns. They will do everything in their power to change everything.

Good luck. You will need it.


36 posted on 06/17/2013 8:58:47 PM PDT by warsaw44
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

The center of civilization once located in the NE has moved S and W.


37 posted on 06/17/2013 9:04:11 PM PDT by FreeReign
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Marcella
" Liberals won’t move to Texas. They hate it. "

All the more reason to love it...


38 posted on 06/17/2013 9:08:29 PM PDT by American Constitutionalist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: re_nortex

That sure isn’t the flag that was raised on Mt. Surubachi,


39 posted on 06/17/2013 9:09:20 PM PDT by jmacusa (Political correctness is cultural Marxism. I'm not a Marxist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: warsaw44

Well I live in Louisiana and it will be very hard to change things down here. La. has a unique culture unlike anywhere in the U.S. And I’ve lived in a lot of states, but never in the North East.


40 posted on 06/17/2013 9:13:08 PM PDT by BBell (And Now for Something Completely Different)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson