We have a new series of Anywhere but Washington for the 2020 US presidential election. You can watch the first episode here if you want: ruclips.net/video/OzGL2s2n_QY/видео.html
@@davidemmet7343 Right, like Republicans are? You hired a entitled silver spoon NY con artist as the president and they are the party of the people? Mitch McConnell is a man of the people? Sure, seems to track.
Current politics don't explain the state of southwestern WV. These town have been drying up since the 1940-50s. Instead of blaming trump or Obama you have to look deep into Appalachian coal history.
Political nonsense had nothing to do with this , outside interests have been raping this state since its inception, first timber then coal ,now the fracking and you cant tell the people any different it's a culture almost a demented religion
In this journal you can only expect Orange man bad. It takes more than one man to fix a country, plus, you don't fix a country in four years, not even eight. As an outsider I would vote for Trump in a heartbeat. He would bring back the stimilus America needs to build a better future
luckyson13 “Thriving?” Doubtful at best...turns out that you are the dumb one, stop watching Trump State-TV (FOX News) & do some research. West Virginia has rebounded a bit but it still has serious poverty problems, their only growth is in low-wage jobs. Workers at the bottom of the pay scale aren't benefiting. Despite mighty Trump “doing every single thing he said he would” coal consumption continues to decline & production is lower. All of W. Virginia added a meager 2,200 coal sector jobs in Trump’s first year, an increase of about 4%. This is hardly “thriving.”
luckyson13 NEWSFLASH: Several coal companies announced this week that their financial situations have deteriorated so badly that they will be filing for bankruptcy and likely cutting thousands of jobs. (Thriving?)
luckyson13 NEWSFLASH: Thriving? Coal mine in Kentucky recently closed & stopped payment to the miners. Now the miners are blocking the delivery train piled high with the coal they mined. Justice in Trump’s America.
@@billsamuls7620 look around and look around for real don't do the I'm blind so I'll follow that guy. Our country is in serious trouble. Don't look right don't look left look at what's in front of your face hear what is coming forth from the mouth of the source. The news is needlessly reporting it. needlessly nobody needs to make things up its all in front of you
I can only reply that they make promises, and never keep 'em because we do not hold their feet to the fire when they break their promises. I probably mean that figuratively.
Something I have learned from watching my grandparents and parents struggle financially their entire lives is that you can never put your faith in somebody else to help get you out of poverty. You've gotta take actions and risks and sometimes they pay off and sometimes they don't but at the end of the day, all you have to rely on is yourself.
This is true. I grew up mad poor. Watching my mom Work to support us 3 kids taught me how to work. I am not rich but certainly not poor with 3 kids of my own. My mom taught me a lot. Sadly she passed but these lessons live on. Rely on yourself and get ‘er done
@Adolf Hitler my friends from a farming family and he's proud of the fact he gave away his land rather than giving it to the govt and he knows he doesn't pay the taxes
You are so right my friend. 38 years ago I use to work for a Inventory company called "Malone and Hyde. Our main job was to inventory Walmart Department Stores. At that time, all of Walmarts Stores were in the small small towns like this one in the video. Sam Walton (founder of Walmart) did that on purpose. He didn't want any competition by any of his stores. It would be years later when he start putting them in big cities. The man at the end of this video said it best, "A politician will make all kind of promises just to get your vote." Quote Unquote.
@@monizdm WV is not a sewer. Washington DC is closer to being a sewer, than WV is. Washington DC probably will be a sewer, if The Demonbrats win, and they turn it into a state. DRAIN THE SWAMP, PRESIDENT TRUMP !
I am so impressed with the robust health of that 92-year-old. What a symbol of what it means to be American. He's been doing the same routine for probably More than 70 years. Wakes up, goes across the street, helps people. Although according to him there's not many people to help anymore these days but that's a different story..
Probably the best solution is for the government to assist with the relocation of all the inhabitants somewhere where they can find work. In the long run the help will pay for itself.
My mom grew up in a different WV coal town and saw the same. As a kid, she said you could barely find a parking spot on the weekend because it was so busy. Now it's a ghost town.
The person with the Ariana Grande tattoo? Guess what Ariana doesn’t know they exist. The person who used the bathroom after me? Doesn’t know I exist. The charity I donate money too doesn’t know I exist. I don’t even know who exists there. That customer service rep? Didn’t know you existed until you called for help. Your point?
Yeah was thinking that, great for eco tourism. Yeah a big business like Google, fb, amazon wud kick it back to life. Such a sad story, too common a story.
That's why education is important, without it only stuck in life with floor worker jobs that never once increase the salary according to inflation & change the vote, by not voting to the same political side which happily keeps at that level, While Couch potato news blames everything but the problem.
YES!!! I keep saying e need hyperlocal community involvement..and this goes two ways: not just the govt overseeing the economy but the PEOPLE applying for govt roles rather than big outsider career politicians
regional oversight in America is called state government and we have 50 of em but the problem is our over inflated federal government and their corrupt relationship with corporate America and foreign countries
That 92 year old is how I want to be when I get to 92 (if I get there!) - looking 20 years younger than he really is, slim and athletic, and mentally sharp as a pin. Just amazing.
My whole home state of West Virginia has been doomed in the last 50 so years because of the greed of the rich and the unfulfilled promises of corrupt politicians.
@@MarquisLeary34 and neither are the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party establishment despise these people. Why are people surprised they choose to vote the way they do?
I was scammed badly by some RV dealership in WV. You can't paint an entire population with the same brush. They are poorly educated and therefore easy to dupe with false information. They vote against their own interests and consistently elect corrupt politicians. There should be national educational standards.
@@amywalker7515 I did not say every single West Virginian is nice. Just sensed the sincerity of those in the video. WV is one of those mining and manufacturing states hardly hit by globalization and regional trade agreements. To conclude that they are where they are because they are poorly educated and vote against their self interests is overly simplistic and naive.
"Politicians are politicians." Amen! I'm watching this on January 12, 2021. I'd love to see these folks interviewed again to hear if their lives have improved.
I’m watching this April 30th and Joe Biden is saving the country. Trump did Zero for this poor people. He just played on their ignorance and inherited racism.
@@TST3650 BAHAHAHAHA Joe Biden is saving the country? You should be a stand-up comedian. Joe Biden has been a failure for 47 years in government, and he's running the country even more into the ground.
Juju Rellama but the US has the best numbers right? Best numbers all across the charts, right? Best mortality rate! Best number of people who filed for unemployment, I mean 6+ million people, wow! Beat THAT!
This is a heart breaking video. People taken in by a con man, given false hope, splash in some xenophobia, and you end up with a grifter that couldn't care less about you. Desperate people do desperate things...
Jonathan Terry I’m saying that it would be interesting to see if it has or hasn’t improved. The way to fix the town’s hardship would be to get some type of large factory to set up shop there that pays well. Coal is a dying business and these people need an alternative revenue source to save the town.
Cliff Perkins Either way. It would be interesting to do a series before and after 4 years on an election. Bringing national attention more often might make things better in the long run
He’s a 2 time Purple Heart recipient. He was shot six times. What a man! I just read his obituary as he passed last year. Look at how he wears his gas attendant uniform. Stunning.
This is truly tragic. These people have been abandoned and let down by the people empowered to protect their interests. And neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton is going to help them. It's like a forgotten country within a country.
It's one of the reasons why Hillary lost. The people in the rust belt felt abandoned (5 million manufacturing jobs lost since 2000). They believe that it went oversea, but in truth, our productivity stayed the same, the jobs just went to machines. And more jobs will be lost in the future. To them, Hillary with her decades in politics, is part of the establishment that abandoned them. Came Trump, the outsider, and probably their last hope. Both parties should have helped them make the transition a long time ago. And I believe it's still time to do so. But they need to accept that coal energy is going to die out once alternative energy become more efficient.
The old man in the gas station won 2 Purple Hearts in WW2. He was shot 6 times. Look at how he wears his uniform in this video....The Greatest Generation personified.
Who has never heard of the "Greatest Generation"?!? See....this is what is wrong with this country. Please...if you were born after 1985...pick up a book, watch the History Channel. Learn abt WWII and the vast history of this nation.
The question that I have is, how in the world can ANYONE BE RACIST thinking you are better than anyone else in this society? It's not BLACK VS. WHITE or any other racial conflict, it's RICH VS. POOR AND THE POOR HAVE LOST THE BATTLE!! "Small" people of the world UNITE!!!!
@@klauseder6142 I don't know about that Klaus. Look at it this way, the enemies are the rich whites who the government protects way more than they do the middle class and poor whites. Speaking as a Black man, I see the manipulation on a daily basis and my white associates who truly CHOOSE to acknowledge the scam agree wholeheartedly. I am just stating the facts. Peace my friend.
AMEN. AMEN ! Benjamin Disraeli : "Two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other's habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets. The rich and the poor. "
When the gold and silver mines closed in Northern Ontario, my father along with most other miners moved to where there was work. They retrained, got a job and raised their families. Thirty years ago, nearly all my cousins moved West where the work was and never returned. We learned that times change and in order to survive, you need to adapt.
Why the people from the Midwest doesn't move to the big cities? In the big cities are jobs that can be fill with americans ,move like immigrants move this your country you don't need visa this is your country you speak the english go where the jobs are !
A man in this video commented that these people can’t retrain and move on to other jobs because, “Hell, most of them can’t even read or write.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it’s sad. Another thing that’s even more sad than believing one can’t do anything in life other than work in a filthy coal mine is wanting that same unhealthy life for your kids. One would think they’d want a better life for their kids-and pretty much the only way is through education. It’s ignorance that makes it possible for these pitiful folks to be kept down, used and abused.
can't afford food, but are expected to finance moving their family across the country, and the cost of the education required to qualify for employment in a new industry. seems reasonable.
@@barbs1257 trumps getting re-elected. It wont even be close. Black unemployment rate is at an all time low, the economy is booming, and theres more jobs in america right now than there ever has
Has anyone, ANYONE, ever heard any other line from these supporters besides “economy booming, lowest unemployment.” Oh yeah, “muh stock market.” Lol It’s like a cult, you feed the same lies into the members’ heads until they thoroughly stick. I’ve had to lay out real world numbers to so many now, that I’ve basically given up.
not true! bLACKS HAD THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, THEIR OWN BANKS, AND OTHER BUSINESS. tHE white man CAME IN THAT COMMUNITY AND SLAINED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY, IT WAS NEVER THE SAME! SO AGAIN.. THAT IS STILL TODAY ONE OF THE WORST IF NOT THE WORST MASSACRE IN THE MODERN HISTORY OF THE U.S... GO READ ON THAT SILLY RACIST
Why does being rich make a person bad? I always hear how rich people are the reason others are poor, which is just plain nonsense. I have poor relatives, and I can assure you that they are poor because they marry poorly, have kids when they can't afford them, and are poorly educated. More people are poor due to the worthless "education" they received from government (public) schools, especially in places like WV, which need good schools more than most states.
There are genuine criticisms from liberals on Donald Trump, but I really think too many ignore the faults of their own candidates in the process. This goes both ways. We deserve better than this 2 party system.
ALLINKNOTS That means he hasn’t worked since he was 69 which is normal to late for retirement and he still looks 15 years younger than others his age. And i also don’t think that living scarily below the poverty line isn’t stressful.
James Braun He doesn't have enough money to retire. Plus, why the hell is he complaining about having to kill time due to having no job? He should not have stopped working.
So you are assuming since they have an accent they are not educated? Excuse us commoners for not sounding like you. I am moving my business to welch , because I am tired of the big city people not wanting to work.
They’ve convinced people the taxes they pay are not meant for investing in their health and economic safety, but for the overlords with billions of dollars hoarded away.
@@xiqueira the thing is the tax dollars here haven’t gone towards any of those things for years so of course people aren’t gonna want an increase in taxes
@@blancavelasquez9859 yep JFK and LBJ had some of their strongest support in the central and northern Appalachian regions and it didn’t change that way until about the 90s when Bill Clinton got in to office and did some things like continuing the war drugs and the assault rifle ban that caused the democrats to take a major hit to their already slipping popularity in the region
My sentiments exactly. By the way my mother is 107 and still living in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,(UK) which was a coal mining and ship building town, where I was born and raised.. My family were shipyard workers, (I remember the sound of the rivet guns echoing around the mouth of the river, (eg Tynemouth.) No more though. In my lifetime, all gone. With love and respect to you, my American brothers, Brian
@u.s old glory boy what? most liberals look at the policies most conservatives just look at their party and or skin color and decide this is why leftists like me hate the two party system
This was a fascinating watch. My great grandparents moved to the US from Poland shortly after WW1 ended. They settled in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They lived in squalor and took whatever factory jobs they could get. Their children, my grandparents, got US high school degrees and the women went and got jobs and then men went off to war. Their children, my parents, got highschool degrees and then college degrees and bought homes and moved up and up. And now me, a millennial, has generations of bettering themselves through education behind me. And it’s all because my ancestors settled in a blue state. It’s crazy how much life can change based on where your family ending up setting down roots.
Republicans have taught you that all are dirty so that when one of them is caught, you're not surprised. Well you SHOULD be surprised and angry. Then next time your senator, or any senator lies, call his office. Tell him you deserve better.
@@garylsimmons7255 What choice in a basically one-party state? How better off would people in McDowell County be with Clinton as president? Both Trump and Clinton support the perpetuation of a a capitalist system that cannot provide for people's needs, but only enriches the capitalist class.
@Zee 007 That's what I mean by the choice: devil/deep blue sea or plague and cholera. Which would you choose? I think it was P. J. O'Rourke who was criticized for supporting Trump. He said he was voting for the second worst thing that could happen to America.
It's nearing midnight, Valentine's Day, 2022, and I just saw this for the first time. I'm nearly speechless, but not surprised! @TheGuardian we, the people, request a follow-up in this county asap, please and thank you!!
@@ravenesqueone3033 YOUR TALKING COAL COUTRY.-- YOU SURE YOU don't WANT TO CORRECT YOUR COMMENT? Besides those lost skills of survival require licenses, bait, and a plow. PLUS WIT!!! THIS A SAMPLE OF TRUMPS BASE
I’m a black man from the East Coast. Lived in central West Virginia for several years. Have traveled all over the country and the world. And I’ve yet to find a more decent group of people as a whole as West Virginians. Much respect to these people.
I feel for these people, but, they gotta pull themselves up by their bootstraps right? I mean, that's what I hear all the time regarding poor black communities.
Whites need to use their white privileges to stop being poor. Affirmative action has never helped Blacks, but rather white women and gays. You gotta pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get a life!!!
Angel what you're failing to understand is that he was being sarcastic, affirmative action helped white women more than any other minority and whites out number blacks on welfare!!!! Do some research
These people just naturally thought: The regular folks have forgotten us. Trump isn't "a regular person", that's for sure. So, they thought, Why not? Can't hurt!" Boy, were they WRONG.
Fun fact- Steve Harvey is from McDowell County, West Virginia. The church I went to as a kid used to go on 'mission trips' there when I was younger. So many amazing people but absolutely no opportunity there at all and a ton of poverty as a result. I really think West Virginia is worth any investment thrown at it, it's a beautiful and underrated state!
Nda Nic it’s almost like the majority of ppl in this country aren’t racist republicans or deviant democrats, they just want jobs to feed their families. Who would’ve guessed.
Abama could have done somthing if they were not rases against him so keep staying rasis against black people and watch what hapins you aint seen nonthing yet
@keirfree senior No, it not because of God, America's economy is gone backwards. American politics is rotten to the core. Cannot understand why you would vote for a politician that is so disconnected from the realities of your lifes??????
@@henryrudolph1952 I wouldn't say our economy is backwards, we still have the largest economy in terms of nominal GDP. I agree 100% though, our politicians are corrupt as hell. That goes for the whole world almost, however.
@@shadowyshadow6498 The America economy has served Jamie Diamon CEO JP Morgan how can one man make $31 million/year while some of his staff are on $16:50/hr that not fair. It socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor economy? What would a sheep grabber shagger know?
These poor people...This is happening all over with the loss of certain types of jobs- they have a lot of goodness and dignity but don't understand that Trump is all false promise ...He steps on the little and vulnerable...he is the epitome of the rich greedy ass bussinessman that doesnt pay the people he hires to do a job- the man has done it repeatedly! Coal is over- people need other options. These people are some of the best of what this country has to offer and this is a terrible shame
Well said. The rust belt just north of W.Va. started this slide back in the early 70's and we got no help. Richard Murray's company kills non-union miners and coined the "War on Coal" phrase after frackers raped our resources and sold cheap methane byproducts to big energy. Now, they try to convince our people that less gov. influence and tax breaks for the rich is somehow good for the working class.
Hillary and the Democrats seem to have forgot about America in favor of immigrants and their cosmopolitan zealotry. What would you do if you were them? What would you do for them for jobs, Mr. Heavy Heart?
You have a good point. I think the Dems, are definitely the lesser of two evils, but they have catered so much to inclusiveness that they have excluded the basic working man/woman. A guy like Bernie Sanders got it, he was going after gays, BLM, immigrants AND the working man. Damn Dems screwed him over and screwed themselves over. If Trump had half a brain he would be crushing Hilary, but fortunately for her he doesn't. He can't keep up with his own B.S. But, Mr. Heavy heart has a good point too. There is no easy solution, there is no quick solution. There is a folly in the voter who thinks there is an easy solution to all of this. You open up the coal mines and sure, those people have more jobs in the short term, but what about the climate? We can save some jobs now and screw over farmers, fisherman, beachside property builders, outdoor lovers, and everyone who relies on regular rainfall for generations, or we can sacrifice some jobs now and keep the big picture in mind. So what do you do? Do you kill the goose that laid the golden egg to make a few more people happy for a few years? See.... not quite so easy. The problem is complex.... don't lay into the guy... you don't have a solution either.
NwoDispatcher I didn't say I had a solution- all I said is I was sympathetic to these people- I come from this legacy- my family were loggers and miners in the UP and those jobs are gone now. There is poverty. Their children try to climb out through education and relocating. There is no easy solution but that is all the more reason an intelligent person would be very wary and skeptical of Trump's casually tossed out claims that he will fix it all despite having NO CONCRETE DETAILS OR PLAN. You are totally naive if you believe he is anything other than a dangerous fascist
@@nuttybar9 they have trained for other jobs. The state has given training for free to laid off miners, but the new job they received their training for aren't in the state, at least not in this part, so they usually move out of state, thus creating an endless cycle of trained ,educated people leaving and helping another state's economy.
robert justus, their way of living was destroyed by the mining industry. The coal companies stopped underground mining when they were able to start mountain top removal mining. The mining industry has scammed these people since the industry began and they still are. No one is going to bring back mining jobs they’re lost forever. They don’t need coal miners for mountain top removal mining, they need heavy equipment operators and demolition experts and not very many of those. And when the coal is gone they’ll leave the toxic land and water to poison those left behind.
Now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been running the country (adding to what Obama did in 8 years), how much better is West Virginia in your assessment? What are their major accomplishments in terms of taxes, housing, food, utilities affordability along with education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc.??? Nobody ever has any specific answers when asked while you seem to be able to provide plenty of information. Thanks!
Why don’t you start with doing some research on the infrastructure law that Biden passed and see how much that has benefited West Virginia? Start with that.
They need to diversify their local economy and it starts by re-educating their workforce with skills that are in demand in the 21st-century economy. They deserve universal higher education or at least community college and trade school.
@@davidkatra3130 Nice point - the same old neoliberal claptrap. For poor communities in the U.S., it means bringing in state penitentiaries and opening up your land to toxic dumps.
Unfortunately...politics is about telling people what they want to hear...then doing what "you" always intended on the back of the people who believed and voted...its a joke. Sad but true.
Notice the democrats ~8:53 when asked "are you for the miners?" artfully avoid the question by replying "my grandfather was a miner" and "we come from a coal-mining family". It's a question with a yes or no answer, if answered honestly. These towns are way out in the sticks so it's unlikely the Googles and Amazons are ever going to set up bases here. These people (wannabee politicians) know this. They promise everything and deliver nothing. Avoid.
It's important to understand that these coal counties were left with no alternatives to mining. Education was second to coal. No investment was made in the PEOPLE. This is what happens when capitalism is allowed to run amok.
Well said. Most big corporations in the US are not reinvesting in their own businesses, let alone their workers and communities. They have no sense of place, they got globablism to fall back on and whatever profits that dont go to shareholders, get offshored.
I was born in McDowell County and lived there for 25 years. The best thing I ever did was leave. It is unrecognizable. You can't tell these people that coal is gone forever. I see my buddy Hobert Collins in the video.
Why use a mule when the tracker was invented? Coal is not only incredibly health and environmentally unhealthy, but it is now losing to other sources of energy in its cost effectiveness.
An obvious false statement, a tax cut benefits all who PAY tax, just it benefits the rich more. The way to spread the burdon of taxes, is to put up the top rate and lifting the tax allowance to a higher figure.
@@johnreggie7797 No privilege here. I've worked hard to get to where I am. The people in these communities are cut off from the outside world as so many dont have internet or cable access. Yeah sure some of them have a prepaid phone with a cheap data plan but even then theyve not been taught how to utilize it properly and dont know its capable of giving them a link to the rest of the world. It's sad really, to see schools behind or under curriculum. Even with funding and grants for better tech, most teachers are qualified or educated on how to use it. Until the demographics change , these communities will stay the same, generation after generation. A few will get out on scholarships, or being smart , but most will continue doing what the rest of the region does. I can only hope and pray things change.
@@jeffreygilbert4031 I was already in college when I met my husband and together we built one of the most successful businesses in our area. We've both worked very hard to get to where we are but he is from a good , affluent family.
This is crazy to see. I live 50 minutes or so away from this place in Princeton, WV. The amount of difference that 50 minute drive makes is so saddening. It’s literally depressing to go to McDowell County.
I live in Kanawha county, southeast of Charleston. There's such a sharp divide between the "haves" and the "have-nots" here. Like going up the mountain you have a few miles of really upscale charming homes with well lit sidewalks and then suddenly it's dilapidated houses and trailers and poor people just struggling. It's heartbreaking.
I see cities like this all the time when I travel south. I was born and raised in Morgantown and I realize just how lucky I am for that. I worry as a resident of WV but I sympathize for these areas the most!
id love to see an update on this! these are the type of people who rely on aid that's been cut, suffer more health issues and rely on Obamacare etc. Cuts to education for people who need it the most. these are our fellow Americans, they got duped
Jacob Poindexter of course they want to get jobs, but with with no education, what can they get? Without reliable transportation, how would they even get to a job at McDonalds? I saw a vid of one couple where the man found a job, but it was so far that by the time fuel, time and wear on the vehicle were accounted for, he was averaging a bit over $200 a week.
Her daddy had a good soul. Even though he was a good ole' southern man, I didn't sense a drop of hate or bigotry in his voice. Seems like a good man. Looking for work to support his family
@Roma Rose not counting steel mills that need coal to melt metal for cars, airplanes, refridgerators....these people are hoping they open the Coalmines, and President Trump wants to..I think he will make it happen, and this blonde Bimbo bad mouthing him wants to pity patry these people instead of finding solutions
We have a new series of Anywhere but Washington for the 2020 US presidential election. You can watch the first episode here if you want: ruclips.net/video/OzGL2s2n_QY/видео.html
Trump 2020
@Matt Lang you're so triggered you make stuff up
@Theguardian where's the update for this town? It's more a few years later, how's their hope holding up?
Answer: Because they understand that the Democratic Party is no longer the party of the people, it has become the party of the elite!
@@davidemmet7343 Right, like Republicans are? You hired a entitled silver spoon NY con artist as the president and they are the party of the people? Mitch McConnell is a man of the people? Sure, seems to track.
Current politics don't explain the state of southwestern WV. These town have been drying up since the 1940-50s. Instead of blaming trump or Obama you have to look deep into Appalachian coal history.
The only reasonable comment here
Political nonsense had nothing to do with this , outside interests have been raping this state since its inception, first timber then coal ,now the fracking and you cant tell the people any different it's a culture almost a demented religion
In this journal you can only expect Orange man bad. It takes more than one man to fix a country, plus, you don't fix a country in four years, not even eight. As an outsider I would vote for Trump in a heartbeat. He would bring back the stimilus America needs to build a better future
Facxxxx
Dani Soto so when its obama he’s a bunch of names because he couldnt doit in 8 years now when its trump its impossible?? Yea foh!
Go back today n interview this people
The elder passed since 2016, the one who owned the gas station, I'd guess the majority of the others have overdosed
cynthia mahaffey Lmaoo the end of that was so unnecessary 😂😂
@@Liltbone14 I was wrong, I lived there until 24, still have family there, it's truly sad there I said there a lot 🤣
Tommy Hogan same
exact thoughts.
Liltbone14 she is a mess! Lol.
WOW! The 92-yr old man looks great & is still sharp as a tack.
luckyson13 “Thriving?” Doubtful at best...turns out that you are the dumb one, stop watching Trump State-TV (FOX News) & do some research. West Virginia has rebounded a bit but it still has serious poverty problems, their only growth is in low-wage jobs. Workers at the bottom of the pay scale aren't benefiting. Despite mighty Trump “doing every single thing he said he would” coal consumption continues to decline & production is lower. All of W. Virginia added a meager 2,200 coal sector jobs in Trump’s first year, an increase of about 4%. This is hardly “thriving.”
luckyson13 NEWSFLASH: Several coal companies announced this week that their financial situations have deteriorated so badly that they will be filing for bankruptcy and likely cutting thousands of jobs. (Thriving?)
Tango Bango new orleans news today
luckyson13 NEWSFLASH: Thriving? Coal mine in Kentucky recently closed & stopped payment to the miners. Now the miners are blocking the delivery train piled high with the coal they mined. Justice in Trump’s America.
Boy, is you stupid or what?
Hope this 92 year old man is still around, amazing feat to make it to that age and still be fully intact physically but most importantly mentally
Sadly Mr. Ed passed away, I live where he lived and he was such a sweet wonderful man.
Yea that dude looked, sounded and acted great for a dude un their 70s let alone 90s.
Thats standard for west Virginia the trick is botany and sunlight
He is truly blessed.I know folks in their early 60s who are in bad shape
Lies again? Marsiling Drive North West
Giving false hope to those who are so desperate to survive and care for their families is one of the cruelest things you can do.
@ShariaFreeUK they don't have a patent on it. Any one can and has done that
SO DONT LET THE LEFT IN
@@billsamuls7620 look around and look around for real don't do the I'm blind so I'll follow that guy. Our country is in serious trouble. Don't look right don't look left look at what's in front of your face hear what is coming forth from the mouth of the source. The news is needlessly reporting it. needlessly nobody needs to make things up its all in front of you
You mean, like welfare?
@@stephaniefisher2241 grow up
We need a follow up on this story.
They're still voting...what makes you think they care for his policies
Trump 2020
@@hijack69 There is a followup from about 1-2 years ago.
@Drod hey beta boy the virus came from China
@@winterszhuzhupets2 started in china, however, people traveling to and from European countries brought it into America
“Politicians are politicians. They make promises, and never keep ‘em” Wise man there.
Obama did get me healthcare, I thank him every month when I can get my medications for that.
Jessica H and what else did Obama do that’s so great?
@@lorddeath6300 Ain't that enough deadman?
"Wise?" He got your vote for free. That is not wisdom.
I can only reply that they make promises, and never keep 'em because we do not hold their feet to the fire when they break their promises. I probably mean that figuratively.
Something I have learned from watching my grandparents and parents struggle financially their entire lives is that you can never put your faith in somebody else to help get you out of poverty. You've gotta take actions and risks and sometimes they pay off and sometimes they don't but at the end of the day, all you have to rely on is yourself.
Facts!
You’re 100% right.
Then what's the point of a government? Or elections for that matter?🤨
I agree totally with you!!
This is true. I grew up mad poor. Watching my mom
Work to support us 3 kids taught me how to work. I am not rich but certainly not poor with 3 kids of my own. My mom taught me a lot. Sadly she passed but these lessons live on. Rely on yourself and get ‘er done
That guy is 92? He looks great for his age, wow.
Yeah jeez thought he was maybe 70
That's what I thought!
It's a good thing he's not working too hard !!
not really but maybe because you white people age really fast so you think so..
K anybody that can walk and talk at that age is doing alright
These people are like our Farmers in India. Desperate for a change, and they get exploited by every politicians in India.
@Core i9-9900K yep
@Adolf Hitler my friends from a farming family and he's proud of the fact he gave away his land rather than giving it to the govt and he knows he doesn't pay the taxes
Same in Sri Lanka :/
@Core i9-9900K Yeah, the politicians are the same, but the voters everywhere else CAN'T BE as dumb as these Trump supporters.
They need to stop telling these people Coal will comeback because it won't.
Nah, that's the hook to get the poor whites to vote for ya!
we need coal. not for heating but for plenty of other reasons. One of theme steel if we're serious about bringing that back too.
@@tomomt99 coal mining isn't coming back
It’s actually the only way of doing thing’s. There’s no such thing as “green” energy that’s sustainable in today’s times
@@kova1577 Huh? The sun light and wind aren't sustainable? Haha.
“I voted for that black guy two times” as a black guy I laughed WAY too hard at that😂😂😂
As a white guy I thought that was funny too.
Lol..Same here..😂
u know it's bad when Walmart leaves....
Lol. Everyone, die.
There’s a lot of Walmart’s closing due to Amazon .
+Greg McGinnis not really though
Xavier Imperial I bet there’s a dollar general there now 😂
You are so right my friend. 38 years ago I use to work for a Inventory company called "Malone and Hyde. Our main job was to inventory Walmart Department Stores. At that time, all of Walmarts Stores were in the small small towns like this one in the video. Sam Walton (founder of Walmart) did that on purpose. He didn't want any competition by any of his stores. It would be years later when he start putting them in big cities. The man at the end of this video said it best, "A politician will make all kind of promises just to get your vote." Quote Unquote.
WV is my home. This is absolutely true. And this breaks my heart. I want so much better for my state.
Everyone deserves dignity.
Well then, get out. Staying in a sewer hoping for help is not the answer.
@@monizdm this is a small part of the state, mainly the southern counties.
monizdm This is a horribly hopeless and anti-American point of view you’re sharing. From a progressive West Virginian.
@@monizdm WV is not a sewer. Washington DC is closer to being a sewer, than WV is. Washington DC probably will be a sewer, if The Demonbrats win, and they turn it into a state. DRAIN THE SWAMP, PRESIDENT TRUMP !
@@monizdm Not everyone is a rootless cosmopolitan. Many of these people have long family roots in the area, it's their home.
I want that reporter to go back to that county and ask the residents "what has improved since Trump won the election?"
@Northward Bound that's was his golden ticket, BRING BACK THE COAL!
@@dwightkschrute233 go on
...
onyx kuro go on about what?
@@dwightkschrute233 the glorious achievements of Trump...Can't just make a statement and leave it there hanging, right? People like to know
@@dwightkschrute233 why did you get those numbers...my my my...off trump's script and twitter? Any statutory numbers to back that up?
I am so impressed with the robust health of that 92-year-old. What a symbol of what it means to be American. He's been doing the same routine for probably More than 70 years. Wakes up, goes across the street, helps people. Although according to him there's not many people to help anymore these days but that's a different story..
"Education is the best hope for a democracy." - Socrates
1. And West Virginia is woefully low on that.
2. And Republicans continue to push lack of education.
THIS.
Which dialogue is that from?
One of the greatest equalizers
@@occasionallygrumpy1066 just country
This whole town was a coal-company construct. When coal was done, the company left and the town dried up.
Probably the best solution is for the government to assist with the relocation of all the inhabitants somewhere where they can find work. In the long run the help will pay for itself.
Precisely 😑
My mom grew up in a different WV coal town and saw the same. As a kid, she said you could barely find a parking spot on the weekend because it was so busy. Now it's a ghost town.
@@aquelpibe you cant just leave your home
Reminds me of northern towns in England
The politician they voted for does not even know they exist.
durosoto You could literally say that for any other politician...
BECAUSE IT’S TRUE.
@@averageenjoyer1690 Exactly
@Gary Mcguckin nah
Hard pill to swallow
The person with the Ariana Grande tattoo? Guess what Ariana doesn’t know they exist. The person who used the bathroom after me? Doesn’t know I exist. The charity I donate money too doesn’t know I exist. I don’t even know who exists there. That customer service rep? Didn’t know you existed until you called for help. Your point?
The amount of cognitive dissonance these people have most likely had to apply after the 2020 election is just insane
You know shit is bad when walmart closes down.
XionMarco lol
Lol
XionMarco maybe they didnt have obama care.
steve b fuck you! we don't shoplift! to us, collecting cans better than welfare.
queen debi lmao if you think people in that town aren't on welfare you're full os shit
The 92 yr old is not just physically sharp, but also cognitively. And he know what politicians really are lol Wise old man
He won two Purple Hearts. He was shot six times in the Pacific. What a man! He passed last year. May he RIP
You’re smart, Pedro!
@@Paulco67 now my day is ruined 😔😔😔
No, if you've been in office for your entire career you aren't a wise old man, you are the definition of corruption.
@@marshmellowmoon7990 what
Despite the fact that it’s really undeveloped, this county has gorgeous views just like any other counties in West Virginia.
100 thousand lived their now only 18 thousand.
Stay for the view, dying without money.
Maybe they could replace the coal industry with tourism you know like camping and hotels in such
@@jacksonramsey4848 The only businesses that pop up are Go Mart, Dollar General and City Perk Cafe (video poker joint.)
Yeah was thinking that, great for eco tourism. Yeah a big business like Google, fb, amazon wud kick it back to life. Such a sad story, too common a story.
If they were poor then can you imagine how poor they are now with $5.00 gas, unaffordable housing and skyrocketing groceries, taxes and inflation.
They been poor for a long time….
This isn't really aging well
That's why education is important, without it only stuck in life with floor worker jobs that never once increase the salary according to inflation & change the vote, by not voting to the same political side which happily keeps at that level, While Couch potato news blames everything but the problem.
All the things under Biden.
I have a feeling housing is very affordable there
Lies are only powerful when they are believed. When you have lost everything even lies are better than nothing at all.
I'm surprised I can't find a single other comment saying this, but he looks good for 92
yeh he does
Someone said it 11 months ago
ChinaLake100 REALLY good for 92 actually he takes good care of himself
Yes very good
Must be the clean living.
America is just too big. They need more regional oversight. More people set out to research and find solutions on a smaller level.
YES!!! I keep saying e need hyperlocal community involvement..and this goes two ways: not just the govt overseeing the economy but the PEOPLE applying for govt roles rather than big outsider career politicians
Great point of view.
Each state in the US has its own legislation as well. There is state legislation and federal legislation.
More government ❓❓❓❓👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿
regional oversight in America is called state government and we have 50 of em but the problem is our over inflated federal government and their corrupt relationship with corporate America and foreign countries
That 92 year old is how I want to be when I get to 92 (if I get there!) - looking 20 years younger than he really is, slim and athletic, and mentally sharp as a pin. Just amazing.
Being thin is what got him there. That's the look of longevity.
Let's ask how Trump has changed their life for the better since then?
Trump has probably made it twice as bad , he does not improve anything , just fudges around and bleats nonsense .
The situation has gotten better since trump took presidency...though the coal mines obama shut down have been shut down forever
Ralph and Theo Gotten better how? And do you understand that the toxic pollution from burning coal is destroying our planet? We need clean energy!
@@lessehead then buy a tesla
Ralph and Theo I don’t own a car. And you didn’t answer my question. How has Trump changed their life for the better? Be specific.
The poor are forgotten in this country... my heart breaks for the polarized state of politics- it's actually more about the distribution of wealth.
Democrats and republicans are both guilty of it
My whole home state of West Virginia has been doomed in the last 50 so years because of the greed of the rich and the unfulfilled promises of corrupt politicians.
@@tylerkoch5255 do W Virginians hate Virginians?
Plen122 indeed we do.
I know right, at least Obama would invite the common man to the White House to have lunch or a beer with him from time to time.
I think what’s crazy is that these people are in their late 70s to 90s. Even if coal were to come back, they wouldn’t have a job.
@@Paonporteur they had enough of a clue to reject Hillary though
@@roberttelford745 and they’re still poor and uneducated so what’s your point?
@@roberttelford745 But not enough to realize that some Silver Spoon in his Mouth New York Real Estate Hustler is NOT their savior.
@@MarquisLeary34 and neither are the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party establishment despise these people.
Why are people surprised they choose to vote the way they do?
Imagine needing to work when you're 92.
@9:45 man that old dude is experienced. Such true words for all politicians in all the countries
They seem to be a very nice people who fell on hard times.
I was scammed badly by some RV dealership in WV. You can't paint an entire population with the same brush. They are poorly educated and therefore easy to dupe with false information. They vote against their own interests and consistently elect corrupt politicians. There should be national educational standards.
@@amywalker7515 I did not say every single West Virginian is nice. Just sensed the sincerity of those in the video.
WV is one of those mining and manufacturing states hardly hit by globalization and regional trade agreements.
To conclude that they are where they are because they are poorly educated and vote against their self interests is overly simplistic and naive.
This video made me cry. I hate seeing the elderly or anyone suffer😪
And it's only getting worse decade after decade. Still, people stay there.
Not very smart, tho-
"Politicians are politicians." Amen! I'm watching this on January 12, 2021. I'd love to see these folks interviewed again to hear if their lives have improved.
NOT!!!
I’m watching this April 30th and Joe Biden is saving the country. Trump did Zero for this poor people. He just played on their ignorance and inherited racism.
And they voted in Trump again.
@@TST3650 BAHAHAHAHA Joe Biden is saving the country? You should be a stand-up comedian. Joe Biden has been a failure for 47 years in government, and he's running the country even more into the ground.
@@thatleftyjames2893 um, no. prove it
Covid 19 really exposed how poor this country really is.
this video was done long before Covid and the virus hit every country, every economy in the world,
Juju Rellama but the US has the best numbers right? Best numbers all across the charts, right? Best mortality rate! Best number of people who filed for unemployment, I mean 6+ million people, wow! Beat THAT!
Khan Saab Biden 2020
@David Vance Yes, that's what we're afraid of.
@David Vance Why do you like Trump?
This is a heart breaking video. People taken in by a con man, given false hope, splash in some xenophobia, and you end up with a grifter that couldn't care less about you. Desperate people do desperate things...
More like no one even acknowledging that they even existed.
Yeah sadly these young democrat cons were trying to swindal those elderly wise republicans.
@@Zarozian also sadly, I think what you're saying is true....
@@alivinggodservice really and where are they now after voting for Trump, Ohh same place. Don't blame the dems for their stupidity.
Absolutely
You guys need to revisit the town and ask how Trump imoroved their lives
And how would any president?
Jonathan Terry
I’m saying that it would be interesting to see if it has or hasn’t improved.
The way to fix the town’s hardship would be to get some type of large factory to set up shop there that pays well. Coal is a dying business and these people need an alternative revenue source to save the town.
@@jonathanterry9989 is that a question of resignation that no president is capable of that accomplishment, or a question of specific tactic?
You mean how he did not improve their lives
Cliff Perkins
Either way. It would be interesting to do a series before and after 4 years on an election. Bringing national attention more often might make things better in the long run
The old man in the gas station knows what he is talking about and every word he spoke was truth
He’s a 2 time Purple Heart recipient. He was shot six times. What a man! I just read his obituary as he passed last year. Look at how he wears his gas attendant uniform. Stunning.
That is also the difference between a politician and a hero.
I bet he gives amazing life advice while rocking on a porch and eating apple slices off a whittlin' knife.
Politicians just tell you want you want to hear, oldest trick in the book
This Made me sad....yes I'm black and I care about the well being of everyone in America.
Really. fuck cares you're black.
Wtf is wrong with y'all? You people are fucked in the head, you people are just a bunch of racist lil bitches.
Coletta Hughes XD look at you're videos you're just a crazy old bitch, that shit don't work.
Same here I'm Azetec. I feel for ole papa and his community.
@@user-si6jy8dt8u like big Mike 😂
Old Donnie donning that coal miner helmet makes me think of Herschel Walker flashing that dime store Lone Ranger badge.....😆😂😂
This is truly tragic. These people have been abandoned and let down by the people empowered to protect their interests. And neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton is going to help them. It's like a forgotten country within a country.
It's one of the reasons why Hillary lost. The people in the rust belt felt abandoned (5 million manufacturing jobs lost since 2000). They believe that it went oversea, but in truth, our productivity stayed the same, the jobs just went to machines. And more jobs will be lost in the future. To them, Hillary with her decades in politics, is part of the establishment that abandoned them. Came Trump, the outsider, and probably their last hope. Both parties should have helped them make the transition a long time ago. And I believe it's still time to do so. But they need to accept that coal energy is going to die out once alternative energy become more efficient.
Trump just kept his promise and repealed Obama's rule on coal mining! So he just helped them.
Hass Chapman they needed to grow with the times and they didnt
Ellis John Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?
Lol guess what he's already helping them. Bet you feel stupid now.
This makes me grateful for the situation I’m in right now
The old man in the gas station won 2 Purple Hearts in WW2. He was shot 6 times. Look at how he wears his uniform in this video....The Greatest Generation personified.
That's the difference between a hero and a politician.
@Kiing79 SicDaggerCarp yes, he was born during what they call the “Greatest Generation” of the early 1900s (
@Kiing79 SicDaggerCarp go read a book 📖
Who has never heard of the "Greatest Generation"?!? See....this is what is wrong with this country. Please...if you were born after 1985...pick up a book, watch the History Channel. Learn abt WWII and the vast history of this nation.
@Kiing79 SicDaggerCarp you clearly never read
North America needs social measures who help the people and stop allowed corporations to run our countries.
The question that I have is, how in the world can ANYONE BE RACIST thinking you are better than anyone else in this society? It's not BLACK VS. WHITE or any other racial conflict, it's RICH VS. POOR AND THE POOR HAVE LOST THE BATTLE!! "Small" people of the world UNITE!!!!
Martin Luther King once said something like this (I'll paraphrase) powerful white men have convinced poor white men that black men are the enemy.
@@GrievingForGrace and now they are convincing all black that all whites are the enemy
@@klauseder6142 I don't know about that Klaus. Look at it this way, the enemies are the rich whites who the government protects way more than they do the middle class and poor whites. Speaking as a Black man, I see the manipulation on a daily basis and my white associates who truly CHOOSE to acknowledge the scam agree wholeheartedly. I am just stating the facts. Peace my friend.
AMEN. AMEN !
Benjamin Disraeli :
"Two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other's habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets. The rich and the poor. "
Very well said Eastside Mike. 👍
When the gold and silver mines closed in Northern Ontario, my father along with most other miners moved to where there was work. They retrained, got a job and raised their families. Thirty years ago, nearly all my cousins moved West where the work was and never returned. We learned that times change and in order to survive, you need to adapt.
Why the people from the Midwest doesn't move to the big cities? In the big cities are jobs that can be fill with americans ,move like immigrants move this your country you don't need visa this is your country you speak the english go where the jobs are !
@@dorisc8604 and get paid lower than minimum wage?
A man in this video commented that these people can’t retrain and move on to other jobs because, “Hell, most of them can’t even read or write.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it’s sad. Another thing that’s even more sad than believing one can’t do anything in life other than work in a filthy coal mine is wanting that same unhealthy life for your kids. One would think they’d want a better life for their kids-and pretty much the only way is through education. It’s ignorance that makes it possible for these pitiful folks to be kept down, used and abused.
can't afford food, but are expected to finance moving their family across the country, and the cost of the education required to qualify for employment in a new industry. seems reasonable.
Hello Jean how are you doing today.
election coming up in 2020, just wondering how many people in McDowell County will vote for Trump again? did he fulfill his campaign promises?
1960jack There are still more jobs than when he took office.
Moe Lester don’t think so, unless you call jobs at McDonald’s , jobs
@@barbs1257 trumps getting re-elected. It wont even be close. Black unemployment rate is at an all time low, the economy is booming, and theres more jobs in america right now than there ever has
Has anyone, ANYONE, ever heard any other line from these supporters besides “economy booming, lowest unemployment.” Oh yeah, “muh stock market.” Lol It’s like a cult, you feed the same lies into the members’ heads until they thoroughly stick. I’ve had to lay out real world numbers to so many now, that I’ve basically given up.
People that support trump are in denial, the only people that are benefiting from trump is the rich.
It's not about Black vs White, it's about Rich vs Poor. It always has been and always will be.
Christian Bozwell
Thank you!!!!
It's about the globalists and the American people!
Christian Bozwell
In my opinion, it's the corrupt in power vs the rest of us.
not true! bLACKS HAD THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, THEIR OWN BANKS, AND OTHER BUSINESS. tHE white man CAME IN THAT COMMUNITY AND SLAINED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY, IT WAS NEVER THE SAME! SO AGAIN.. THAT IS STILL TODAY ONE OF THE WORST IF NOT THE WORST MASSACRE IN THE MODERN HISTORY OF THE U.S... GO READ ON THAT SILLY RACIST
Why does being rich make a person bad? I always hear how rich people are the reason others are poor, which is just plain nonsense. I have poor relatives, and I can assure you that they are poor because they marry poorly, have kids when they can't afford them, and are poorly educated. More people are poor due to the worthless "education" they received from government (public) schools, especially in places like WV, which need good schools more than most states.
There are genuine criticisms from liberals on Donald Trump, but I really think too many ignore the faults of their own candidates in the process. This goes both ways. We deserve better than this 2 party system.
No you need voters that use common sense to vote.
Trump never cared about WV and McDowell is proof of it!
That guy looks great for 92 years old
Thats what i just said
He hasn’t worked since 1995. That’s what happens when you live off the welfare system.
@@ALLINKNOTS it's what happens when you retire
ALLINKNOTS That means he hasn’t worked since he was 69 which is normal to late for retirement and he still looks 15 years younger than others his age. And i also don’t think that living scarily below the poverty line isn’t stressful.
James Braun He doesn't have enough money to retire. Plus, why the hell is he complaining about having to kill time due to having no job? He should not have stopped working.
"I love the poorly educated"
- Donald Trump -
I bet!
Ok? And? Making fun of the less fortunate? Pretty much the liberal mentality?
So you are assuming since they have an accent they are not educated? Excuse us commoners for not sounding like you. I am moving my business to welch , because I am tired of the big city people not wanting to work.
@@noakhstrelec8478 that doesn’t happen tho. Liberals want to help the less fortunate
So these people would surely give up their Medicare? Yes, they would vote against their own best interest!
And while the rich benefit from social programs ALL THE TIME, these people have been convince that they shouldn't want any.
They’ve convinced people the taxes they pay are not meant for investing in their health and economic safety, but for the overlords with billions of dollars hoarded away.
@@xiqueira the thing is the tax dollars here haven’t gone towards any of those things for years so of course people aren’t gonna want an increase in taxes
these are the voters democrats could win over if they just send the right message
@@blancavelasquez9859 yep JFK and LBJ had some of their strongest support in the central and northern Appalachian regions and it didn’t change that way until about the 90s when Bill Clinton got in to office and did some things like continuing the war drugs and the assault rifle ban that caused the democrats to take a major hit to their already slipping popularity in the region
Social programs dont work they just create a cycle or dependency!
wow if I ever make it to 92 I hope I'm as sharp as that guy....
Still in good shape to me
Yep
He looks great too
My sentiments exactly. By the way my mother is 107 and still living in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne,(UK) which was a coal mining and ship building town, where I was born and raised.. My family were shipyard workers, (I remember the sound of the rivet guns echoing around the mouth of the river, (eg Tynemouth.) No more though. In my lifetime, all gone.
With love and respect to you, my American brothers, Brian
Yes, but he voted for Trump. And is still waiting for the benefits Trump promised him. How sharp is that?
I could never understand people who vote against their own interests.
He promised to bring back coal. Looks like McDowell where desperate
@TheZoneRanger ummm democrats want free healthcare republicans dont...
@fuss technically it is free of charge too you or its affordable
@u.s old glory boy what? most liberals look at the policies most conservatives just look at their party and or skin color and decide this is why leftists like me hate the two party system
Because in their mind they think they'll be one of the 1% one day. Smh.
This was a fascinating watch. My great grandparents moved to the US from Poland shortly after WW1 ended. They settled in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They lived in squalor and took whatever factory jobs they could get. Their children, my grandparents, got US high school degrees and the women went and got jobs and then men went off to war. Their children, my parents, got highschool degrees and then college degrees and bought homes and moved up and up. And now me, a millennial, has generations of bettering themselves through education behind me. And it’s all because my ancestors settled in a blue state. It’s crazy how much life can change based on where your family ending up setting down roots.
"Rich people who has never been poor dont understand us".....proceeds to elect Donald Trump
Brain damage
@@yasmeenaya but not all presidents act completely egotistical like Trump.
Lily-Beth xoxo Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S Grant... sounds familiar
Difficult to change mentality..
Who does
“Politicians are politicians, they make promises and they don’t keep them.” I agree with you old man.
Republicans have taught you that all are dirty so that when one of them is caught, you're not surprised. Well you SHOULD be surprised and angry. Then next time your senator, or any senator lies, call his office. Tell him you deserve better.
Probably the smartest man in the whole town: the gas station owner.
I was just thinking that ...I wonder how he voted?
@@garylsimmons7255 What choice in a basically one-party state? How better off would people in McDowell County be with Clinton as president? Both Trump and Clinton support the perpetuation of a a capitalist system that cannot provide for people's needs, but only enriches the capitalist class.
@Zee 007 That's what I mean by the choice: devil/deep blue sea or plague and cholera. Which would you choose? I think it was P. J. O'Rourke who was criticized for supporting Trump. He said he was voting for the second worst thing that could happen to America.
@@sbor2020 I wouldn't choose the blatant racist, misogynist, psychotic
You learn a thing or two after 92 years seeing the same thing over and over
It's nearing midnight, Valentine's Day, 2022, and I just saw this for the first time. I'm nearly speechless, but not surprised! @TheGuardian we, the people, request a follow-up in this county asap, please and thank you!!
they have no food while trump kills food programs- unbelievable!!!
ricky Tiki - Certainly they can hunt, fish and grow food.
@@ravenesqueone3033 YOUR TALKING COAL COUTRY.-- YOU SURE YOU don't WANT TO CORRECT YOUR COMMENT? Besides those lost skills of survival require licenses, bait, and a plow. PLUS WIT!!! THIS A SAMPLE OF TRUMPS BASE
Hey, remember it was Obama who killed the coal industry.
If you have ever heard Trump speak it's pretty believable
@@ResidentStump you CAN fool some of the time.......
I’m a black man from the East Coast. Lived in central West Virginia for several years. Have traveled all over the country and the world. And I’ve yet to find a more decent group of people as a whole as West Virginians. Much respect to these people.
I agree with you Putt Talks!
Been to Montana yet?
Great Roads, Stupid People.
@@michaelpreston233 How would you know?
while WV is commonly stereotyped as a racist state, it's the only state formed by Americans seceding from the confederacy.
I feel for these people, but, they gotta pull themselves up by their bootstraps right? I mean, that's what I hear all the time regarding poor black communities.
Sharon M yes I know. That's one of the points I was making. This is just what I hear from conservatives around where I live.
Whites need to use their white privileges to stop being poor. Affirmative action has never helped Blacks, but rather white women and gays.
You gotta pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get a life!!!
Sharon M .......whites, where are your white privileges now???
Angel what you're failing to understand is that he was being sarcastic, affirmative action helped white women more than any other minority and whites out number blacks on welfare!!!! Do some research
ATL 1 not when those jobs are about to be automated away
The education system in this country has really fallen down hard time.
Look at how absolutely lush green and gorgeous the land is!
It's a very beautiful state, I love it here ❤
The only thing left to do is bring back coal and ruin that natural beauty.
mbaxter22 It’s underground. My family has been digging it for decades
Almost heaven
Dont worry . Whites will find a way to poison that land
And even now West Virginia is still impoverished, coal mining isn’t back, and everything he said was a ruse.
Interesting people. Salt of the Earth. This 92 year-old has impressive clarity of mind.
There's no reason to dig coal when there is nobody to sell it to.
I’ve seen 60 years old look 20 years older than he does, wow.
you got a don hard jimmer?
if amazon or google came to town,theyd tear down their trailers for sleek modern houses and the cost of living would force the native people out
26 yrs working in the coal mines retired with NOTHING old shack probably doesent own that
Did you ever consider that he might have had to sell and downsize after the shutdown?
And he is probably more content and well adjusted than your typical old man in care homes in suburban America.
He's gust refinanced it for 15 more years at 10 %
These people just naturally thought: The regular folks have forgotten us.
Trump isn't "a regular person", that's for sure. So, they thought, Why not? Can't hurt!"
Boy, were they WRONG.
Fun fact- Steve Harvey is from McDowell County, West Virginia. The church I went to as a kid used to go on 'mission trips' there when I was younger. So many amazing people but absolutely no opportunity there at all and a ton of poverty as a result. I really think West Virginia is worth any investment thrown at it, it's a beautiful and underrated state!
How is it underrated compared to other states like Alaska or other places that have lots of natural beauty?
They are racist bigots and are getting their just karma.
“I voted for that black guy two times,” powerful sentence coming from a person around there
Thank you.
Finally someone who realises that Obama was put in to office by the same people that are being called deplorables.
Its sad because the evolution of things are not moving in that direction. Its just not.
Nda Nic it’s almost like the majority of ppl in this country aren’t racist republicans or deviant democrats, they just want jobs to feed their families. Who would’ve guessed.
Abama could have done somthing if they were not rases against him so keep staying rasis against black people and watch what hapins you aint seen nonthing yet
"from a person around there" you are as bigoted as the view you have of the people you judge
DO SUCH A VIDEO FOR THE POOREST COUNTY IN EVERY STATE - let the poor people be seen and heard.
Truth!
Hello MJ how are you doing today.
Just watching this in 2023. .I agree, and I'm in the u.k . For some reason I have always wanted to visit west Virginia.
Was there a follow-up in this area? That would be interesting.
Hi from New Zealand,
May God love and protection be with you all. Thank you for sharing your community with the world.
@keirfree senior No, it not because of
God, America's economy is gone backwards. American politics is rotten to the core. Cannot understand why you would vote for a politician that is so disconnected from the realities of your lifes??????
@leo lowen Oh hello,
@leo lowen Are you an over stayer in America.
@@henryrudolph1952 I wouldn't say our economy is backwards, we still have the largest economy in terms of nominal GDP. I agree 100% though, our politicians are corrupt as hell. That goes for the whole world almost, however.
@@shadowyshadow6498 The America economy has served Jamie Diamon CEO JP Morgan how can one man make $31 million/year while some of his staff are on $16:50/hr that not fair. It socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor economy? What would a sheep grabber shagger know?
These poor people...This is happening all over with the loss of certain types of jobs- they have a lot of goodness and dignity but don't understand that Trump is all false promise ...He steps on the little and vulnerable...he is the epitome of the rich greedy ass bussinessman that doesnt pay the people he hires to do a job- the man has done it repeatedly!
Coal is over- people need other options. These people are some of the best of what this country has to offer and this is a terrible shame
Well said. The rust belt just north of W.Va. started this slide back in the early 70's and we got no help. Richard Murray's company kills non-union miners and coined the "War on Coal" phrase after frackers raped our resources and sold cheap methane byproducts to big energy. Now, they try to convince our people that less gov. influence and tax breaks for the rich is somehow good for the working class.
Hillary and the Democrats seem to have forgot about America in favor of immigrants and their cosmopolitan zealotry. What would you do if you were them? What would you do for them for jobs, Mr. Heavy Heart?
You have a good point. I think the Dems, are definitely the lesser of two evils, but they have catered so much to inclusiveness that they have excluded the basic working man/woman. A guy like Bernie Sanders got it, he was going after gays, BLM, immigrants AND the working man. Damn Dems screwed him over and screwed themselves over. If Trump had half a brain he would be crushing Hilary, but fortunately for her he doesn't. He can't keep up with his own B.S.
But, Mr. Heavy heart has a good point too. There is no easy solution, there is no quick solution. There is a folly in the voter who thinks there is an easy solution to all of this. You open up the coal mines and sure, those people have more jobs in the short term, but what about the climate? We can save some jobs now and screw over farmers, fisherman, beachside property builders, outdoor lovers, and everyone who relies on regular rainfall for generations, or we can sacrifice some jobs now and keep the big picture in mind. So what do you do? Do you kill the goose that laid the golden egg to make a few more people happy for a few years? See.... not quite so easy. The problem is complex.... don't lay into the guy... you don't have a solution either.
NwoDispatcher I didn't say I had a solution- all I said is I was sympathetic to these people- I come from this legacy- my family were loggers and miners in the UP and those jobs are gone now. There is poverty. Their children try to climb out through education and relocating. There is no easy solution but that is all the more reason an intelligent person would be very wary and skeptical of Trump's casually tossed out claims that he will fix it all despite having NO CONCRETE DETAILS OR PLAN. You are totally naive if you believe he is anything other than a dangerous fascist
Coal is over? LOL is that's why Germany is increasing coal reliance?
I hope there's been a follow-up to this documentary to see how many coal mining jobs have returned.
You know coal mining's not everything ,They can train for other jobs.
Check the description, there is a follow up I believe
@@nuttybar9 they have trained for other jobs. The state has given training for free to laid off miners, but the new job they received their training for aren't in the state, at least not in this part, so they usually move out of state, thus creating an endless cycle of trained ,educated people leaving and helping another state's economy.
@Isaiah Baker No it's not ,The Dems just want to mess with their way of living.
robert justus, their way of living was destroyed by the mining industry. The coal companies stopped underground mining when they were able to start mountain top removal mining. The mining industry has scammed these people since the industry began and they still are. No one is going to bring back mining jobs they’re lost forever. They don’t need coal miners for mountain top removal mining, they need heavy equipment operators and demolition experts and not very many of those. And when the coal is gone they’ll leave the toxic land and water to poison those left behind.
Trump couldn’t care less about these people and yet they all worship him. Trump wouldn’t lift a finger to help these poor people.
Fr
Yeah I could never understand how a billionaire who uses gold-plated toilet seats relates to the poor working man
Now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been running the country (adding to what Obama did in 8 years), how much better is West Virginia in your assessment?
What are their major accomplishments in terms of taxes, housing, food, utilities affordability along with education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc.???
Nobody ever has any specific answers when asked while you seem to be able to provide plenty of information.
Thanks!
Why don’t you start with doing some research on the infrastructure law that Biden passed and see how much that has benefited West Virginia? Start with that.
I’d love to hear what they have to say about him now!
So would I.
Me too
The guy is the best president the us has ever had. Trump 2020
I bet you they still do lmao. These people literally never learn.
Lol trump 😂.. boy people are so gullible ...
They need to diversify their local economy and it starts by re-educating their workforce with skills that are in demand in the 21st-century economy. They deserve universal higher education or at least community college and trade school.
How do you diversify nothing?
@@davidkatra3130 Nice point - the same old neoliberal claptrap. For poor communities in the U.S., it means bringing in state penitentiaries and opening up your land to toxic dumps.
Agree, but they gotta do a better job at educating the youth as well, so that they can make it to college
@@mikesilverii7535 And then they'll migrate to the big city. So, is this town doomed?
@@BVargas78 this is exactly what happened in Ireland and other rural communities. It doesn’t save the town, it hastens its abandonment.
Unfortunately...politics is about telling people what they want to hear...then doing what "you" always intended on the back of the people who believed and voted...its a joke. Sad but true.
Notice the democrats ~8:53 when asked "are you for the miners?" artfully avoid the question by replying "my grandfather was a miner" and "we come from a coal-mining family". It's a question with a yes or no answer, if answered honestly. These towns are way out in the sticks so it's unlikely the Googles and Amazons are ever going to set up bases here. These people (wannabee politicians) know this. They promise everything and deliver nothing. Avoid.
Very well said, but I also know Trump is the first president to keep his campaign promises. So hopefully others will follow this.
Why would they think Trump would be helpful?
He would build a casino maybe?
coal is never coming back and trumpf knew that.
But he needed those votes lol
But it got him votes.
Man, how long is any politician is going to promise to bring coal, which is a dead industry.
Should had voted Hillary atleast she was going to give jobs from windmills dams and solar farms it’s not coal but it’s jobs!
Trump didn't know how hard the Washington swampers that made money from imported Chinese coal would fight him.
I would like to have this old man in my town for his knowledge . He is a NATIONAL TREASURE .
Chief Kurtz - what a racist and asinine statement.
@@blancobasnett your white arnt you ???.
carl krebs he has died
How are they doing now that trump has been in office? Is there a an update video yet?
。テンマ they’re doing better now, new mines have opened up and the county is more alive than I’ve ever seen it.
Grizzly Productions I hope so. No one should have to live like that
Yes it is pretty sad.
Grizzly Productions do you have a source? I'm interested to see how many mines and how many people are getting to go back to work.
Plen122 Larger companies bought out the mines and started to hire workers in 2017. That question is a 30 second google search lol
It's important to understand that these coal counties were left with no alternatives to mining. Education was second to coal. No investment was made in the PEOPLE. This is what happens when capitalism is allowed to run amok.
Well said. Most big corporations in the US are not reinvesting in their own businesses, let alone their workers and communities. They have no sense of place, they got globablism to fall back on and whatever profits that dont go to shareholders, get offshored.
I was born in McDowell County and lived there for 25 years. The best thing I ever did was leave. It is unrecognizable. You can't tell these people that coal is gone forever. I see my buddy Hobert Collins in the video.
Why use a mule when the tracker was invented? Coal is not only incredibly health and environmentally unhealthy, but it is now losing to other sources of energy in its cost effectiveness.
Hello beautiful
So how many years after there isn't a coal mine to work in will they understand that coal is gone forever?
It’s not gone forever. There’s not alternative in these times
@@kova1577 apart from nuclear energy of course. Super safe and reliable
The tax cut will benefit the rich and not the poor
@GoldenState exactly...lol
An obvious false statement, a tax cut benefits all who PAY tax, just it benefits the rich more. The way to spread the burdon of taxes, is to put up the top rate and lifting the tax allowance to a higher figure.
At 92 that man is as sharp as a knife
Mike Smith he literally needed subtitles to translate a language he speaks natively...
Clinton shut the coal mines down .
True.
I came from people like this.
I went to school, married well and got out.
But most dont.
We aren't ignorant or stupid, just left behind.
Katie Dorton god bless you. So much love for my fellow whites who didn’t receive all that white privilege I always hear about.
@@johnreggie7797
No privilege here.
I've worked hard to get to where I am.
The people in these communities are cut off from the outside world as so many dont have internet or cable access.
Yeah sure some of them have a prepaid phone with a cheap data plan but even then theyve not been taught how to utilize it properly and dont know its capable of giving them a link to the rest of the world.
It's sad really, to see schools behind or under curriculum. Even with funding and grants for better tech, most teachers are qualified or educated on how to use it.
Until the demographics change , these communities will stay the same, generation after generation.
A few will get out on scholarships, or being smart , but most will continue doing what the rest of the region does.
I can only hope and pray things change.
Married well to get out? Where does the hard work fit in?
@@jeffreygilbert4031
I was already in college when I met my husband and together we built one of the most successful businesses in our area.
We've both worked very hard to get to where we are but he is from a good , affluent family.
@benny pitt
I agree.
This is crazy to see. I live 50 minutes or so away from this place in Princeton, WV. The amount of difference that 50 minute drive makes is so saddening. It’s literally depressing to go to McDowell County.
I live in Kanawha county, southeast of Charleston. There's such a sharp divide between the "haves" and the "have-nots" here. Like going up the mountain you have a few miles of really upscale charming homes with well lit sidewalks and then suddenly it's dilapidated houses and trailers and poor people just struggling. It's heartbreaking.
I see cities like this all the time when I travel south. I was born and raised in Morgantown and I realize just how lucky I am for that. I worry as a resident of WV but I sympathize for these areas the most!
No progression in EVERY way... people stuck ,
Old man looks better than a 19-year-old meth user. Stay strong sir.
Agreed!!
Year's of hard work and clean living
Lol
Every non Meth user looks better than a Meth user.
JC that 92 year old looks more physically fit than many of today's teenagers.
And they think Don is on their side?
Wow!
That's like believing your doctor cares
They voted for trump let’s see how GREAT AGAIN their city looks now..
id love to see an update on this! these are the type of people who rely on aid that's been cut, suffer more health issues and rely on Obamacare etc. Cuts to education for people who need it the most. these are our fellow Americans, they got duped
@@okimawilcox1550 most are on fixed incomes but they want to cut welfare that's why they are starving go ahead and starve ......You own fault !!!!
@@jessegipson3600 probably because they want to be able to get jobs to support themselves instead of relying on welfare
Jacob Poindexter of course they want to get jobs, but with with no education, what can they get? Without reliable transportation, how would they even get to a job at McDonalds? I saw a vid of one couple where the man found a job, but it was so far that by the time fuel, time and wear on the vehicle were accounted for, he was averaging a bit over $200 a week.
The coal was coming back till covid hit.
Red States are the poorest states, you have to ask yourself what are these people thinking.
Her daddy had a good soul. Even though he was a good ole' southern man, I didn't sense a drop of hate or bigotry in his voice. Seems like a good man. Looking for work to support his family
Jupiter Stars he voted for the black man twice lol
Jupiter Stars Hey
I sensed a little disrespect when he talked about obama tbh
I wonder how many townspeople perished from Black Lung?
Way too many. My father passed 2 weeks ago and suffered with black lung for decades.
How many people would freeze or starve to death if not for coal?
@Roma Rose not counting steel mills that need coal to melt metal for cars, airplanes, refridgerators....these people are hoping they open the Coalmines, and President Trump wants to..I think he will make it happen, and this blonde Bimbo bad mouthing him wants to pity patry these people instead of finding solutions
@Roma Rose Yeah that's why renewable energy sources are more important so that no other generation have to go through these problems.
Terrie Martinez 🙄