"What brought about that cynical nickname was the decline of the iron and steel industries in the 1960s-1970s, which resulted in widespread job loss, poverty, crime, and dilapidated buildings. What had been the hub of metal production had quickly “rusted” and become a derelict string of urban slums. Democrat Walter Mondale is generally credited with coining the term in his 1984 presidential campaign."
Your point is well taken.
We didn’t lose our manufacturing edge. It was given away, sold and outright stolen.
It was a Cold War we didn’t understand until far too late.
The real cold war is against communists but it is still going and the enemy is internal.
We’ve always been at war with communism.
I mean it’s kinda like we lost that war.
Never thought of it that way. If you think of it in relation to the closure of the big steel players in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, it is pretty sad.
In a way i think its also partially die to the proximity to the lakes, lake effect snow, and how much more salt on roadways is used because of this.
I work on vehicles, cars and semis for a living, i wish sometimes i lived in a place where the rust was as big of an issue.
Totally agree.
Same thing with “flyover country”.
Fuck anybody to hell that says that nonchalantly.
"What brought about that cynical nickname was the decline of the iron and steel industries in the 1960s-1970s, which resulted in widespread job loss, poverty, crime, and dilapidated buildings. What had been the hub of metal production had quickly “rusted” and become a derelict string of urban slums. Democrat Walter Mondale is generally credited with coining the term in his 1984 presidential campaign."
https://thenewswheel.com/what-is-the-rust-belt-how-did-it-get-its-name/
In case you're from the Southwest and never heard this phrase before now, like me:
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rust%20belt&utm_source=search-action
Iv ealways called it the rust belt cause they use so much salt on their roads the vehicles rust right off the road.
Bill Clinton did a great job starting the fire sale.