Can the Midwest Ever Stage a Comeback?

[The Global Proletariat]

Can the Midwest of the United States ever stage an economic revival, or will it continue to stagnate while the rest of the nation goes forward? By Midwest, I typically mean the states that border the Great Lakes (note this isn't the same as the Rust Belt in general). While many include Great Plains states, such as Iowa and Nebraska, I hesitate to include them as they have a far different economic dynamic and social history than the rest of the region.

[Ravineworld]

It's in america, and america is dying.
so no.

[New Rogernomics]

If they give up religion.

[Great Malema]

It depends. Clint Eastwood and Chrysler would say so, but don't listen to them...

[Cannot think of a name]

Dammit, you excluded the Great Plains, my girlfriend's master's thesis was on the Great Plains and that's all I had in order to contribute. Now all I can do is whine that my super insightful notions about it that I would have taken credit for even though I really would just be paraphrasing my girlfriend's research can't be used.

Bah.

BAH! I say.

[Lackadaisical2]

As someone from the Great Lakes region... I highly doubt it, but it'd be nice.

[Serrland]

As someone from the Great Lakes region... I highly doubt it, but it'd be nice.

Some places can. Chicago did quite well not to end up like Cleveland or Detroit (thank you Poppa Daley!), and Milwaukee has done a lot in past decades to rebuild its lakefront and put up nice museums and such. The newish art museum there is wonderful.

The eastern midwest I'm a bit less optimistic about.

[Miss Defied]

I really don't how it could be done. I've travelled throughout the Midwest quite a bit the past few years and it's just depressing. No jobs, small towns practically deserted (of businesses anyway). Plus meth is just ravaging the populace in a lot of places.
Chicago is fine. Indianapolis is doing okay. Outside the cities though, honestly the only places where much decent commerce happens is right off the Interstate exits.

[Lowell Leber]

As a citizen of Ohio, I would say that there is a chance. Will we ever be the manufacturing mecca that we once were? No. But several midwestern states have diverse economies more so than in the past, and the agricultural sector continues to be strong. At any rate, except for Michigan none of the midwestern states are truly struggling at this point.

[Idealismania]

Some of the major cities are trying different things like opening major casinos to generate revenue, but it seems like it will be hard for the cities to become what they were as the income gap between the wealthy and poor expands. Seems like the cities have become dumping grounds for people completely dependent on government services. I live in Cincinnati, and nobody goes downtown anymore. However, right across the river in northern kentucky they're doing pretty well because it's very clean and built up with bars, nice restaurants, clubs, and an awesome movie theater so they pull a lot of money from Cincinnati since that's where everyone goes for the weekends. Also Indiana has some huge casinos right on the state border pulling even more money out of Ohio. I find it strange how Cincinnati can be the home to many major companies like P&G and a lot of it is a total slum.

[E-lands]

Where I am, we've already recovered... Yes I am in that region.

[Calenhardon]

If the Midwest states can diversify their economies and move beyond labor-intensive manufacturing, sure. If they keep trying to pretend that the steel mills and auto plants are coming back, no.

[Iverista]

I think it could be possible if they would try moving into the tourism markets, or maybe the IT area, at least for the big cities and towns with historical value. The rural areas? Maybe people should consider trying to move back to the agriculture industry haha.

[Lacadaemon]

As someone from the Great Lakes region... I highly doubt it, but it'd be nice.

Some places can. Chicago did quite well not to end up like Cleveland or Detroit (thank you Poppa Daley!), and Milwaukee has done a lot in past decades to rebuild its lakefront and put up nice museums and such. The newish art museum there is wonderful.

The eastern midwest I'm a bit less optimistic about.

Yahbut Chicago has sort of made out okay because it is the US's second financial center, so it was able to adapt pretty easily to de-industrialization &c. More luck than anything really.

I don't see how the midwest is going to 'comeback' in general however. I mean, what's it going to do to comeback?

[West Vandengaarde]

Minnesota's economy is kind of climbing since 2010-ish. And all I care about is Minnesota since it's my home.

[Hassett]

Considering I live and attend college in St. Louis, I sure as hell hope so.

[Blazedtown]

Can the Midwest of the United States ever stage an economic revival, or will it continue to stagnate while the rest of the nation goes forward? By Midwest, I typically mean the states that border the Great Lakes (note this isn't the same as the Rust Belt in general). While many include Great Plains states, such as Iowa and Nebraska, I hesitate to include them as they have a far different economic dynamic and social history than the rest of the region.

Minnesota has always been more stable, I don't know what you're talking about. The Midwest isn't only Detroit.

[Mike the Progressive]

I think and I believe that they can. It won't be the same, but yeah, they will.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

I'd say that we should wait for the Chinese economy to implode before making any final judgments. Once workers in those countries start demanding higher wages (something which, I understand, is already happening,) those manufacturing jobs are going to start to spread out a bit more evenly and the US' rust-belt might have a chance again.

[Sarkhaan]

Can the Midwest of the United States ever stage an economic revival, or will it continue to stagnate while the rest of the nation goes forward? By Midwest, I typically mean the states that border the Great Lakes (note this isn't the same as the Rust Belt in general). While many include Great Plains states, such as Iowa and Nebraska, I hesitate to include them as they have a far different economic dynamic and social history than the rest of the region.

...so you're talking about the Great Lake states, and not the Midwest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwestern_United_States

Yes. They can. But it will take time and effort. Some cities are making significant strides.

[Rynatia]

If they give up religion.

How would that help?

[Simon Cowell of the RR]

It's in america, and america is dying.
so no.

Has anyone ever told you how incredibly annoying you are?

I say living in the midwest/rustbelt area that it is entirely possible the demographic will stage a comeback.

Possible, but not probable.

A lot of people are overweight, undereducated, and just plain angry. It is not a particularly good combination for success as we enter into the 21st century.

[Daistallia 2104]

Can the Midwest of the United States ever stage an economic revival, or will it continue to stagnate while the rest of the nation goes forward? By Midwest, I typically mean the states that border the Great Lakes (note this isn't the same as the Rust Belt in general). While many include Great Plains states, such as Iowa and Nebraska, I hesitate to include them as they have a far different economic dynamic and social history than the rest of the region.

If you only meant the Great Lakes States rather than the Midwest, you should have said as much in the title.

The Great Plains States are doing fine, and can be expected to continue as long as the water and topsoil last.

[Cameroi]

i've always thought midwest meant the agriculture dominatied prarie states.
at any rate, this going forward is unfamiliar to me.
what i've witnessed for the past 30 years is a race to the bottom, which within the past decade or so, is bush's 9-11 excuse for making war on everybody, has been dragging the rest of the "free world" down with it.
the 30 years before that was slow drift downward lead by mccarthyism.

people have to eat. maybe no one gets rich feeding them, but people still have to eat.
of course when it all breaks down, transportation will be the problem, which in a sense it is now.
the wealth of nations is their transportation infrastructure, and not those segments of it, dominant in the u.s. for the past 50 years, that require users to indenture themselves to a means of doing so.

creative imagination is the source of that wealth. precisely what fanatical village idiot ism discourages.

any place can do any thing any place can, more or less.
its a matter of culture whether and which, are more or less likely to.

[Yootwopia]

"Comeback" suggests the Midwest was ever economically viable or important. Which it wasn't. The US' wealth is concentrated on its coasts for the very good reason that this allows access to international markets and generally is the site of the most fertile land.