The South’s Economy Is Falling Behind: ‘All of a Sudden the Money Stops Flowing’

[subterranean]

Originally Posted by Chef

The Midwest has the same phenomenon as the south but the proportions are reversed so the media focus is on the rust belt. Minneapolis, Columbus, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Omaha, Des Moines, Madison, Fargo, Sioux Falls, Bismarck and Rapid City are all healthy urban areas with robust growth but most people outside of the region associate the Midwest with the post industrial cities of the Rust Belt. There is a new and old Midwest, just as there is with the south; and really what is going on in both regions is that the modern cities are still doing well while those that have economies that are rooted in the previous era have greater challenges. The difference is that the less dynamic parts of the south are just entering their decline while in the Midwest it has been an issue since 1980 or so.

That's actually a really astute observation, one that we all know intuitively, but kind of smacks you in the face when you read it in relation to what is now happening in the south and in the context of their "narratives."