Posted on 08/30/2025 1:41:16 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Centered in the rust belt, deaths of despair are a national scourge. Since 2000, working-class white Americans have defied demographic trends by experiencing declines in life expectancy.
In the last decade, according to the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health, nearly 2 million Ohioans have died from “deaths of despair.” That makes the Buckeye state second only to West Virginia in this category. Tragically, the Ohio Valley leads the nation in the rise of deaths for those between 25 and 65.
Individually, they are senseless. Families are left to ponder how their child died a drug-addled death in a junk-bucket minivan while idling in a dodgy parking lot.
Out of sheer luck and happenstance, I avoided this outcome. Once a high school dropout, I bumbled into college. I found meaning in the study of the recent past. Equipped with that and a cushy academic job, I gained the requisite “exit velocity” to move beyond class dysfunction. But I am never far from my roots. In trying to bring attention to this epidemic, I have been told point-blank by editors and various gatekeepers that any notice given to “deaths of despair” detracts from the social justice efforts for the historically marginalized.
I’m left to ponder when social justice became a zero-sum game.
(Excerpt) Read more at cleveland.com ...
Tariffs will cure much of this in time.
“Families are left to ponder how their child died a drug-addled death in a junk-bucket minivan while idling in a dodgy parking lot.“
It’s called open borders and fentanyl. Thanks, Brandon. And thank God that President Trump is working hard to fix it!!!
Oh, cut it out, you miserable elitist punks. This deserves study just as much as marginalized communities and global warming.
Mr. Bloodworth,
These men need work.
Please put “social justice” into the wastebasket where it belongs.
Ben
“The solution to our democracy’s Trumpist death spiral“
This is quite the stupid statement. Trump didn’t come on the political scene until 10 years ago. The die was cast decades ago.
I think the rust belt needs an economy amore akin to the 18th century, where everybody has small shops where they produce things for the local community.
They need to roll out steel again. And lots of it.
Yes.
The white men without college education are desperate.
Good jobs went to China, the remining, not so good jobs are filled by imported workers, they are discriminated against in government jobs and college admissions.
They are told to learn how to code, but even if they do, there are no jobs!
The leftist politicians are 100% against these people.
No wonder that they all vote Trump!
It will take a while, but Trump is definitely trying to help. .
They need to form partnerships among themselves that take advantage of their abilities to produce wanted articles and services. There are thousands of product and service opportunities out there. Start small and build. I knew a plumber who started with a truck and tools. He couldn’t keep up with work requests so he bought a second truck and hired a plumber. When he retired and sold out he had 146 trucks on the road.
The corporate economy is part of the problem, because corporations will centralize everything they produce. I think vulnerable areas need to move away from corporatism.
“I think the rust belt needs an economy amore akin to the 18th century, where everybody has small shops where they produce things for the local community.”
YES! And they can grow those businesses too. See my comment #10.
We are finally recognizing that we have a problem. That's the first step.
Trump is bringing industry back. So we know that we need people in the trades again. 20 years ago, people looked down at you if you're a blue collar worker. I think that's no longer the case for most part.
But the Left is in control of all the institutions including the government so we have a long way to go.
A major (but not only) part is the impact of birth control on American Culture. When I went to Vietnam in ‘66 Birth control existed but was not safe or reliable. When I returned Christmas Eve ‘67 Birth Control was safe and reliable.
There has always been tension between short term and long term plans. Pre-birth control long term dominated. We planned long term for family, way to support the family, connections with church, clubs, extended family.
Post-birth Long term still exists but short term dominates. Immediate gratification is now possible with “no long term consequences.”
This shift in culture from long term to short term now dominates politics, work, family, most everywhere.
‘Please put “social justice” into the wastebasket where it belongs.’
The sooner the better I say.
Tariffs have been deemed illegal.
.
Part of the race was and anti American terrorism
I don’t think so. Even when factories come back, they will be heavily automated with robots. A car factory that employed 10,000 works would now need just about 50 technicians.
And most of those laid off 20+ years ago will not be able yo upskill.
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