The 12 States of America from The Atlantic: Income inequality marks majority of America


Graphics story in The Atlantic this month — “The 12 States of America.”

Looking at my print copy I was struck that most of the “states” listed — really communities of people — have lost economic ground in the past decade.  Average per capita incomes dropped for most groups.

Since 1980, income inequality has fractured the nation. Click each icon to see each of the dozen states, which counties belong to them and how median income has changed over the last 30 years.

The old income inequality monster rearing its ugly, ugly head again.  America is losing ground.  No wonder the Republicans are discouraged — but why don’t they understand that its their policies that create the trouble?

This is a good version, but you’d do well to go check out a larger version at The Atlantic site, and read the short article by Dante Chinni and James Gimpel.

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The 12 States of America – The Atlantic, posted with vodpod

Click on any descriptor, and it will show which counties in America match that description.

Hmmm. In the headline, should that be “scars” instead of “marks?”

11 Responses to The 12 States of America from The Atlantic: Income inequality marks majority of America

  1. Nick K says:

    Ellie writes:
    I’m partial to oubliettes. But, I’m not sure I’d want to use it for ordinary hit and run — or hit and miss — trolls.

    Yeah but I think Hattip rises…or rather…sinks to the level of where an oubliette may be necessary. He is rather similar to Knocky and Aman..and that other right wing troll of a jackass, or was it jackass of a troll, from yonder years that I can’t remember the name of….

    He was so a friend of Aman’s one would almost think that the term “friend” was an understatement.

    Like

  2. Ed Darrell says:

    Somebody coming late to this conversation might be frantically clicking the map trying to find the “Oubliette Burbs” population descriptor . . .

    Like

  3. Ellie says:

    The oubliette preference began as a family joke, back in 1986, after we watched Labyrinth. I didn’t think it was a terribly unusual word. Probably doesn’t fit the Bathtub theme as well as septic tank though. :-)

    Like

  4. Ed Darrell says:

    I’m getting rusty — heading off for the dictionary again. Do you favor oubliettes only because the word sounds cool, and no one knows what the heck you’re talking about?

    OTOH, I’m a teacher. You know the motto: “They treat me like a mushroom: They keep me in the dark and feed me nothing but manure.” Oubliettes are good for that.

    Like

  5. Ellie says:

    I’m partial to oubliettes. But, I’m not sure I’d want to use it for ordinary hit and run — or hit and miss — trolls.

    Like

  6. Jim says:

    Ed,

    I like the drain imagery, but I’m not for banning people per se.

    Maybe a septic tank? Or perhaps some hall of shame where those who get caught doing naughty things in the bathtub are exposed to public hazing?

    Not ALL those bubbles are soap, you know!

    Like

  7. Ed Darrell says:

    Whaddya think, then — do I need a “Millard’s Drain” file to move the trolls to?

    Like

  8. Jim says:

    Ed,

    I have discovered that Hattip never returns to the scene of his crimes against fact and reason. He returns to the site, and posts fresh, steaming piles of monkey dookie. But never to answer questions, respond to critics or defend his specious claims.

    He is the classic internet troll. It does make me wonder why such people behave this way. And I’ve seen liberal trolls do this, too, so it’s hardly a partisan thing. But all they succeed in accomplishing is convincing everyone watching of their own cowardice.

    Which is why — as vigorously as I disagree with him — I respect Morgan and some of the other extreme righties here. At least they make some attempt to engage.

    Like

  9. Ed Darrell says:

    So, Hattip: You’re saying the figures are wrong?

    Like

  10. hattip says:

    Oh nonsense-if America has “lost ground”, it is due to the war on the white middle class in particular, and Liberty and Capitalism in general that has been waged by the Democrat Party. Whatever are the “Republican Polices” that have caused this? Capitalism, small government and a casting off of the unconstitutional usurpation of power that the Democrat Party has forced on us since the New Deal?

    Socialism and tyranny always impoverishes. Liberty and Capitalism (and that means property rights and low taxation) always leads to prosperity. Go look at any state or city that has been run by Democrats for any amount of time. You assertion is wholly without support. (And really now, using The Atlantic? Why don’t you use The Nation. Pure propaganda.
    Pure Marxist drivel. “Commuites of people” indeed.

    If you want more money you shouldgo out an earn it. But that is too difficult for you. The real world does not share your estimation of yourself, now does it? You are a Marxist because you cannot face either you narcissism or your own less than mediocre capabilities. Because you cannot live up to the heritage of this country–or even abide in the real world–gives you no right to tear the nation down nor does it justify your theft of the hard earned money of the decent and the productive.

    You cannot take responsibility for the traitors you support and project their vile assualt in what is decent and dear in this nation onto the GOP. You have not one shred of integrity or intellectual honesty–not even to yourself. Stop lying; You do not care about the working American, you lust after power acquired via a Socialist coup and agitate with lies to brig this about. You may get a very real civil war.

    But as to this so called “inequality”, setting aside the disaster of having Democrats in national seats of power since 06, the “evidence” for this “fracturing” seems to be statistical manipulation–lies piled upon lies. Try, for example, factoring out that hoards of illegal immigrants that you Democrats have been foisting on the country. Beyond that, the assertion of “median” here is deeply problematic and is most likely a statistical artifact willfully concocted for propaganda purposes. We have been hearing this nonsense out of the left since the COMINTERN starting publishing broad sheets.

    This is all just yet another propaganda campaign out to justify more looting of the nation by “progressive”.

    That goodness the electorate is finally seeing through you thieving con-artists.

    Like

  11. Nick K says:

    Because that would require the Republicans to act like responsible adults.

    And the last time they did that was pre-Nixon.

    Like

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