@@sharongoodsell9341 it's in the north the leaves fall of the trees in the winter. They are very green in the summer and change beautiful reds oranges and ysllows in the fall then fall off it' dose that for the snow in the winter. Only the evergreen pine trees stay green the ones that look like Christmas trees they are pointy so they can handle snow a lot of those in higher elevation mountains l love the seasons i live in central Florida we don't have that we don't get snow or have mountains
Nick, as usual, excellent video and narration skills. I think I can tell why in a relatively short time (as in a decade, more or less), West Virginia went from VERY solid blue state to red state. As most of my family and I are from "Kennedy country" (i.e. Greater Boston), JFK in particular was HUGELY popular in VW because his policies helped literally connect people and jobs (particularly coalmining jobs). The Kennedy administration funded highway construction, worker training programs, and area development at levels the state had never before experienced. Kennedy’s relationship with West Virginia helped create a new cultural identity of West Virginians as proud, hardworking people. And even though WV was only around 5% Catholic during the 1960 campaign, West Virginians were taken by JFK's natural charisma, good looks and vision to help West Virginian citizens, as JFK spent a LOT of time in WV, sitting on front porches talking to many citizens of the state, as he ended up spending a LOT of time in VW vs. other states. So not only did he win WV pretty handily, but the pro-economic projects JFK campaigned on came to fruition, and consequently began a LOOOOONG love affair between West Virginians and JFK, and by extension, the Democrat Party, that lasted for decades. But as anyone with a pair of working eyes and ears can see/hear, today's Democrat Party is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT (i.e. perverted and crazy) vs. what it was when JFK was President. For example, a famous JFK quote: "A rising tide lifts all boats" was in reference to using tax incentives to drive economic growth, which has been proven correct time and again (latest example was 2018 report from America's largest small biz organization, the Nat'l Federation of Independent Business, showing unprecedented prosperity AND enthusiasm (2018 Enthusiasm Index Survey) among small biz owners, citing Trump's slashing of corporate taxes and fewer regulations as the main catalysts).
Hey Nick that’s some of those trail riders I was talking about..Hatfield-McCoy Trails. I’m originally from the Gilbert area where they have the annual Trail Fest. My bf and his band played at the last Trail Fest & are scheduled for next year.
When I watch everyday working folks talk about what's going on in the world, I hear common sense, knowledge and truth without the eloquent speech. Educated elite people these days are just indoctrinated. They can't think for themselves.
I worked at a small family owned amusement park. One of the girls that worked there family was well off another girl lived in a trailer park one day I walked in while the well off girl was telling management about the girl that lived in the trailer park was trailer park trash and nothing was good about her and shouldn’t be working there but I new the girl that lived in the trailer park and everything negative thing said about her was a lie
I took a train trip through Germany about five years ago. Along the way, I noticed almost every rural town seemed well-kept and had at least one sizable factory near the tracks. My impression was that the Germans must not have outsourced a lot of their industry to China (and other places) like our politicians and corporate leaders did. Once you eliminate good income opportunities from a community, you have basically killed it and people will leave or just hang on as best they can.
I noticed that about Germany also. Here in the Missouri Ozarks similar things affected our economy and towns as happened in Appalachian communities. Our major industry was dairy as well as small industries throughout the state. The government ruined all of it.
@@MultiRingtail BMW’s biggest factory is in the US. I believe many of their SUVs sold in Germany are actually made at their Spartanburg plant in South Carolina then exported there.
Oooh yes we have outsource as you said a lot of our industry in China and now that is a major issue in the whole EU!! Now we are very carefull with the Chinese and we are trying to win our independence back it is terrible what ig going on with the export of know how and now we know hoy dangerous this it has been now many companies are thinking twice before they will invest in China. We re also paying the price for all these neoliberal thinking for profit. The only think that was count was the Share Holder Value till the chinese have bought all our brain. Greed and the free enterprise is the problem of our society and the free woorld needs to rethink and react before our world will become chinese or something.
I am a german woman and had a road trip through this area years ago and I loved it. People are very funny and freandly. They may not have much money but they know how to survive any kind of situation.
My grandfather was a miner in Logan County in the 1920s. The coal companies didn't pay wages in cash, they paid in script which was only redeemable at the "company store". West Virginia was poor when the mines were flourishing and it's poor after they closed down. These parts of Appalachia are like any other colonial society in the world. Once the "colonizers", in this case the coal companies, use up the resources and human capital they take the wealth and leave. They always leave behind a trail of poverty and hopelessness which in turn leads to dysfunction and addiction. That is a cold, hard fact...
@@JOHNDANIEL1 So "capitalists" are now considered "leftists"? Interesting... Warren G. Harding, a Republican, was the one who actually ordered the dropping of bombs from aircraft on the coal miners (US citizens) during the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. Republican or Democrat, they are both owned by the same corporate interests. If we are to be partisan in assigning blame for the ills of this country we must place all the blame squarely on the Republicans and Democrats. Both parties have maintained a monopoly on power in the US for over 160 years... might as well call them Republicrats because there's not a nickel's worth of difference between either party.
You are right😝 my grandfather did same thing. Worked for a company that had company stores. He got paid in script only good at their stores. So you get paid and then give it right back. Its called slavery. Slavery comes in alot of colors not just black😢😢😢
I highly agree, it’s kind of 50-50. It’s sometimes the result of our choices but it’s sometimes also the unfortunate circumstances we are put in. I think one big problem is many people expect government to solve all of our problems and blame either of the parties when something does not go their way.
It's about location not politics. I live in a very red county in Florida and we have beautiful Destin here with rows of million dollar homes. It's location.
I love that these people can talk so calmly and respectfully. I think the Democratic and Republican parties love to divide us. I wish everyone even if we disagree could have these types of discussions and recognize how much we have in common.
I appreciate Nick’s tone, he is coming from a place of curiosity, not to set her up so he can attack her, and he’s not framing the interview with the woman to make her look any particular way. I like this about Nick!
Stop fighting each other, work together and get the problems fixed. Stop dividing the country and work as a team. I am surprised to hear about the drug problem. My Dad was Born in Morgantown, and he worked as a coal miner, and i was born in Fairmont and I don't remember too many bad things. At the age of 71 it seems like a nice quiet, slow paced place to live now. I like that most of the houses are not all on top of each other. Where I live now every time you look out the window there's a ton of people.
Saddest oart is both winga belong to the same bird. Its a facadenof chlice that doesn't exist. And noone tralizes it. Illusion of choice. Freedom, the greatest lie ever sold.
@@asiandwanemeighan6479 Capitalism is a good system when compared to other economic systems seen through human history. The problem now, though, is late-stage capitalism where 1% of the total population owns more wealth than the rest of the 99% combined. It turns out that people are selfish and greedy, and once they get money they will hoard it all even though they could never spend it all in 10 lifetimes. This isn't necessarily a problem with capitalism itself, but it is a problem when you *combine* capitalism with a humans instinctive propensity towards greed.
I noticed the town looks clean and quiet. Although people may not have a lot of money it looks like they're at least trying. Being poor doesn't mean you are unorganized or unclean. Being rich doesn't automatically make you clean nor does it automatically make you organized either. Whether you're rich or poor, making an effort to live a decent respectable life is extremely important.
It's way better than New York or LA. Maybe people don't have the time or money to keep things up like they would like. When they shut down the coal mine killed most of the revenue that built the town in the first place. When businesses leave an area it can create a ghost town. I think it's amazing that the town still exists. Because you live in a nicer area you should be grateful that you do instead of criticizing people that have less. Must be nice to live in your ivory tower and criticize those beneath you.
Rich is a relative term. Many in WV consider themselves to be rich in faith and love of Appalachia. They are some of the richest most salt of the earth people in the USA!!!
I know you are making light of the area a bit and I get it, you're not exactly wrong....but I'll bet you didn't feel unsafe or like you were going to be robbed or carjacked either.
@@chrispnw2547 you are delusional and you're supposed to be . Isaiah 66 4 KJB can men get pregnant 🤣 did you wear a face diaper standing on the dot during the nation wide rioting and get your government issued smack 🤣 that didn't save anyone ? Do you really think you're edumicated 🤣
I ran around WV and Kentucky for 11 years and I loved every interaction and friend I met. Yea, it’s poverty at its best but these are the nicest people you could ever have the pleasure to meet and call a friend
@@loriannrichardson7644 West Virginia was a Democrat State for the entire 20th century, and Republicans used to look down on them for being poor. Now Democrats look down on West Virginians for being poor. It's funny how that works. Both Parties failed these people. They allowed huge corporations to rape their land and leave the mess for the people to pay to clean up. So you don't know WTF you're talking about.
Yeah ik the one you're mentioning. If ya search Appalachian English, it'll be one of them documentaries someone made cuts of into 10 minutes or so. Original one is bout an hour or so. Got one of them shinners in it too, popcorn or something like that was the gentleman's name. And yeah. Appalachia has always been poor. Spent a long while out there, and it's something.
@@acme_tnt8741 Cause there is better living to be had. It's fine to do with less, but when folks can't afford medical anything or the water comes out of the fountain looking like milk and tasting like salt from old piping... ya learn that some things can and should be better. Folks can't do everything on their own
I hauled coal out of the Appalachian coal fields for nearly 40 years on the railroad. Now that coal is basically gone, the whole region is slowly reverting back to nature.
@@johndeary6797 Too bad the Democrats (not to be overly political) that shut down those coal mines won't ever build natural gas plants either. Just give the money to their friends as bailouts or send the money overseas as foreign aid.
I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a paradise, but I work in mining, live in a very rural conservative area, and support our 2nd amendment. These are my type of people here, the salt of the earth. When the crap hits the fan, these are the folks you want on your side.
Agree. Better is a little with peace than an abundance with strife. I would rather be poor and live in peace than not even be able to walk down my own street in one of these Demwit cities, which allow and encourage crime. Poorland, OR can't even have a Walmart now! How ridiculous is that.
Republicans and Democrats answer to the elite right wing or Liberal both are sell outs other than bernie sanders and a couple others the rest are actors
The problem with a lot of towns and cities is that they were built up on one thing or another and as times change the town had no other way to prosper. This is why there are several ghost towns out west and in Alaska.
Yes, a bust and boom economy is a foolish economy and unfortunately seems to be the norm in American history guided as it is by liberal policies from the beginning while down to earth folks do all the working and sweating.
My grandfather was a lamp lighter in the early 20th century. He lit the gas lights in his region of Chicago at dusk and got up before dawn to put the gas streetlights out. That was his profession... Chicago switched to electric street lights. I guess my grandfather could have sat around, complaining how the city screwed him and how he couldn't work because he was waiting for the city to go back to gas lights. He didn't do that. He learned another trade (while raising my grandmothers orphaned siblings and their own first child.) He learned his new trade, joined the union and was gainfully employed through the Great Depression, WWII and until the day he wanted to retire. He never got rich, but he took care of his family. His and his family's lives would have gone differently if he didn't realize CHANGE is part of surviving.
You (out of state folks) might see this as a run down area, but here’s the reality; WV had high unemployment since the 80’s due to coal being in decline, these people have been here the whole time with no way out. So they’re pretty much stuck with this, it’s home and they’re not ashamed of it. Not wanting a handout as much as a helping hand up. Give ‘em a chance and they’ll work their way out of their economic situation. Solid people!
@Patrick Tober they do get hand outs..yet the still worship Trumprump and republiCONS. That continues to lie to them..Trumprump lied about bringing back coal jobs
When all the shit hits the fan, these people won't even stress it. Cause living in the real world is what they are doing. You don't need a big house or a bunch of stuff to be content and happy. And being out in the mountains, there is nothing better, it grounds you like nothing else. I see a great little close knit community, where people have each other's backs, it's, quiet, peaceful, low stress. Looks perfect to me.
Also I notice no tent cities or people living on the sidewalk under a tarp here- there may be poverty but they keep their dignity amidst the poverty and as a community help each other
If a fucking bomb went off and American society collapsed, these people wouldn’t even know the difference cause they are already living in mental and physical squalor. 😂
West Virginia was a democrat majority state for 84 consecutive years until 2014. Nick is driving through the aftermath of 84 years of democrat policies.
Nick is driving through the aftermath of a state that was pillaged for its resources by politicians (not native to the state) and the coal industry. You have no idea what you're talking about.
and the Minning industry these people vote against their own best interests year after year. TRUMP told these people he would bring COAL back So they should be ok now YEA right ...just another trump lie .
Hey Nick, I've got an idea. Why don't you road trip to downtown San Fransisco or LA so we can see the other side of the political spectrum and see how they live. That would be way cool!
He already did lmfao and we already know it. You republican weirdos really need a win after this video. Pont of the matter is red states have poor and dumb people. Hypocrites too, shouting out that they don't need govt assistance yet getting govt assistance. Don't forget that blue states like California are funding these assitance to red states! 🤣🤣
West Virginia born and bred and I have 58 acres and live in a 2 story brick home. Been all over this great country and I'll tell you there is no place like West Virginia I'm very blessed and proud to live here. Love these mountains hunting fishing hiking camping whitewater rafting ATV riding. Truly blessed to be a West By God Virginian
Congratulations! Your wonderful state has been a vacation spot for me (Texas) for over thirty years. Mountaineers have always been welcoming and cordial to me - your state and your folks are the best-kept secrets in the nation! Other folks need to learn about WV! The opioid crisis is a disaster and a killer of hopes and lives; I wish you all the best in eradicating the scum that prays on the addicts they have created.
@@daren7889 Really? With 39M people, California pollutes far more than West Virginia's 1.7M! Los Angeles is nothing but cars stuck in traffic. California also has 100K oil wells that are listed as productive. Something tells me you didn't do much research before opening your mouth?
I ask Americans to be open-minded to both parties. The rural conservatives have little money, little assets, and dying slowly in their worn down homes. The cities have mentally ill homeless that ruin entire areas, policies that let criminals get away, and a wealth gap. Neither party is a clear winner.
I don't know how I stumbled into this video, but I'm gonna lay out some thoughts. My family immigrated from Sicily to just outside Oceana, WV in the early 1900's to work in coal mining. I still have family living in the area today. They are without doubt the kindest, upstanding people I have ever met in my entire life. The amount of care people in that area have for one another puts anything else to shame. Sure, they live a simpler life, but they're also good people. I'll take good simple people over an urban turd any day. I find it a little disappointing that the guy who made this video thought it would be more entertaining to subtly heckle people for being "dumb conservatives," but the fact of the matter is that conservatives are not behind on the times. Want to know why they vote red? In an area that is falling apart, riddled with drugs, and in economic shambles? The answer is Barack Obama. Historically, WV was a very pro-union state thanks to the UMWA, and usually the state supported Democrats at a much higher level. However, as Democrats became more Enviro-crats and the implemented policies that damaged the lifeblood of the UMWA, the miners started turning to the other side of the aisle. Make no mistake about it, the four years of President Trump were the most economically-beneficial that part of the country has seen since the early 2000's. Furthermore, it was Obama's war on coal and southern border failures that were the two driving forces behind the Appalachian opiod epidemic. In WV, over half of all children are raised by someone other than their parents because of it. The federal government created a system where it paid to fail for the coal companies, resulting in abandoning the people who had been in the mines for generations. Jobs went out, drugs came in, and unlike what President Biden has to say, coal miners cannot simply just "learn to code." I hope Nick Johnson learned a bit more than what the first portion of this video indicates. I love these sorts of videos, usually, but his narration ruined it. Show some respect next time.
it's so much easier to be poor when everyone else is too. roadkill aint embarrassing if we're all eating it, and our dogs (all of them) too! we sure can tell who's from out of town....
I love living in my small Ohio town in the heart of trump country. We dont have alot of money but we own our house and our vehicles out right. I love living this simple life
@lisajones9673 you are talking about Biden right? Trump stripped no one of anything. I am so sick of stupidity like your commentary. We are living in end times with absolutely the worst regime ever and you go on about Trump. Seriously?
These people were hardcore democrat for over 100 years until about 10-15 years ago. When after 100 years voting Blue “this” is what they got. This is the product of the past not the present.
45 years ago, my brother sold books door to door in West Virginia. The thing that made the biggest impression on him was that everyone he met was a Democrat and Catholic. Said our mom would fit right in. How times have changed. Even Mom was a hardcore republican when she passed away.
@@MirzaAhmed89 Now, the Democrates are the party of the Elites & the real Republicans (not RINO's), are the party of the working people! There are Globalists in both parties!
Mirza- I've always been kinda stunned by how it's so difficult for people on both sides to grasp that. They switched names, it happened in just a few years, simple.
That B&B lady may not be as articulate as a statesman or politician, but she's right on target. I live in rural PA, and it's much the same here - viewing this place or places like it from a political lens doesn't work. NO party truly represents us - if they ever have. For instance, people in these parts made tools for the powerful and privileged once, but like those tools, were thrown away when no longer useful to the elites. All around me are ruins of factories and businesses who we've essentially outsourced to places like China. Yeah... Our politicians sure 'took care' of my community. 😑 Politically, the state is ruled by Pittsburgh and Philadelphia - they have the numbers. Midstate (and outside of the big cities), almost everyone is conservative. Yes, I go to church and Jesus Christ IS my savior. Yes, I'm a conservative and I'm armed. And yes, I own 🐔's and get fresh eggs most mornings. HOWEVER, I work in IT from home. I'm very fortunate compared to a number of my neighbors. Many look at my EV and solar panels and just shake their heads. But I get along with and understand my neighbors (who are terrific!) As Stephen King once wrote: "Country don't mean dumb..." In the four years I've been here, I've learned a lot about life - REAL life. People here are remarkably resilient, often insightful about their professions, and have a work ethic the likes of which I've never seen before. And although NO ONE is completely free, I love where I live because I am freer than I was in the big city. Just now, I look out my office window and see the clouds lifting from the mountains, while my server hums along with the heat pump outside. I am right where I need to be. I'm the local computer fix-it guy now too, but it's a responsibility I shoulder because there are few others that can. I try to set an example of not letting politics interfere with good decision making, and how to prepare for the worst so that even if it never happens, you can still sleep at night. Y'all'd be surprised how many people have never thought about their own futures... 😟
I’m from Allentown PA. You’re living my dream! I’m trying so hard to work from home with a decent wage so I can get my hands on more land and do more things I want to do. I’m only allowed two chickens where I live but at least they haven’t stopped me from burning my wood burning stove
@@litoreggie Unfortunately, I think those restrictions are coming - like they will for fossil fuels in general. See, no one's going to take away your gas stove, or your car, they're just going to make it so expensive to use. It took me a long time to get here, but my wife is from the area and she gradually turned me on to this place. It took us years to find a home, and only when one of her relatives offered us right of first refusal to buy it at cost. Which was... GENEROUS to say the least! 😮 What I will say is that trying to be a good and responsible human being for it's own sake is good, but when it comes back to you - when the very people you've helped give YOU a hand up, you are not lucky. You are blessed. Good luck to you!
You are fine human being sir! You are going to be very blessed doing what you are doing. I would absolutely love to live in a small town like this, but unfortunately it's not feasible financially for my husband and I. We are old fashioned folks. I've lived in the city my whole life, my hubby is from an old farming town. He's taught me much about life I had no clue about. He'd fit in perfect here.
I did not see a single drug addicted in this video. nowhere in the us you will find so much filth, crime and drug addiction as in progressive hardcore democratic California.
@@amerikanskayapravda Its funny you say that because WV is the number one state for drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people according to the CDC... WV has a death rate of 90.9 per 100k ppl, while Cali has 26.6... But sure muh anecdotes and feelings matter more than raw hard numbers.
Nick, Your guests Mayor Evans and Jima are two of the best guests you have featured on your channel. I may not agree with all of their points and beliefs but they make it very clear what the issues and challenges are. These are honest people trying to make the best of a bad situation. They make perfect sense. I really hope there remains a future for badly impacted small communities, businesses and the residents holding on there. As Mayor Evans stated, it’s all about to blow up again and a start from square one to rebuild a society. Fingers crossed for the future.
I was born and raised in Prince Georges county Maryland just outside of DC. PG county holds the distinction of having the most affluent black population of any other county in the US. As a minority there (white middle class) I learned to love folks of all colors and ethnic backgrounds. I moved to WV in 1988 and have travelled most of the state and met her people. There’s no place I’d rather live. I’ve traveled to many places around the U.S. The folks in Alabama’s poor black trailer parks mostly vote democrat. Most of those folks are willing to offer a stranger a bottle of water just like the poor white republicans in Appalachia. I’m not certain what audience you’re trying to appeal to but I guess a click is a click for you. Folks are folks and to speak so disparagingly about people, their neighborhoods, and their station in life, is quite arrogant. I suspect that many of the folks that you talk to, while on your journey to put folks down and get subscribers, would be the first to come to your aid if needed. Just like the other “hicks” among these parts, all I can say is Bless your heart sir.
@@maryr7800 I stopped listening to this guy awhile back because he always mocked Democrats. Happened upon him today and I see he is happy to mock everybody.
Nick, this does remind me of rural parts of PA too. It’s kind of a paradise in a way; there’s mountains and rivers; it is peaceful and quiet and not very expensive to live. I lived in PB County FL for 25 years before going to Altoona PA. Appalachia is a great place to live; not too cold, not too hot. Just right. The area on this video looks a tad old and rough but I think it’s just fine
@KristopherDavid Vivis-Ebensburg is a nice little town. Nick should definitely tour Cambria county. Johnstown is a total dump but there’s cute little towns like Lilly, Portage, and I lived in Tunnelhill/Gallitzin for 4 years. It’s god’s country ❤️
I am from PA I have lived in WV for a good many years and I have lived in VA for the last 12 years there is nothing wrong with any of these states as far as good people and decent places to live
They may not have large houses, but the first thing I noticed was how clean and tidy everything looks, even that burned out trailer looks like it's been cleaned somewhat. These are clearly people that still have self-respect and pride in their community.
In Australia it has been found some of the happiest people live in communities with similar income, and not great disparity. Some of the poorest areas can be the content, as they are not stressed by envy or land grabbing by richer people.
I think I lived here in a former life”lol 😊 looks awesome to me. I’m old fashioned so probably would suit me. Thanks 🙏 for showing me these incredible places I have zero chance of seeing. I truly appreciate. It’s so interesting and so well done! Excellent
@@observingcat9049 Sort of, although I prefer 'transmigration of the spirit'. The 'person' is a consubstantiation of matter and spirit. The matter dies but the spirit, a tendril of the Great Spirit, lives on, and will ultimately live all lives. Time is meaningless in this sense. After death you will wake up and remember that we are all of the same Great Spirit, shattered into billions of first-person perspectives across time. Sometimes we remember previous lives, it's more common than you think. And, as always, you'll choose to dream and live again. We are indeed, all one. I wish you ObservingCat and also you, Lady Laois, happiness and a fruitful life💐🌻🌾🌿🍄
@@boogiemcsploogie okay.. have you really thought about your worldview honestly though? It’s important to think about important matters such as life and where we all came from seriously, look into the Gospels please, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is very believable if you look at the evidence
These people have the best values in the country! God bless them! I hope something can save West Virginia’s economy, this state deserves so much better
I see trees, why hasn't lumber been pushed? With rocketing prices in materials, and the need for housing in and near major cities, is it not possible to get that lumber into the supply chain(s)?
Born and raised in WV. High school teachers made me hate the state and convinced me that liberalism was good and rural life is bad. I thought that way for a few years but you can't change the shape of a house by painting it. I now love this state and I will never leave.
The folks in West Virginia have not changed their values, despite going from Blue to Red. They are the same people that they've always been. It's the people governing our country that have changed their values and where they believe the country should head. Imagine an automobile being driven by two different people. One drives it east and the other drives it west. Other than it's direction, it hasn't changed at all. It's still the same car. The good people of West Virginia are the same now as they were 30 and 40 years ago. That's a very rare breed. Good for them.
But it seems there are many homeless living on the streets here in Santa Barbara, one of the richest cities in the US. I wonder if the folks living in trailers there aren't more content. At least they're warm and dry. It's been unseasonably cold and wet here.
Yeah the thing is that these chain stores provided jobs and when they close down, these jobs are gone. Also these chain stores provided a cheaper option for goods.
I know a few people who actually have alot of money but chose to live like that. Perfect cover. I've also seen them look bad on the outside but beautiful on the inside. Moral to the story don't always believe what u see because u may not be seeing the big picture
Alot of people like the country life of simple layed back no traffic no road rage no hate and no wanna bees. To many people the meaning of life is not how much money you can make but to live in peace.
Maximum Opus I live in NYC and I hate it too. SC is where my family lives, planning to move there in the future. It's a Republican state, I hate politics, so SC wouldn't have to worry about my political views.
nice interview with a local..very cool Nick..ur doing really awesome work..i know you offer relocation consulting and such but honestly i believe your value in current anthropolgy in the moment is beyond a worth that can be fixed to it..at least you can look back in your life and really truly know you went the distance few others even try to to really show America as it really is not the lies on the screen ..i really appreciate this work
So if life ends when the heart stops, then why wouldn't life begin when it first starts? I believe that life starts at conception, but to deny that life hasn't started with a heartbeat is just insane.
Thanks for this video! This is one of the states I have never been to. As some others have commented, the areas you showed may seem poor/sparse, etc... but they looked fairly tidy. There are areas in Chicagoland (not in Chicago where all hell has broken loose from the lawlessness) that look worse for the wear, and many, if not all of them, are what remains after the steel industry died here. We the people, the backbone of the nation suffer with the "progress" that some want to inflict of us.
@@talkingthetalk3640 No I did not, and I don't see that that's any "fun" if it is true. And what the heck do drugs and deaths have to do with conservatism? I thought people do drugs as an escape and oftentimes from a difficult life and the pain that it causes. You sure must be real nice to be around. /sarc
@@talkingthetalk3640 I don't know how some people come to see things the way that they do. Do you mean like what has happened to cities like Chi-raq, Portland, San Fransicko, New York City, and I could go on ..... They have become virtual hell holes that are dangerous to the average person living there ---- trying to go to school, work, have a family. This is what I call failing people; and it has not happened under GOP control. :/
I really think the poorest people in our country value their freedom from government intrusion the most because they are the least likely to go begging others to give them nice things. They live within their means and make the best of what they are able to provide for themselves without resentment. It truly disturbs me when people who have more, even if that ‘more’ is all borrowed on credit, look down their noses at people who choose not to live as indentured debtors 😞
One of my favorite videos from you, Nick. I was really moved by Jima and Mayor Tom Evans and what they shared. God bless them and the people of Wyoming County.
I have been a registered Republican all of my life. In my old age, I feel more like a centrist although remain a fiscal conservative. Politics have shifted so much that my centrist views are decidedly right wing now. I find that in my experience, all rural areas are more conservative than towns/cities.
It's more than tht. I used to vote Democrat too. I thought I was going wacko. Nope. Just americans are standing up finally. Thts simplified it but it's a start.
I'd gladly vote conservative if, the GOP would provide candidates who actually cared about the plight of the middle class. All we have these days are clowns, who say the most outrageous thing they can, to get some press. They only care about getting rich, and writing a book later. Both political parties were bought and paid for a long time ago. I'd like to take the entire US congress on a field trip of skid row in Los Angeles and rub their noses in the homeless encampments they ignore every day.
I agree with you. Democrats used to back the local unions, used to care about the 'little guy'. Those days are long gone up here in the Rust Belt. What businesses remain are usually service-based (plumbers, electrical, construction, etc.). Few actually MAKE anything anymore. Politically, both sides seem to have sold our country out. Socially, the Dems have been taken over by the progressives, and the Republican leadership talks a big game, but when they get into power, little actually changes. A number of years ago, I watched this keep happening and realized that things aren't changing because the denizens in DC don't actually WANT it to. My father passed in 2015 and saw the way things were going, even then. Some of his last words to me were: "Good luck, son. You're going to need it..."
Places like Philadelphia, Detroit, and Baltimore are, like West Virginia, among some of the poorest places in the country. And they vote staunchly Democrat. So I guess, at the very least we can all agree that neither side is really doing a whole lot for any of us, am I right?
My favorite part is how Nick doesn’t interrupt and lets them represent their own viewpoint. Doesn’t interject with his own opinions or commentary. It probably really puts them at ease so they can just be themselves. Great video.
So sad to see these small rural, real American towns suffer economically. These are wonderful people and their ideals is what America is really all about. God bless these people.
I agree they are wonderful people, but represents the rest of the country, no. There's a whole other side that they do not represent. But yes, good people non the less.
@@kerrynight3271 That's just you're opinion. The lifestyles of city folks and rural America can be worlds apart. Not everyone sees things like you do....and I certainly do not. Rural folks are more traditional and conservative than most urban or suburban Americans. I have lived in both, and I can see both the differences and similarities. The more brainwashing , the more urban areas are turned into libtard towns and mary's trying to figure out what gender they are. Screw that and take you're bullsh*t somewhere else.
I was born in West Virginia and I felt disbelief bordering on sadness to see the way people live there. They say democratic party is not the same. Well neither is the Republican party. It does seem to me that if our government helped small towns establish one or two small businesses in the most needful areas, it might REALLY make it a difference. We could make flip flops and sandals, work and winter gloves, chewing gum and small candies. Sweat shirts and hoodies....you think of a few and please post dental training schools and provide employment and care for locals. Wood carving.use coal to provide energy for THOSE businesses. Build solar panels. Start carpentry programs and join with some group MAYBE habitat for humanity. SUPPORT head start while avoiding politically charged pre schooling . Weaving blankets and rugs. Make socks. Why must america buy these things from China?? We used to produce many PRODUCTS not connected to heavy industry. These people in this state WANT TO WORK.
Very well said. I agree with you 💯 percent. It's truly scary how many of our products are now all made in China. This twit is trying to maline the poor and divide the country between Republicans and Democrats. Neither party cares. I'm proudly independent. This guy actually did a video about my neighborhood in Texas without even coming here. Complete trash. I won't give him another view.
So here's where I remind you that both Hillary and Biden in their stump speeches there said that unfortunately Coal was dying and they were going to help install training programs and change business sectors over to 21st Century jobs there. They nearly ran her out of town. Joe Manchin fought her and said "they are trying to kill coal". He promised a future of clean coal etc.. It was publicized in the news. These people's hubris and ignorance make most of their own problems. I live in NC which is switching to modern sectors from Tobacco etc. with much less push back.
Our trade policies need reform. As long as the labor costs are cheaper, businesses will go to the lowest place on earth for mfg. Who’s to say? If we make the socks and other stuff, will they be too expensive?
@SeekerGoOn2013 Well, we used to make everything we needed. We would not be able to buy as much but it would last longer. Today people are addicted to loading up carts full at the Dollar Tree and come home with cheap, useless junk.
I like West Virgina. Some of the nicest people I have ever worked with live in Mobile Homes. They also attend church. Having a fancy house or car doesn't make you happy in the long haul. Just ask the Mercedes lady I kit on the exit ramp today. She definitely was not happy I hit her.
Having the equivalent of a double wide floor space, washer and dryer, AND a yard in NYC would cost you millions of dollars. People don't know the difference between money and wealth anymore. As far as how well people are maintaining the looks of their properties, maybe go to East New York in Brooklyn and do a side by side.
He is sweet … but he also looks like the pastor of Oceana as well . Definitely a good guy. It just upsets me that people say they love Jesus, yet they hate black people. Even the mayor said they love helping their neighbors but some people just don’t get that help 😢. But nonetheless he is telling the truth and he’s optimistic and full of faith!
This mayor is a very common sense type of guy. He is certainly right about Trump and Biden but no one has answers about how anyone can bring back these old coal towns. Even in the towns that have active mines, they don't use very many employees since they are highly mechanized. I really like your videos and interviewing the people that live there.
Hi Nick, you’ll be surprised (shocked!) to know I- an Indian grandma is an ardent fan of your Videos! Amazing! What shines is the soul of America! Your editing is perfect! It’s as if I travelled the length & breadth of this vast, beautiful, in some ways losing country!👍
I watch your videos with great interest. I am from Pakistan and lived and worked in US for 10 yrs from 1981 to 1991. I have travelled on these roads and visited many these small towns. As far as Republican values are concerned, I met a person in California who happened to be Republican. He summed up his affiliation like this. "I don't want government in my bedroom." Probably most people want work not welfare.
Wait. A Republican told you he didn't want government in his bedroom? Seriously? They are all about being not only in your bedroom but also inside your body if you happen to be female.
I think when people are depressed and have no feeling of hope for opportunity in a nice, middle-class life, they cope by turning to drugs because they have to continue existing in an environment where they just don’t want to be, but they can’t escape from because it’s hard to get out of poverty
Yes, It is very difficult to work your way out poverty , I was given a chance I've been working hard for The last 25 years, And i'm still hanging on by a thread.
World renowned addiction expert Gabor Mate says all addicts are traumatized. Not all traumatized are addicted. Poverty can be extremely traumatizing. Especially in a ghetto situation where the trafficking and such happen. There in the Appalachia they are more community oriented and thus have a closer knit support system and more values. So the crime is less. But yes, losing everything and being kicked when down is more than depressing. It can be traumatizing to some. And the longer it goes the worse it gets. There is a psychological effect called Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. If you don't have stable housing and needs met a person doesn't have the opportunity to self actualize as well. We have a growing number of societal mental and personality disorders. And we breed those. In a few hundred years if archeologists dig up remains there will only be two genders then. One with a womb and one without. We have a societal cancer of people that are so disconnected from reality and the very ground we live in and the other earthlings we should be protecting and preserving. Instead we allow poisoning and genocides on all levels. All sorts of crazy. And it is being propagated to the kids on up thru our media. And our so called leaders have no integrity and are not qualified to do their jobs and yet they get to keep them. Too many are checked out in so many ways, not just the drugs. That is just one way. And it is very harsh and hard for many to try and survive. More and more seniors are moving into vehicles and becoming Nomads. It is a real thing. Many are happier that way. Last bastion of freedom for now. But that will also be taken.
but when it is a black or brown person, it is culture, not poverty...mmhmm...any excuse not to support those in need. People like this woman vote against their own interest. they want their poverty and drugs. Let them have it.
What strikes me as a European living in Belgium is that everything is so politicized in the US. Here you can vote for 6 parties who form coalitions in government and nobody gives a toss about what or who you vote for, except maybe for the short period of a few weeks before elections happen. I like these conservative people who prefer to think before they speak. I believe the drug epidemic that strikes the US has a lot to do with a bad social system, where people can't afford to pay for healthcare or surgery and therefore become dependent on prescription drugs (fentanyl). Anyway, thanks for this view on rural America.
My family lives in Wyoming County, ever since I was born I go up here every year, this is the closest to freedom you’ll ever get, very nice people and very quiet, they don’t run the trains anymore through the mountains sadly but it’s still a great history spot to visit to
I live in southern West Virginia. The problem is we have a thing for coal that borders on being a fetish. If you wanna get elected in this state you have to make love to daddy coal. It is actually sad. Politicians have to lie and say we love coal and coal is coming back. Politicians that are honest and say coal jobs is not coming back and even if by some chance a lot of mines do open back up it is highly mechanized industry and just won't bring back the jobs that it once had. That we need to diversify the state's economy and get out of this dependents on mining. If you honest you anti coal and never get elected. If you lie and say coal is coming back after it hasn't for 30 years you will get elected.
How about we start saying. “Yes coal is coming but how about while waiting we diversify our economy so that when it does come back we will all be richer than ever”
@@Progressive2024 they will just say not interested in the other stuff tell us more about coal coming back. Not interested in that diversifying of the economy that a bad word. They start chanting COAL,COAL,COAL,COAL,COAL
@@franklawrence1975 sadly people in this area have no critical thought. Obama killed coal job is what people love to say in this area. It is like they was asleep before Obama and didn't realize the economy was trash and had no coal jobs decades before Obama. Obama killed that was dying when he was a child as JFK was talking about it when he was trying to get elected and was dead as hell when he was in high-school at best and college at worst? The only person that was running for president that bothered to show up in southern west virginia in the last 50 years was not Trump but damn Bernie Sanders. Rant over
Here's the entire Appalachia Road Trip: th-cam.com/play/PLq-_cmf3H6yrVA4HLAJ9hgylkyIiI4Az6.html
yuppies leasing up land for hunting has gotting ridiculous its ruined hunting for the comman man and alot more
@@sharongoodsell9341 it's in the north the leaves fall of the trees in the winter. They are very green in the summer and change beautiful reds oranges and ysllows in the fall then fall off it' dose that for the snow in the winter. Only the evergreen pine trees stay green the ones that look like Christmas trees they are pointy so they can handle snow a lot of those in higher elevation mountains l love the seasons i live in central Florida we don't have that we don't get snow or have mountains
Nick, as usual, excellent video and narration skills. I think I can tell why in a relatively short time (as in a decade, more or less), West Virginia went from VERY solid blue state to red state. As most of my family and I are from "Kennedy country" (i.e. Greater Boston), JFK in particular was HUGELY popular in VW because his policies helped literally connect people and jobs (particularly coalmining jobs). The Kennedy administration funded highway construction, worker training programs, and area development at levels the state had never before experienced. Kennedy’s relationship with West Virginia helped create a new cultural identity of West Virginians as proud, hardworking people.
And even though WV was only around 5% Catholic during the 1960 campaign, West Virginians were taken by JFK's natural charisma, good looks and vision to help West Virginian citizens, as JFK spent a LOT of time in WV, sitting on front porches talking to many citizens of the state, as he ended up spending a LOT of time in VW vs. other states. So not only did he win WV pretty handily, but the pro-economic projects JFK campaigned on came to fruition, and consequently began a LOOOOONG love affair between West Virginians and JFK, and by extension, the Democrat Party, that lasted for decades.
But as anyone with a pair of working eyes and ears can see/hear, today's Democrat Party is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT (i.e. perverted and crazy) vs. what it was when JFK was President. For example, a famous JFK quote: "A rising tide lifts all boats" was in reference to using tax incentives to drive economic growth, which has been proven correct time and again (latest example was 2018 report from America's largest small biz organization, the Nat'l Federation of Independent Business, showing unprecedented prosperity AND enthusiasm (2018 Enthusiasm Index Survey) among small biz owners, citing Trump's slashing of corporate taxes and fewer regulations as the main catalysts).
Oh cool thanks!
Hey Nick that’s some of those trail riders I was talking about..Hatfield-McCoy Trails. I’m originally from the Gilbert area where they have the annual Trail Fest. My bf and his band played at the last Trail Fest & are scheduled for next year.
Sickening how people with money is so quick to condemn people with out
It's the American way
Always been that way...
When I watch everyday working folks talk about what's going on in the world, I hear common sense, knowledge and truth without the eloquent speech. Educated elite people these days are just indoctrinated. They can't think for themselves.
@keltic341thoughtyouknuskii4 ???
I worked at a small family owned amusement park. One of the girls that worked there family was well off another girl lived in a trailer park one day I walked in while the well off girl was telling management about the girl that lived in the trailer park was trailer park trash and nothing was good about her and shouldn’t be working there but I new the girl that lived in the trailer park and everything negative thing said about her was a lie
These people seem to be the salt of the earth type. Honest and hard working, they just need something to do. God bless them.
hard working for no money by the looks of it 🤔
Maybe vote for better local leaders? And not just repubs?
White trash is white trash
These people are in reality full of hate of anyone that isn't one of them, especially if you have money.
Yeah, like every big city liberal shit hole in this country I guess? @@birdstwin1186
I took a train trip through Germany about five years ago. Along the way, I noticed almost every rural town seemed well-kept and had at least one sizable factory near the tracks. My impression was that the Germans must not have outsourced a lot of their industry to China (and other places) like our politicians and corporate leaders did. Once you eliminate good income opportunities from a community, you have basically killed it and people will leave or just hang on as best they can.
must be a long time ago dude.... greetings from germoney
I noticed that about Germany also. Here in the Missouri Ozarks similar things affected our economy and towns as happened in Appalachian communities. Our major industry was dairy as well as small industries throughout the state. The government ruined all of it.
They did outsource. Just look at where the BMW factories are located and why German unemployment rate is higher than American.
@@MultiRingtail BMW’s biggest factory is in the US. I believe many of their SUVs sold in Germany are actually made at their Spartanburg plant in South Carolina then exported there.
Oooh yes we have outsource as you said a lot of our industry in China and now that is a major issue in the whole EU!! Now we are very carefull with the Chinese and we are trying to win our independence back it is terrible what ig going on with the export of know how and now we know hoy dangerous this it has been now many companies are thinking twice before they will invest in China. We re also paying the price for all these neoliberal thinking for profit. The only think that was count was the Share Holder Value till the chinese have bought all our brain. Greed and the free enterprise is the problem of our society and the free woorld needs to rethink and react before our world will become chinese or something.
I am a german woman and had a road trip through this area years ago and I loved it. People are very funny and freandly. They may not have much money but they know how to survive any kind of situation.
My grandfather was a miner in Logan County in the 1920s. The coal companies didn't pay wages in cash, they paid in script which was only redeemable at the "company store". West Virginia was poor when the mines were flourishing and it's poor after they closed down. These parts of Appalachia are like any other colonial society in the world. Once the "colonizers", in this case the coal companies, use up the resources and human capital they take the wealth and leave. They always leave behind a trail of poverty and hopelessness which in turn leads to dysfunction and addiction. That is a cold, hard fact...
My family were also coalminers in Logan County...i been there once .
Facts
@@JOHNDANIEL1 So "capitalists" are now considered "leftists"? Interesting... Warren G. Harding, a Republican, was the one who actually ordered the dropping of bombs from aircraft on the coal miners (US citizens) during the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. Republican or Democrat, they are both owned by the same corporate interests. If we are to be partisan in assigning blame for the ills of this country we must place all the blame squarely on the Republicans and Democrats. Both parties have maintained a monopoly on power in the US for over 160 years... might as well call them Republicrats because there's not a nickel's worth of difference between either party.
You are right😝 my grandfather did same thing. Worked for a company that had company stores. He got paid in script only good at their stores. So you get paid and then give it right back. Its called slavery. Slavery comes in alot of colors not just black😢😢😢
“ I owe my soul to the company store “ Tennessee Ernie ford ! Great song 🎵
I don’t associate politics with being poor. You can be poor no matter who you vote for or don’t vote for!!!
I highly agree, it’s kind of 50-50. It’s sometimes the result of our choices but it’s sometimes also the unfortunate circumstances we are put in. I think one big problem is many people expect government to solve all of our problems and blame either of the parties when something does not go their way.
Agreed. Location location location
Best comment!
It's about location not politics. I live in a very red county in Florida and we have beautiful Destin here with rows of million dollar homes. It's location.
Yea it seems to be more location and industry based than anything else.
I love that these people can talk so calmly and respectfully. I think the Democratic and Republican parties love to divide us. I wish everyone even if we disagree could have these types of discussions and recognize how much we have in common.
@Jacob B your butchers? Then go buy your meat at Walmart instead.
I appreciate Nick’s tone, he is coming from a place of curiosity, not to set her up so he can attack her, and he’s not framing the interview with the woman to make her look any particular way. I like this about Nick!
Stop fighting each other, work together and get the problems fixed. Stop dividing the country and work as a team. I am surprised to hear about the drug problem. My Dad was Born in Morgantown, and he worked as a coal miner, and i was born in Fairmont and I don't remember too many bad things. At the age of 71 it seems like a nice quiet, slow paced place to live now. I like that most of the houses are not all on top of each other. Where I live now every time you look out the window there's a ton of people.
Some of these people divide themselves.... I wont get into specifics
Saddest oart is both winga belong to the same bird. Its a facadenof chlice that doesn't exist.
And noone tralizes it.
Illusion of choice.
Freedom, the greatest lie ever sold.
I grew up in NYC & can't imagine ever going back to that city existence. Give me the quiet joy of rural life all day every day.
How's Arnold Ziffel doing these days? 😄
Oceana awaits your arrival.
@@loriannrichardson7644 wrongthink detected
I moved to Wyoming county from nyc which is kinda similar to you
You can have the depressing nothingness of rural life. Enjoy the asociality.
If you are expecting any politician to come along and make your life better, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
"If you're waiting for the Government to change your life, then you have no life".
Not really. My life was exponentially under trump
You know you're in real trouble when you hear the words "I'm with the government, and I'm here to help"
@@ryanoglesbee1075 Ronald Reagan!
Stop stealing the government hates competition.
Walmart killed Mom and Pop stores, then moved out. Shame on them 😕
WalMart is fucking evil.
And amazon.
All good Republicans
Capitalism is awesome, if you don't like it, get out 😅
@@asiandwanemeighan6479 Capitalism is a good system when compared to other economic systems seen through human history. The problem now, though, is late-stage capitalism where 1% of the total population owns more wealth than the rest of the 99% combined. It turns out that people are selfish and greedy, and once they get money they will hoard it all even though they could never spend it all in 10 lifetimes. This isn't necessarily a problem with capitalism itself, but it is a problem when you *combine* capitalism with a humans instinctive propensity towards greed.
I noticed the town looks clean and quiet. Although people may not have a lot of money it looks like they're at least trying. Being poor doesn't mean you are unorganized or unclean. Being rich doesn't automatically make you clean nor does it automatically make you organized either. Whether you're rich or poor, making an effort to live a decent respectable life is extremely important.
This looks clean to you? Try visiting some places in Colorado sometimes, and get back to me.
It's way better than New York or LA. Maybe people don't have the time or money to keep things up like they would like. When they shut down the coal mine killed most of the revenue that built the town in the first place. When businesses leave an area it can create a ghost town. I think it's amazing that the town still exists. Because you live in a nicer area you should be grateful that you do instead of criticizing people that have less. Must be nice to live in your ivory tower and criticize those beneath you.
@@wiliiamamey5967 Amen! I don't see that person down there volunteering to help the elderly clean up their yards!
Rich is a relative term. Many in WV consider themselves to be rich in faith and love of Appalachia. They are some of the richest most salt of the earth people in the USA!!!
@@ctrl_altescYes, it’s definitely clean. It isn’t a concrete city.
Shut the power off for 6 months and these people would be the ones to survive.
💯
And this 5hithead wouldn't know what to do
100
What's your point? Is that going to happen in the near future or ever?
@@dehydratedmanatee3586 no, the power will literally stay on forever and is in no way temporary.
I know you are making light of the area a bit and I get it, you're not exactly wrong....but I'll bet you didn't feel unsafe or like you were going to be robbed or carjacked either.
I didn’t see any young people either.
Yeah, but who knows how many of them are making meth.
@@vickijohnson9704 Maybe. But usually if you mind your business and leave those types alone they'll leave you alone.
@@MrGoblue1131 It's like you think meth has no impact outside of where it's made..
@@ShadowAussie sure, go off on an unrelated tangent if it makes you feel better. bye...
Having lived in San Diego and the SF Bay Area, I’ll take West Virginia any day!! I’m in rural Maine now and loving it!!!
@@chrispnw2547 you are delusional and you're supposed to be . Isaiah 66 4 KJB can men get pregnant 🤣 did you wear a face diaper standing on the dot during the nation wide rioting and get your government issued smack 🤣 that didn't save anyone ? Do you really think you're edumicated 🤣
Congratulations on getting out. I'm praying my family can soon. California is falling apart.
What part of MAINE?THANKS...BATH??
Maine is a state where I would love to live
@@tracyhull7936 to cold for me.
I ran around WV and Kentucky for 11 years and I loved every interaction and friend I met. Yea, it’s poverty at its best but these are the nicest people you could ever have the pleasure to meet and call a friend
Plus red states have hard working people no people who live off the Gov. to be homless and drugged out.
only of youre pale english american otherwise they ppl are rac!s* as ever could be towards persecuted and oppressed Natives
My Dad's family have been in Kentucky-- Olive Hill, Grayson, Ashland, etc since Daniel Boone's Era. They are very nice people.
@@janyager2854 I used to get fuel at the Loves in Grayson and load at Marathon Petroleum in Ashland lol beautiful place.
Sadly the less people have the more generous they are
PRIME example of why these political parties are (say it with me) TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN! We have to band together and save ourselves.
What are you talking about -- they vote for this.
@@loriannrichardson7644 West Virginia was a Democrat State for the entire 20th century, and Republicans used to look down on them for being poor. Now Democrats look down on West Virginians for being poor. It's funny how that works. Both Parties failed these people. They allowed huge corporations to rape their land and leave the mess for the people to pay to clean up. So you don't know WTF you're talking about.
Not hardly that could nt West Virginia is democrat in the cities . to they vote they own those trailers.
They own the land s and the trailers It’s safer that than a dem city @@loriannrichardson7644 3:13
I watched a documentary about Appalachia, and a woman said, " We didn't know we was in poverty until the government came here and told us we was."
That's nothing to be proud of...
@@bartlebyscrivener674 how isn't it?
@@acme_tnt8741 DUHHHHHH
Yeah ik the one you're mentioning. If ya search Appalachian English, it'll be one of them documentaries someone made cuts of into 10 minutes or so. Original one is bout an hour or so. Got one of them shinners in it too, popcorn or something like that was the gentleman's name.
And yeah. Appalachia has always been poor. Spent a long while out there, and it's something.
@@acme_tnt8741
Cause there is better living to be had. It's fine to do with less, but when folks can't afford medical anything or the water comes out of the fountain looking like milk and tasting like salt from old piping... ya learn that some things can and should be better.
Folks can't do everything on their own
I hauled coal out of the Appalachian coal fields for nearly 40 years on the railroad. Now that coal is basically gone, the whole region is slowly reverting back to nature.
Natural gas is cheaper for power plants and steel mills
The nature is lovely there.
@@johndeary6797 Too bad the Democrats (not to be overly political) that shut down those coal mines won't ever build natural gas plants either. Just give the money to their friends as bailouts or send the money overseas as foreign aid.
@@OtaconProductionsUSA Turn off your electricity if you're so worried about coal.
@@Duke_of_PrunesThese people are clueless of what goes on outside of there 4 walls😂.. I just send blessings
I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a paradise, but I work in mining, live in a very rural conservative area, and support our 2nd amendment. These are my type of people here, the salt of the earth. When the crap hits the fan, these are the folks you want on your side.
@c h sure is beautiful country down there.
Definitely the ones needed when the shit hits the fan.
👍
Agree. Better is a little with peace than an abundance with strife. I would rather be poor and live in peace than not even be able to walk down my own street in one of these Demwit cities, which allow and encourage crime. Poorland, OR can't even have a Walmart now! How ridiculous is that.
Republicans and Democrats answer to the elite right wing or Liberal both are sell outs other than bernie sanders and a couple others the rest are actors
I take this any day over L.A. or NYC or Chicago. I love peace and quiet and nature.
Oh yes a place where the overdose rate is triple the national average sure sounds peaceful to me!
The problem with a lot of towns and cities is that they were built up on one thing or another and as times change the town had no other way to prosper. This is why there are several ghost towns out west and in Alaska.
Yes, a bust and boom economy is a foolish economy and unfortunately seems to be the norm in American history guided as it is by liberal policies from the beginning while down to earth folks do all the working and sweating.
All that is no excuse the people they voted for ain't doing shit for their community when things change
@@coactus9139Liberal policies ?
Conservatives cause recessions ! Democrats have to dig us out again every time !
Look it up !
My grandfather was a lamp lighter in the early 20th century. He lit the gas lights in his region of Chicago at dusk and got up before dawn to put the gas streetlights out. That was his profession...
Chicago switched to electric street lights. I guess my grandfather could have sat around, complaining how the city screwed him and how he couldn't work because he was waiting for the city to go back to gas lights.
He didn't do that. He learned another trade (while raising my grandmothers orphaned siblings and their own first child.) He learned his new trade, joined the union and was gainfully employed through the Great Depression, WWII and until the day he wanted to retire. He never got rich, but he took care of his family.
His and his family's lives would have gone differently if he didn't realize CHANGE is part of surviving.
Yep…that’s why that house was only $155,000.Where ya gonna work?
You (out of state folks) might see this as a run down area, but here’s the reality; WV had high unemployment since the 80’s due to coal being in decline, these people have been here the whole time with no way out. So they’re pretty much stuck with this, it’s home and they’re not ashamed of it. Not wanting a handout as much as a helping hand up. Give ‘em a chance and they’ll work their way out of their economic situation. Solid people!
Yeaaaaaa. Righttttttt..
@@TheFreedomforce87 Is there a problem? Or do you have anything intelligent to say?
They don’t want handouts?
They’re ALL on gov’t assistance paid for by the tax’s generated from democrat states.
@Patrick Tober they do get hand outs..yet the still worship Trumprump and republiCONS. That continues to lie to them..Trumprump lied about bringing back coal jobs
Well they can take off walking.That is a way out ya know
When all the shit hits the fan, these people won't even stress it. Cause living in the real world is what they are doing. You don't need a big house or a bunch of stuff to be content and happy. And being out in the mountains, there is nothing better, it grounds you like nothing else. I see a great little close knit community, where people have each other's backs, it's, quiet, peaceful, low stress. Looks perfect to me.
Also I notice no tent cities or people living on the sidewalk under a tarp here- there may be poverty but they keep their dignity amidst the poverty and as a community help each other
Wait to you meet JESUS one day you won't be making fun of GOD on that day 🔥
Go to Chicago
Amen
If a fucking bomb went off and American society collapsed, these people wouldn’t even know the difference cause they are already living in mental and physical squalor. 😂
West Virginia was a democrat majority state for 84 consecutive years until 2014. Nick is driving through the aftermath of 84 years of democrat policies.
No it wasn’t
Nick is driving through the aftermath of a state that was pillaged for its resources by politicians (not native to the state) and the coal industry. You have no idea what you're talking about.
and the Minning industry these people vote against their own best interests year after year. TRUMP told these people he would bring COAL back So they should be ok now YEA right ...just another trump lie .
@@visorij3374Democrats had been in charge there for generations. They're new to GOP control and still usually have at least 1 Democrat US Senator.
Coal was dying no matter who was in office.
Hey Nick, I've got an idea. Why don't you road trip to downtown San Fransisco or LA so we can see the other side of the political spectrum and see how they live. That would be way cool!
Nicky said he has to make out a will first.
He already did lmfao and we already know it. You republican weirdos really need a win after this video. Pont of the matter is red states have poor and dumb people. Hypocrites too, shouting out that they don't need govt assistance yet getting govt assistance. Don't forget that blue states like California are funding these assitance to red states! 🤣🤣
Yeah, this guy is some kind of goofball!!
He just mad because these folks are surviving where he couldn't.
He has already got videos of that if you check. He is from Cal. so he has done plenty of videos on how it is on the slide.
West Virginia born and bred and I have 58 acres and live in a 2 story brick home. Been all over this great country and I'll tell you there is no place like West Virginia I'm very blessed and proud to live here. Love these mountains hunting fishing hiking camping whitewater rafting ATV riding. Truly blessed to be a West By God Virginian
Congratulations! Your wonderful state has been a vacation spot for me (Texas) for over thirty years. Mountaineers have always been welcoming and cordial to me - your state and your folks are the best-kept secrets in the nation! Other folks need to learn about WV! The opioid crisis is a disaster and a killer of hopes and lives; I wish you all the best in eradicating the scum that prays on the addicts they have created.
@@pagefoshee6067the scum that you speak of is the pharmaceutical companies and greedy doctors who prescribe (d) them.
Almost Heaven ❤
Like Ohio ,WV has no problem with destroying the environment!
@@daren7889 Really? With 39M people, California pollutes far more than West Virginia's 1.7M! Los Angeles is nothing but cars stuck in traffic. California also has 100K oil wells that are listed as productive. Something tells me you didn't do much research before opening your mouth?
I ask Americans to be open-minded to both parties. The rural conservatives have little money, little assets, and dying slowly in their worn down homes.
The cities have mentally ill homeless that ruin entire areas, policies that let criminals get away, and a wealth gap. Neither party is a clear winner.
This is true I think things are built on personal preferences and perspective.
Libertarian myself
Exactly they refuse to see the truth. They are in serious denial my goodness
But those rural conservatives keep voting against anything capable of changing those things. Make it make sense.
Democraps are not open-minded
I don't know how I stumbled into this video, but I'm gonna lay out some thoughts.
My family immigrated from Sicily to just outside Oceana, WV in the early 1900's to work in coal mining. I still have family living in the area today. They are without doubt the kindest, upstanding people I have ever met in my entire life. The amount of care people in that area have for one another puts anything else to shame. Sure, they live a simpler life, but they're also good people. I'll take good simple people over an urban turd any day.
I find it a little disappointing that the guy who made this video thought it would be more entertaining to subtly heckle people for being "dumb conservatives," but the fact of the matter is that conservatives are not behind on the times. Want to know why they vote red? In an area that is falling apart, riddled with drugs, and in economic shambles?
The answer is Barack Obama. Historically, WV was a very pro-union state thanks to the UMWA, and usually the state supported Democrats at a much higher level. However, as Democrats became more Enviro-crats and the implemented policies that damaged the lifeblood of the UMWA, the miners started turning to the other side of the aisle. Make no mistake about it, the four years of President Trump were the most economically-beneficial that part of the country has seen since the early 2000's.
Furthermore, it was Obama's war on coal and southern border failures that were the two driving forces behind the Appalachian opiod epidemic. In WV, over half of all children are raised by someone other than their parents because of it. The federal government created a system where it paid to fail for the coal companies, resulting in abandoning the people who had been in the mines for generations. Jobs went out, drugs came in, and unlike what President Biden has to say, coal miners cannot simply just "learn to code."
I hope Nick Johnson learned a bit more than what the first portion of this video indicates. I love these sorts of videos, usually, but his narration ruined it. Show some respect next time.
thank you for sharing
Very well-said !!!
They voted red before Obama, dont spread lies.
Well said!!
Totally agree about the narration. Can’t stand that smart aleck attitude.
I can bet you these people are happier than most of the people that want to poke fun about them.
The teens in 25k dollar side by sides seem to like it
The teens in 25k dollar side by sides seem to like it
They say ignorance is bliss.
That's why small and poor areas are full of drug addicts, meth labs, and were the epicenter of the OxyContin epidemic, because, you know, Happy!
it's so much easier to be poor when everyone else is too. roadkill aint embarrassing if we're all eating it, and our dogs (all of them) too! we sure can tell who's from out of town....
I love living in my small Ohio town in the heart of trump country. We dont have alot of money but we own our house and our vehicles out right. I love living this simple life
You must be proud of that awful president 😠 he is going down. He shipped all over Jesus and Christianity.
@lisajones9673 you are talking about Biden right? Trump stripped no one of anything. I am so sick of stupidity like your commentary. We are living in end times with absolutely the worst regime ever and you go on about Trump. Seriously?
Everyone’s gotta live somewhere. Some people don’t measure success by the size of their house or bank account
These people were hardcore democrat for over 100 years until about 10-15 years ago. When after 100 years voting Blue “this” is what they got. This is the product of the past not the present.
45 years ago, my brother sold books door to door in West Virginia. The thing that made the biggest impression on him was that everyone he met was a Democrat and Catholic. Said our mom would fit right in. How times have changed. Even Mom was a hardcore republican when she passed away.
Dixie Democrats. Back then they were the good ones. Now they are Communists basically and Republicans are the Democrats of yesteryear.
The libtards policies didn't work . WV was hardcore democrat until we realized their not really dems their communist
Parties shifted ideologies in that timeframe.
@@MirzaAhmed89 Now, the Democrates are the party of the Elites & the real Republicans (not RINO's), are the party of the working people! There are Globalists in both parties!
Mirza- I've always been kinda stunned by how it's so difficult for people on both sides to grasp that.
They switched names, it happened in just a few years, simple.
That B&B lady may not be as articulate as a statesman or politician, but she's right on target. I live in rural PA, and it's much the same here - viewing this place or places like it from a political lens doesn't work.
NO party truly represents us - if they ever have. For instance, people in these parts made tools for the powerful and privileged once, but like those tools, were thrown away when no longer useful to the elites. All around me are ruins of factories and businesses who we've essentially outsourced to places like China. Yeah... Our politicians sure 'took care' of my community. 😑
Politically, the state is ruled by Pittsburgh and Philadelphia - they have the numbers. Midstate (and outside of the big cities), almost everyone is conservative.
Yes, I go to church and Jesus Christ IS my savior. Yes, I'm a conservative and I'm armed. And yes, I own 🐔's and get fresh eggs most mornings.
HOWEVER, I work in IT from home. I'm very fortunate compared to a number of my neighbors. Many look at my EV and solar panels and just shake their heads. But I get along with and understand my neighbors (who are terrific!) As Stephen King once wrote: "Country don't mean dumb..." In the four years I've been here, I've learned a lot about life - REAL life. People here are remarkably resilient, often insightful about their professions, and have a work ethic the likes of which I've never seen before.
And although NO ONE is completely free, I love where I live because I am freer than I was in the big city. Just now, I look out my office window and see the clouds lifting from the mountains, while my server hums along with the heat pump outside. I am right where I need to be.
I'm the local computer fix-it guy now too, but it's a responsibility I shoulder because there are few others that can. I try to set an example of not letting politics interfere with good decision making, and how to prepare for the worst so that even if it never happens, you can still sleep at night. Y'all'd be surprised how many people have never thought about their own futures... 😟
I’m from Allentown PA. You’re living my dream! I’m trying so hard to work from home with a decent wage so I can get my hands on more land and do more things I want to do. I’m only allowed two chickens where I live but at least they haven’t stopped me from burning my wood burning stove
@@litoreggie Unfortunately, I think those restrictions are coming - like they will for fossil fuels in general. See, no one's going to take away your gas stove, or your car, they're just going to make it so expensive to use. It took me a long time to get here, but my wife is from the area and she gradually turned me on to this place. It took us years to find a home, and only when one of her relatives offered us right of first refusal to buy it at cost. Which was... GENEROUS to say the least! 😮
What I will say is that trying to be a good and responsible human being for it's own sake is good, but when it comes back to you - when the very people you've helped give YOU a hand up, you are not lucky. You are blessed.
Good luck to you!
@@Chordonblue thank you , Chuck! One day at a time. We could all use some compassion right now 💚
U
You are fine human being sir! You are going to be very blessed doing what you are doing. I would absolutely love to live in a small town like this, but unfortunately it's not feasible financially for my husband and I. We are old fashioned folks. I've lived in the city my whole life, my hubby is from an old farming town. He's taught me much about life I had no clue about. He'd fit in perfect here.
Nothing wrong with true American value
Who decides what is a true American value?
Nothing wrong? Working 2+ jobs 8 hours a day to buy a home where renters/squatters live for free?
@@TJ-xs5bn That's life Einstein!
I did not see a single drug addicted in this video.
nowhere in the us you will find so much filth, crime and drug addiction as in progressive hardcore democratic California.
@@amerikanskayapravda
Its funny you say that because WV is the number one state for drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people according to the CDC... WV has a death rate of 90.9 per 100k ppl, while Cali has 26.6... But sure muh anecdotes and feelings matter more than raw hard numbers.
Wow! Thanks for this show.
Lovely honest humble people.
An eye opener for many.
God Bless you there!
And these people will be there to help you when you need it most
Nick, Your guests Mayor Evans and Jima are two of the best guests you have featured on your channel. I may not agree with all of their points and beliefs but they make it very clear what the issues and challenges are. These are honest people trying to make the best of a bad situation. They make perfect sense. I really hope there remains a future for badly impacted small communities, businesses and the residents holding on there. As Mayor Evans stated, it’s all about to blow up again and a start from square one to rebuild a society. Fingers crossed for the future.
Being poor doesn’t have a political party.
The overall tone of the video was mean-spirited. They were charitable to a snobby outsider.
He sounds like a dem
Well maybe. I am an urban Dem, but the narrator's attitude gave me a PITA as well.
He's what he accuses others of being. Typical projection.
😂we all agree this narrator that does these videos is a moron
You are absolutely right.
I was born and raised in Prince Georges county Maryland just outside of DC. PG county holds the distinction of having the most affluent black population of any other county in the US. As a minority there (white middle class) I learned to love folks of all colors and ethnic backgrounds. I moved to WV in 1988 and have travelled most of the state and met her people. There’s no place I’d rather live. I’ve traveled to many places around the U.S. The folks in Alabama’s poor black trailer parks mostly vote democrat. Most of those folks are willing to offer a stranger a bottle of water just like the poor white republicans in Appalachia. I’m not certain what audience you’re trying to appeal to but I guess a click is a click for you. Folks are folks and to speak so disparagingly about people, their neighborhoods, and their station in life, is quite arrogant. I suspect that many of the folks that you talk to, while on your journey to put folks down and get subscribers, would be the first to come to your aid if needed. Just like the other “hicks” among these parts, all I can say is Bless your heart sir.
Wow, he triggered you pretty quick. You need to relax he's not talking down to anyone you are just to sensitive 😂😂
I don't know that he is mocking them so much as trying to shine a light on their situation and give them the opportunity to speak.
@@kjaubrey4816 If you think he's not mocking these people and others like them, you didn't listen close enough. It was totally clear to me.
it appears to be an ugly truth to me. poverty is not pretty.
@@maryr7800 I stopped listening to this guy awhile back because he always mocked Democrats. Happened upon him today and I see he is happy to mock everybody.
Nick, this does remind me of rural parts of PA too. It’s kind of a paradise in a way; there’s mountains and rivers; it is peaceful and quiet and not very expensive to live. I lived in PB County FL for 25 years before going to Altoona PA. Appalachia is a great place to live; not too cold, not too hot. Just right. The area on this video looks a tad old and rough but I think it’s just fine
@KristopherDavid Vivis-Ebensburg is a nice little town. Nick should definitely tour Cambria county. Johnstown is a total dump but there’s cute little towns like Lilly, Portage, and I lived in Tunnelhill/Gallitzin for 4 years. It’s god’s country ❤️
I am from PA I have lived in WV for a good many years and I have lived in VA for the last 12 years there is nothing wrong with any of these states as far as good people and decent places to live
Can I make 120k there like I do now? If so.... I'm moving
@@NAT-turners-Revenge Oh HELL NO..ITS FOR RETIREIRES LIKE IM PLANNING TO DO.......IS GET YHE HELL OUT OF SMOG AND HIGH TRAFFIC BIG CITIES..👎
@@russellseilhamer4552I read a whole book about Johnstown flood killed 2,000 people
Looks 10x better than downtown LA
Like a rural WV is the worst place???? Look at California streets!
They may not have large houses, but the first thing I noticed was how clean and tidy everything looks, even that burned out trailer looks like it's been cleaned somewhat. These are clearly people that still have self-respect and pride in their community.
Bingo. Thats the stark difference between liberal poverty and conservative poverty
@@redneck400m3as yes the good old "my shit sandwich is not as bad as your shit sandwich" arguement.
In Australia it has been found some of the happiest people live in communities with similar income, and not great disparity.
Some of the poorest areas can be the content, as they are not stressed by envy or land grabbing by richer people.
Yeah and this is just one town, a lot of these towns in west virginia have large old houses it's incredible beautiful. He basically showed the worst
So much pride that they refuse to elect good local leaders.
I think this shows that we can’t lean too far left or too far right, or we end up with something like this or the streets skidrow
@@ch6810 church and state were separated for a reason bud
Too expensive or too separated respectively. Hm. I… somewhat agree? I don’t know
@@fernandoacosta7423 I’m not religious but that doesn’t seem to be working out so well.
@@fernandoacosta7423 its wild how so many voters seem to forget this
@@fernandoacosta7423 read the first amendment . Over and over until it sinks in
I think I lived here in a former life”lol 😊 looks awesome to me. I’m old fashioned so probably would suit me. Thanks 🙏 for showing me these incredible places I have zero chance of seeing. I truly appreciate. It’s so interesting and so well done! Excellent
No such thing as reincarnation
@@observingcat9049 Sort of, although I prefer 'transmigration of the spirit'. The 'person' is a consubstantiation of matter and spirit. The matter dies but the spirit, a tendril of the Great Spirit, lives on, and will ultimately live all lives. Time is meaningless in this sense. After death you will wake up and remember that we are all of the same Great Spirit, shattered into billions of first-person perspectives across time. Sometimes we remember previous lives, it's more common than you think. And, as always, you'll choose to dream and live again. We are indeed, all one. I wish you ObservingCat and also you, Lady Laois, happiness and a fruitful life💐🌻🌾🌿🍄
@@boogiemcsploogie okay.. have you really thought about your worldview honestly though? It’s important to think about important matters such as life and where we all came from seriously, look into the Gospels please, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is very believable if you look at the evidence
Now go through the homeless in Portland and Seattle
These people have the best values in the country! God bless them! I hope something can save West Virginia’s economy, this state deserves so much better
The values these people have pretty much insures that the West Virginia economy won't be saved.
I see trees, why hasn't lumber been pushed? With rocketing prices in materials, and the need for housing in and near major cities, is it not possible to get that lumber into the supply chain(s)?
mpowe123 I like this idea, seems like something the residents of these struggling towns should bring up
I live in an affluent town in the Northeast, after seeing this I realize that I CLOSELY align my ideals with the people in this small town in W VA !!!
I hear there's a trailer with your name on it.😂😂
Go live amongst them.
GOOD FOR YOU! 🙄
Proudly proclaiming your lack of intelligence. Quite funny.
Go live with them and making $8. Make a video how it goes. 😂
It’s not about being poor, it’s about being FREE!!!!
Free to starve.
@@accuratealloys they’re not starving!
You think the poor old coal miner is FREE!?!?!?!!??? What exactly do you consider FREE ?
@@ahope3333 Free from government and people like you.
"Free" must mean "trapped in the horrors of hardcore addiction" in West Virginia.
Born and raised in WV. High school teachers made me hate the state and convinced me that liberalism was good and rural life is bad. I thought that way for a few years but you can't change the shape of a house by painting it. I now love this state and I will never leave.
The mayor seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Politicians can't solve the problems they are having, the community will have to do it.
The folks in West Virginia have not changed their values, despite going from Blue to Red. They are the same people that they've always been. It's the people governing our country that have changed their values and where they believe the country should head.
Imagine an automobile being driven by two different people. One drives it east and the other drives it west. Other than it's direction, it hasn't changed at all. It's still the same car.
The good people of West Virginia are the same now as they were 30 and 40 years ago. That's a very rare breed. Good for them.
But it seems there are many homeless living on the streets here in Santa Barbara, one of the richest cities in the US. I wonder if the folks living in trailers there aren't more content. At least they're warm and dry. It's been unseasonably cold and wet here.
They are mostly happy.Happiness and contentment is perception.Some things money cannot buy
So naive
I dont want a new home, i want the most secluded rual land in WV where there isnt even internet. Untouched woodland at the near top of a mountain.
Hope you get it. Seems like the dream these days.
Love you all West Virginians people !
God bless you all
You can qualify the absence of chain stores as poverty, or you could see it as an opportunity for local small business.
Yeah the thing is that these chain stores provided jobs and when they close down, these jobs are gone. Also these chain stores provided a cheaper option for goods.
Could. But it doesnt really matter. Business is business.
@@lrn_news9171 why aren't they creating their own jobs -- the internet is available, i.e, Shopify, Etsy, Amazon.
I know a few people who actually have alot of money but chose to live like that. Perfect cover. I've also seen them look bad on the outside but beautiful on the inside. Moral to the story don't always believe what u see because u may not be seeing the big picture
💯🎯💜
I would rather live in a trailer there than a tent in California!
Alot of people like the country life of simple layed back no traffic no road rage no hate and no wanna bees. To many people the meaning of life is not how much money you can make but to live in peace.
Yes it is getting worse ! And when people look down on trailer parks and such they are looking down an a very large part of our population.
Works for me. I am in NYC and it's a MASSIVE CHIT HOLE. I would have no problem living there in WV.
Yeah if you relocate here, don't bring the policies and voting preference you run away from.
@@LUIS-ox1bv the most poetic description of NY. Brutally honest and bitter.
Maximum Opus I live in NYC and I hate it too. SC is where my family lives, planning to move there in the future. It's a Republican state, I hate politics, so SC wouldn't have to worry about my political views.
@@xz-187 Exactly. I think it’s a nice place.
sane hahaha
this is amazing testimonial from Jima Dunigan, she is outspoken and truthful and I would enjoy meeting with her and staying in her establishment.
nice interview with a local..very cool Nick..ur doing really awesome work..i know you offer relocation consulting and such but honestly i believe your value in current anthropolgy in the moment is beyond a worth that can be fixed to it..at least you can look back in your life and really truly know you went the distance few others even try to to really show America as it really is not the lies on the screen ..i really appreciate this work
I just wish I had the time to talk to more people Rebeckah
@@NickJohnson well maybe that will develop..you just keep on with your educational hustle Nick..clearly God is using you for great things
Amen to the lady you interviewed
Lady keep standing up what you believe in
Lord bless you
She's 100% right
She is one smart Cookie.
So if life ends when the heart stops, then why wouldn't life begin when it first starts? I believe that life starts at conception, but to deny that life hasn't started with a heartbeat is just insane.
@@namerican8510 Well in the Bible it says life starts when you take your first breath at birth.
@@srenchin wrong! Psalm 139:13-16 life begins at conception...
Autumn is the best time to revisit WV. The leaves and weather makes it worth the trip.
🍂
Faith,family and FREEDOM
Thanks for this video! This is one of the states I have never been to.
As some others have commented, the areas you showed may seem poor/sparse, etc... but they looked fairly tidy. There are areas in Chicagoland (not in Chicago where all hell has broken loose from the lawlessness) that look worse for the wear, and many, if not all of them, are what remains after the steel industry died here. We the people, the backbone of the nation suffer with the "progress" that some want to inflict of us.
Fun fact: Did you know that WV has the most opioid related deaths in the country. Real conservative values up there in them hills
@@talkingthetalk3640 No I did not, and I don't see that that's any "fun" if it is true. And what the heck do drugs and deaths have to do with conservatism? I thought people do drugs as an escape and oftentimes from a difficult life and the pain that it causes. You sure must be real nice to be around. /sarc
@@chattycathy5003 Under GOP control for decades the state policies has endlessly failed it's people.
@@talkingthetalk3640 drugs are an epidemic everywhere in America and Biden is the cartels best friend with his open border.
@@talkingthetalk3640 I don't know how some people come to see things the way that they do.
Do you mean like what has happened to cities like Chi-raq, Portland, San Fransicko, New York City, and I could go on ..... They have become virtual hell holes that are dangerous to the average person living there ---- trying to go to school, work, have a family. This is what I call failing people; and it has not happened under GOP control. :/
This is awesome. It's like traveling without leaving home.
Ikr, Nick has been to most of the country and I’ve learned alot about America through his channel
When the side by sides pull in the gas station full of mud - you know you're in a fun place to live. Great video, Nick!
She sounds like life in rural Minnesota. Such a wonderful bunch of people.
You bet 💯 😊
I really think the poorest people in our country value their freedom from government intrusion the most because they are the least likely to go begging others to give them nice things.
They live within their means and make the best of what they are able to provide for themselves without resentment. It truly disturbs me when people who have more, even if that ‘more’ is all borrowed on credit, look down their noses at people who choose not to live as indentured debtors 😞
those counties have some of the highest rates of public assistance. They rely on the government the most
Alot of them are on welfare.
@@brenandemossita1000 There are more homeless and drug addicts on welfare in California then in the whole state of west virginia.!!!
@@jan22150 West Virginia: 1,793,716 residents. California: nearly 39.2 million residents. Absolute numbers mean NOTHING!
@@jan22150🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
One of my favorite videos from you, Nick. I was really moved by Jima and Mayor Tom Evans and what they shared. God bless them and the people of Wyoming County.
I have been a registered Republican all of my life. In my old age, I feel more like a centrist although remain a fiscal conservative. Politics have shifted so much that my centrist views are decidedly right wing now. I find that in my experience, all rural areas are more conservative than towns/cities.
It's actually the other way around. Most Republicans didn't even certify the election two years ago. That would have counted for treason in the 1980s.
It's more than tht. I used to vote Democrat too. I thought I was going wacko. Nope. Just americans are standing up finally. Thts simplified it but it's a start.
I'd gladly vote conservative if, the GOP would provide candidates who actually cared about the plight of the middle class. All we have these days are clowns, who say the most outrageous thing they can, to get some press. They only care about getting rich, and writing a book later. Both political parties were bought and paid for a long time ago. I'd like to take the entire US congress on a field trip of skid row in Los Angeles and rub their noses in the homeless encampments they ignore every day.
I agree with you. Democrats used to back the local unions, used to care about the 'little guy'. Those days are long gone up here in the Rust Belt. What businesses remain are usually service-based (plumbers, electrical, construction, etc.). Few actually MAKE anything anymore. Politically, both sides seem to have sold our country out. Socially, the Dems have been taken over by the progressives, and the Republican leadership talks a big game, but when they get into power, little actually changes.
A number of years ago, I watched this keep happening and realized that things aren't changing because the denizens in DC don't actually WANT it to. My father passed in 2015 and saw the way things were going, even then. Some of his last words to me were: "Good luck, son. You're going to need it..."
@@hellooutthere8956 Maybe there should just be room for more than just two parties. I don't think a whole country can only offer two sides.
Places like Philadelphia, Detroit, and Baltimore are, like West Virginia, among some of the poorest places in the country. And they vote staunchly Democrat.
So I guess, at the very least we can all agree that neither side is really doing a whole lot for any of us, am I right?
West Virginia worse
I doubt 4-5 kids ever open fire on a playground or corner like Philly. That city is your progressive dream Nick!
I really appreciate that you go and talk to the folks that live there. And you listen! And we all listen.
True especially when she was talking about religion, the youth of this generation are so misguided
My favorite part is how Nick doesn’t interrupt and lets them represent their own viewpoint. Doesn’t interject with his own opinions or commentary. It probably really puts them at ease so they can just be themselves. Great video.
That woman made a lot of sense to me.
So sad to see these small rural, real American towns suffer economically. These are wonderful people and their ideals is what America is really all about. God bless these people.
I agree they are wonderful people, but represents the rest of the country, no. There's a whole other side that they do not represent. But yes, good people non the less.
@@jobskinner833 ok CITY BOY.
@@doctorartphd6463 I see you're not one of the wonderful people with great ideals you mentioned.
@@kerrynight3271 That's just you're opinion. The lifestyles of city folks and rural America can be worlds apart.
Not everyone sees things like you do....and I certainly do not.
Rural folks are more traditional and conservative than most urban or suburban Americans.
I have lived in both, and I can see both the differences and similarities.
The more brainwashing , the more urban areas are turned into libtard towns and mary's trying to figure out what gender they are. Screw that and take you're bullsh*t somewhere else.
Joe manchin don’t give a dam hell must poor people work for that
Demon who’s half Indian an could help all he’s rich pills kill must of the young kids
Its all about prespectice, many people take pride in where they live no matter the environment
The lady you interviewed had some good points and expressed her thoughts well whether you agree with them or not.
Shes was hitting the points 1 after another...amazing! ❤️🔥
She’s right!!
I think she's right. And she is thoughtful and honest, not glib and opinionated.
She was talking about Satan👺🤡…she’s mentally unstable🤷♂️.
very good wisdom!
I was born in West Virginia and I felt disbelief bordering on sadness to see the way people live there. They say democratic party is not the same. Well neither is the Republican party. It does seem to me that if our government helped small towns establish one or two small businesses in the most needful areas, it might REALLY make it a difference. We could make flip flops and sandals, work and winter gloves, chewing gum and small candies. Sweat shirts and hoodies....you think of a few and please post dental training schools and provide employment and care for locals. Wood carving.use coal to provide energy for THOSE businesses. Build solar panels. Start carpentry programs and join with some group MAYBE habitat for humanity. SUPPORT head start while avoiding politically charged pre schooling . Weaving blankets and rugs. Make socks. Why must america buy these things from China?? We used to produce many PRODUCTS not connected to heavy industry. These people in this state WANT TO WORK.
Reality is West Virginians do not seem to want innovation & new job prospects. All they say is the want coal back
Very well said. I agree with you 💯 percent. It's truly scary how many of our products are now all made in China. This twit is trying to maline the poor and divide the country between Republicans and Democrats. Neither party cares. I'm proudly independent. This guy actually did a video about my neighborhood in Texas without even coming here. Complete trash. I won't give him another view.
So here's where I remind you that both Hillary and Biden in their stump speeches there said that unfortunately Coal was dying and they were going to help install training programs and change business sectors over to 21st Century jobs there. They nearly ran her out of town. Joe Manchin fought her and said "they are trying to kill coal". He promised a future of clean coal etc.. It was publicized in the news. These people's hubris and ignorance make most of their own problems. I live in NC which is switching to modern sectors from Tobacco etc. with much less push back.
Our trade policies need reform. As long as the labor costs are cheaper, businesses will go to the lowest place on earth for mfg.
Who’s to say? If we make the socks and other stuff, will they be too expensive?
@SeekerGoOn2013 Well, we used to make everything we needed. We would not be able to buy as much but it would last longer. Today people are addicted to loading up carts full at the Dollar Tree and come home with cheap, useless junk.
I like these people much more than the people in Hollywood.
Wyoming County is where my grandmother was born. Jesse WV. All of my Stewart family is from Wyoming Co. Thank you for posting this video.
I like West Virgina. Some of the nicest people I have ever worked with live in Mobile Homes. They also attend church. Having a fancy house or car doesn't make you happy in the long haul. Just ask the Mercedes lady I kit on the exit ramp today. She definitely was not happy I hit her.
I hope you had insurance.
Having the equivalent of a double wide floor space, washer and dryer, AND a yard in NYC would cost you millions of dollars. People don't know the difference between money and wealth anymore. As far as how well people are maintaining the looks of their properties, maybe go to East New York in Brooklyn and do a side by side.
Imagine how great of a place this would be to live if there were adequate jobs.
Right
Which is basically what Ohio is.
Wow this has been an eye opener for me, what a sweet sweet man that mayor is, so wise and just. ❤
What about that bit about black people? You agree on that too? Was that sweet?
He is sweet … but he also looks like the pastor of Oceana as well . Definitely a good guy. It just upsets me that people say they love Jesus, yet they hate black people. Even the mayor said they love helping their neighbors but some people just don’t get that help 😢. But nonetheless he is telling the truth and he’s optimistic and full of faith!
This mayor is a very common sense type of guy. He is certainly right about Trump and Biden but no one has answers about how anyone can bring back these old coal towns. Even in the towns that have active mines, they don't use very many employees since they are highly mechanized. I really like your videos and interviewing the people that live there.
Those old coal towns can be brought back.... with something other than coal. It's the only way you could ever bring them back.
Biden brags about his " job creation" how bout creating some for these folks!
Hi Nick, you’ll be surprised (shocked!) to know I- an Indian grandma is an ardent fan of your Videos! Amazing! What shines is the soul of America! Your editing is perfect! It’s as if I travelled the length & breadth of this vast, beautiful, in some ways losing country!👍
Hi Musiri! ❤️❤️
I watch your videos with great interest. I am from Pakistan and lived and worked in US for 10 yrs from 1981 to 1991. I have travelled on these roads and visited many these small towns. As far as Republican values are concerned, I met a person in California who happened to be Republican. He summed up his affiliation like this. "I don't want government in my bedroom." Probably most people want work not welfare.
"Most" people are nice, most "groups" are not.
Wait. A Republican told you he didn't want government in his bedroom? Seriously? They are all about being not only in your bedroom but also inside your body if you happen to be female.
He doesn't understand what he's voting for then, because Republicans are the exact party legislating the bedroom.
Born and raised In West Virginia...47 years....love it....we have our problems but everywhere does....affluencia can be a problem as well
thanks for talking to the people that live there. no matter how bad a place seems on the outside, there are always good people that live there.
I think when people are depressed and have no feeling of hope for opportunity in a nice, middle-class life, they cope by turning to drugs because they have to continue existing in an environment where they just don’t want to be, but they can’t escape from because it’s hard to get out of poverty
Yes, It is very difficult to work your way out poverty , I was given a chance I've been working hard for The last 25 years, And i'm still hanging on by a thread.
World renowned addiction expert Gabor Mate says all addicts are traumatized. Not all traumatized are addicted. Poverty can be extremely traumatizing. Especially in a ghetto situation where the trafficking and such happen. There in the Appalachia they are more community oriented and thus have a closer knit support system and more values. So the crime is less. But yes, losing everything and being kicked when down is more than depressing. It can be traumatizing to some. And the longer it goes the worse it gets. There is a psychological effect called Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. If you don't have stable housing and needs met a person doesn't have the opportunity to self actualize as well. We have a growing number of societal mental and personality disorders. And we breed those. In a few hundred years if archeologists dig up remains there will only be two genders then. One with a womb and one without. We have a societal cancer of people that are so disconnected from reality and the very ground we live in and the other earthlings we should be protecting and preserving. Instead we allow poisoning and genocides on all levels. All sorts of crazy. And it is being propagated to the kids on up thru our media. And our so called leaders have no integrity and are not qualified to do their jobs and yet they get to keep them. Too many are checked out in so many ways, not just the drugs. That is just one way. And it is very harsh and hard for many to try and survive. More and more seniors are moving into vehicles and becoming Nomads. It is a real thing. Many are happier that way. Last bastion of freedom for now. But that will also be taken.
but when it is a black or brown person, it is culture, not poverty...mmhmm...any excuse not to support those in need. People like this woman vote against their own interest. they want their poverty and drugs. Let them have it.
I think that's very astute. I was wondering if the folks here have ever had a chance for something better.
Unlike those wealthy people that don’t have any depression or drug problems. 🤦♂️
What strikes me as a European living in Belgium is that everything is so politicized in the US. Here you can vote for 6 parties who form coalitions in government and nobody gives a toss about what or who you vote for, except maybe for the short period of a few weeks before elections happen. I like these conservative people who prefer to think before they speak. I believe the drug epidemic that strikes the US has a lot to do with a bad social system, where people can't afford to pay for healthcare or surgery and therefore become dependent on prescription drugs (fentanyl). Anyway, thanks for this view on rural America.
You like these conservatives who’d like to think …. Hmm k if that makes sense to you !!
@@Janevelyn I mean : who prefer to think before...
This is not rural america in general just a small piece of it but a very interesting piece for sure
I'm from West Virginia and I think the fella you interviewed summed up everything everyone needs to know about us at the 34:41 mark. We'll survive.
My family lives in Wyoming County, ever since I was born I go up here every year, this is the closest to freedom you’ll ever get, very nice people and very quiet, they don’t run the trains anymore through the mountains sadly but it’s still a great history spot to visit to
When SHTF you want these kind of people on your side also they are very kind helpful good hearted people.
I live in southern West Virginia. The problem is we have a thing for coal that borders on being a fetish. If you wanna get elected in this state you have to make love to daddy coal. It is actually sad. Politicians have to lie and say we love coal and coal is coming back. Politicians that are honest and say coal jobs is not coming back and even if by some chance a lot of mines do open back up it is highly mechanized industry and just won't bring back the jobs that it once had. That we need to diversify the state's economy and get out of this dependents on mining. If you honest you anti coal and never get elected. If you lie and say coal is coming back after it hasn't for 30 years you will get elected.
How about we start saying. “Yes coal is coming but how about while waiting we diversify our economy so that when it does come back we will all be richer than ever”
@@Progressive2024 they will just say not interested in the other stuff tell us more about coal coming back. Not interested in that diversifying of the economy that a bad word. They start chanting COAL,COAL,COAL,COAL,COAL
@@franklawrence1975 sadly people in this area have no critical thought. Obama killed coal job is what people love to say in this area. It is like they was asleep before Obama and didn't realize the economy was trash and had no coal jobs decades before Obama. Obama killed that was dying when he was a child as JFK was talking about it when he was trying to get elected and was dead as hell when he was in high-school at best and college at worst? The only person that was running for president that bothered to show up in southern west virginia in the last 50 years was not Trump but damn Bernie Sanders. Rant over
Have you ever noticed the connection between democrat voters and poor inner cities.