3 ms·

> In her new book, Beth Macy returns to her home town of Urbana, Ohio, using it as a ground zero for understanding right-wing radicalization. https://archive.p

> In her new book, Beth Macy returns to her home town of Urbana, Ohio, using it as a ground zero for understanding right-wing radicalization. https://archive.ph/eUs98 https://archive.ph/eUs98

Animats 1y ago
Urbana isn't even that dead for a small town. It's a county seat. 11,000 people. Still has a high school. Had a university until 2000. There's some industry left. The big milestones in the death of a town are when the high school closes, and, finally, when the post office closes.
- fellowniusmonk 1y ago
  Last one to leave Mansfield turn off the carrousel.
  - Animats 1y ago
    There are too many towns like that. No purpose, but still on life support. Some years ago I was on a goth bulletin board, and a teenager was moaning about how his town sucked. Most of us thought teen angst. Then I looked up the stats on his town. Average age 55+. All factories closed. Primary revenue stream Social Security and various welfare programs. Most stores closed. High school still operating for a few students but teachers commute from elsewhere. The kid started to get advice on how to get out of that "Paper Girl" situation. You're not obligated to go down with the ship. Japan is much better at winding down towns. It helps that all infrastructure and education is supported by national taxes. Except for Tokyo and Osaka, everything is losing population. [1] 9 million empty houses. [1] https://thedailyguardian.com/world/japan/japans-vanishing-future-fewer-births-empty-towns-and-a-future-running-out-of-time-638009/ https://thedailyguardian.com/world/japan/japans-vanishing-fu...
    - nebula8804 1y ago
      Im not sure if that article discusses how Japan is excelling at this? I've heard from Japan loving friends about how cheap old rural Japanese houses are. What are they doing that makes them do a good job in your eyes?

3 ms·

> In her new book, Beth Macy returns to her home town of Urbana, Ohio, using it as a ground zero for understanding right-wing radicalization. https://archive.p

by mitchbob 1y ago

> In her new book, Beth Macy returns to her home town of Urbana, Ohio, using it as a ground zero for understanding right-wing radicalization. https://archive.ph/eUs98 https://archive.ph/eUs98

Animats 1y ago
Urbana isn't even that dead for a small town. It's a county seat. 11,000 people. Still has a high school. Had a university until 2000. There's some industry left. The big milestones in the death of a town are when the high school closes, and, finally, when the post office closes.
- fellowniusmonk 1y ago
  Last one to leave Mansfield turn off the carrousel.
  - Animats 1y ago
    There are too many towns like that. No purpose, but still on life support. Some years ago I was on a goth bulletin board, and a teenager was moaning about how his town sucked. Most of us thought teen angst. Then I looked up the stats on his town. Average age 55+. All factories closed. Primary revenue stream Social Security and various welfare programs. Most stores closed. High school still operating for a few students but teachers commute from elsewhere. The kid started to get advice on how to get out of that "Paper Girl" situation. You're not obligated to go down with the ship. Japan is much better at winding down towns. It helps that all infrastructure and education is supported by national taxes. Except for Tokyo and Osaka, everything is losing population. [1] 9 million empty houses. [1] https://thedailyguardian.com/world/japan/japans-vanishing-future-fewer-births-empty-towns-and-a-future-running-out-of-time-638009/ https://thedailyguardian.com/world/japan/japans-vanishing-fu...
    - nebula8804 1y ago
      Im not sure if that article discusses how Japan is excelling at this? I've heard from Japan loving friends about how cheap old rural Japanese houses are. What are they doing that makes them do a good job in your eyes?