Appalachia and its people remain poor for a simple reason: They were shaped by a legacy of extraction and exploitation. As Appalachia has been systematically stripped of its coal and timber and other resources—the wealth of an entire region converted into energy and capital for industrial America—the poverty rate has soared to 35 percent in mining communities. Many residents lack access to basic necessities like health care and transportation. False promises and cheap drugs are the only things the rest of America exports to Appalachia in plentiful supply.
The War On Hillbillies
