Suicides in Rural America Increased More Than 40% in 16 Years
I know a lot of people with a similar story: born in a rural area, had the good fortune to be pointed in the right direction, worked hard, escaped to a good life in a city far from where they grew up.<p>This is held up as the model for success, especially by the Republicans. I agree that it works but doesn&#x27;t scale.<p>The key question is: How do we help the people that are left behind in poor rural communities with no good opportunities?<p>I&#x27;m afraid nobody has good answers.<p>Trump&#x27;s​ astonishing success came from raising this question, which is more than anyone else did. Unfortunately his answers are more about blaming immigrants, foreign governments and intellectuals than solving the problem. His policy proposals actually make it worse: Exhibit A: the ACHA, which significantly reduced benefits in Trump-voting areas.<p>The Democrats focus on hand outs. People reject this because it makes them feel useless (side bar: people complain about Obamacare while demanding they keep their expanded Medicaid... Politics makes no sense).<p>Ok, so Trump says it&#x27;s a problem but has no ideas. Democrats say of course it&#x27;s a problem and want to build a national safety net. Rural voters reject the safety net idea while using it heavily and request good jobs so they can get assistance.<p>So how do you get them good jobs? Mining coal will destroy the world and their bodies too. Factories need skilled labor, good infrastructure and  communities of practice, none of which these areas have.<p>The only hope I see is massive education investments, but even those will only help people leave unless the students decide to stay and build. Why? Because a flat world becomes spiky: productivity comes from density, which be definition is an urban phenomenon.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;bigthink.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;the-world-is-spiky.amp" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;bigthink.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;the-world-is-spiky.amp</a><p>Tragically, I think these really are the only solutions (1) massive Federal subsidies to sustain people living in uncompetitive areas or (2) massive Federal subsidies to educate them, allowing the next generation to escape routinely​ or, if they can be convinced to stay, invent new reasons for their communities to exist. Really, you probably need both.<p>Again, Trump isn&#x27;t doing either of those things. He&#x27;s just scaring people and breaking things.