I drove around Springfield, Illinois, and the surrounding small towns today, for work.

These are the places we should all hope tariffs - or more importantly the resulting negotiations from them - help bring back to life.

I saw lots of long shuttered industry, urban neighborhoods all but abandoned, small towns literally rotting and falling down.

The core has some bauble shops and nice restaurants, catering to the top 20-25%, but for the rest it is a liquor store, a gambling parlor, a Dollar General, and a Caseys.

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We have lost so much

Lots of this in western Michigan too. Every time I drive through, towns that seemed to once be full of life now have a palpable feeling of being long hollowed out and sapped of vitality.

I travel a lot over there, as well, and know what you mean, but this was far, far worse.

You mean free trade has been bad for many towns across the US?

Not sure I’d call it free, and certainly not a level playing field

It IS what happens in a globalist free trade environment. Labor and production goes to its cheapest location.