This is capitalism in the Rust Belt in a nutshell: That which is killing you is also feeding you. A lot of this country runs on Appalachian resources, but most people don’t know where those resources come from. We don’t make this process visible. Instead, we have an American narrative of convenience. Things just come to us.

It is much easier to extract coal and natural gas in a way that endangers people, or to make water undrinkable, if people aren’t seen as real people. Corporations use stereotypes to convince outsiders that Appalachians don’t deserve better.

There are fewer and fewer jobs in Appalachia—people are overdosing and struggling. Anger and blame are a place where people go when they are suffering. They’re establishing beliefs in a context of [right-wing] narratives that are being offered. The left needs to create counter-narratives at an equal pace that don’t involve targeting others.

Absolutely.

Wonderful article. There are so many interesting books I want to read, but so little time. Alas! I’ll have to be content with just the article/interview for now.