ARKANSAS: The Bleakest Towns I've Ever Visited - The Dying, Forgotten Delta

I visited these Arkansas towns: Hughes, Marianna, Brinkley & Forrest City.
My Instagram: / joeysroadtrip
Travel Vlog 216

[@549BR]

How does a poor city like Hughes have such a large fleet of new police cars; something is really weird about that situation.

[@kerrynight3271]

The state receives a lot of federal money.

[@thecollectoronthecorner7061]

It behooves the police and courts to have a large amount of Crime and criminal Element. They often exist to generate revenue. The operate speed traps.And other things. Im my county Randolph . The Chief of Polices wife was dealing Drugs from the Municipal Judges office. The Prosecuter Mailed someone a live poison copperhead snake. And showed up in Federal court high on cocaine. Dont Believe me? Just Google the Arkansas Times article titled A Killing in Pocahontas.

[@barblenzen2198]

I was surprised how many police officers were in the small town of Hughes …. Always interesting to see the difference in states and there small towns…. Some maybe small but are kept up others seems to be in terrible condition and garbage everywhere… another great video…. Safe travels and god bless

[@subcitizen2012]

That's where their priorities are.

[@willbass2869]

Destitution tyranny

[@gl6996]

I'm from this area, born in Forrest City, graduated from Hughes High and I know this area personally. A lot of my family is still in the Delta scattered out. It's a sad sight. People graduated and never came back because there was nothing invested here in the first place. It will take Almighty God and billions of dollars to build these towns up. I no longer live in the Delta, but my heart is still here ❤

[@misses9896]

❤

[@justinlong3489]

I'm from moro and I did the same thing had to leave unless you had something to do with farming there was nothing there for a young man or woman

[@gl6996]

@@justinlong3489 I went to college with Ty Hall, basketball player back in the day.

[@randlebeathea6501]

Went through there in the 70's it was nice clean and had a good amount of business around the town of Forrest City Arkansas

[@gl6996]

@@randlebeathea6501 Forrest City has potential. City leaders block a lot of progress.

[@darrowlinn7407]

I remember in the 1960s and 1970s Hughes was a fine place. The town began to go down in 1980 when Blanton Grain Elevator took bankruptcy and cost the farmers a lot of money. Then the Agricultural Crisis of the 80s hit and many farmers and farm businesses went under. The town deteriorated from that point its heartbreaking to see the town now and remember what it used to be.

[@lovejones92]

I’m an Arkansas native but live in Dallas. My hometown is Conway, not too far north of Little Rock. I remember going to a small town named Brinkley as a kid with one of my bestfriends whose family is from that area. I had to be around 13yrs old and that was the eye opener for me to what the smaller towns in the state that were impoverished and dying look like. I still had a great time there because there are really nice people there and they still found a way to have a good time without the added conveniences of what you might find in a bigger city but it’s definitely one of the many places in the state that you can tell was thriving and functional at one point in time but slowly lost its momentum to keep up with other towns close by that continued to grow economically.

[@katie7748]

I just drove through Conway. Apparently it's the fastest-growing city in the state. Looking around and getting as uncomfortable as I was, I believe it. Sorry, but that's a NO from me.

[@tomfilipiak3511]

Hunted ducks and geese,around Brinkley,was told the Walmart closed because of so much was stolen from the store,great hunting ,at the Corner Pocket,hunting club,great people who run the place,and great local people,God bless them!Thomas A.Filipiak

[@god10021]

Im from Germany, and what rlly astonishes me is the amount of trash everywhere. In Germany we have many little Villages with only a few hundred people, but there would never be so much trash. Trash increases if the towns get "bigger" in Germany. But most villages are pretty clean.

[@HCforLife1]

Same in Poland and most of Europe. The reason is people. There is certainly a huge group of people with "I don't care about trash and my surrounding" in US

[@jamiewilliams685]

Germans are being replaced

[@katrinagarrett9612]

The U.S. is not known for its cleanliness but rather weapons, weapons exports, and militarism.

[@jgriffin282]

@@katrinagarrett9612Yes. Whether the people want it or not. Since Trump I’ve realized the United States is not a “beacon to the free world” but a decaying decrepit corrupt deep state controlled regime.

[@wendellbabin6457]

Most of these burgs no longer have trash service. It has been "privatized". Translation tripled in price. Folks barely above water usually let this go first. Three neighbors might pool resources and share a can, but if is overfilled company won't pick up anything not in a can because they know more than one house is using it. So it just stays on the ground week after week. Cops make more money confiscating drug money that never seems to make it OUT of the police department. Not to knock cops, but how many of these towns need TWO SWAT teams. HA! Mobile command post that also happens to be an RV. Etc, etc.

[@fudzzz]

As a non-American, it's fascinating to have a ride through these small towns away from the big cities. Sad too, of course, due to the poverty. Thanks for taking us with you.

[@punishedwhispers1218]

A lot of small towns are nice though, probably most of them

[@prescillavargas563]

You say these towns are sad due to poverty but if you ask any of these "poverty stricken" households if they feel that they are "poor" and I bet most will say "NO". Native Americans have a proverb that states, " It is not he who has little, but he who always desires more who is truly poor"

[@fudzzz]

@@prescillavargas563 Spoken like someone that has never actually lived under the actual poverty line, or probably doesn't know about it.

[@prescillavargas563]

@@fudzzz lol sweetheart I love my little town and your right! Living in southwest Arkansas my whole life, I can tell you not too many folks live above the "poverty" line including me but just like me, we want or need for nothing. We live a plain, simple, and happy life. Not saying there is anything wrong with living a life in a big busy city where life begins and ends with the all mighty dollar! That life just isn't for me or for most of the people in my town. And we do not consider ourselves poor.

[@samkneen]

its only 35 minutes from memphis

[@tcwilli43]

I’m from Marianna Arkansas, graduated high school in 2012. I now live in Dallas but have traveled the world through the military, it’s home but, I would not live there ever again.That BBQ spot is Jones BBQ, it has won tons of national awards. Many people in town are related and that little gas station is family owned, they still come out to gas your car for you.

[@finchborat]

You must know my last two college suitemates. They graduated from there the same time you did. I lived with them during my final semester at UCA. They were great guys!

[@jamesburge1983]

Please tell me you stopped at Jones BBQ! Probably the best thing you saw all trip. From Gastro Obscura: JONES BAR-B-Q, A TWO-TABLE EATERY in the town of Marianna, was the first restaurant in Arkansas to ever receive a James Beard Award. The owners, James and Betty Jones, hadn’t even heard of the awards before winning in the 2012 “America’s Classics” category. The small diner takes up the ground floor of the couple’s home. The sign out front reads “since 1964,” but the operation dates back to at least 1910. James Jones’s family recipes are the same ones that his grandfather used when he sold barbecued meat out of his home and that his father used when he opened up an earlier iteration of the restaurant, known as “the Hole in the Wall” (so-called because his father served everything through a window).

[@realessayog6947]

Since I was a teenager I would go on maps and wonder what those towns look like... thank you sir for providing all of this data of every town.

[@kelly00000111111]

okay good im glad i am not the only one who does/ did this

[@prescillavargas563]

Remember don't always judge a book by its cover. It's not so much about what each town looks like as much as it's about the people who call these small towns home. Now there's you a story 😁 The 2nd smartest person that I've ever met had junk yard, in his yard. Wore overalls and no shoes lol and he powered his house by harnessing energy from bees lol so cool!

[@kenk7049]

I've done the same :)

[@davidmajor449]

It's not "data". It's myopic one-sided cherry picked video and narration.

[@DJPixelList]

Sitting here in over-crowded Britain, it is unbelievable seeing these abandoned buildings and deserted towns. It's a whole other World from here. Your documentaries are fascinating and interesting, but the despair of these towns and areas is palpable. It is fascinating to see places that I will never get to see in real life. Well done, one of the best travel channels on KZbin. Best wishes David in the over-crowded UK.

[@Montillano-gf5ud]

Agree.

[@mohammedsiddiqui5273]

Most wonderful video I have ever seen!I simply slate the presenter for good spirit!

[@KingCobraJFS1234]

We are overcrowded according to what? The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs data states the UK is the 52nd most populated country or dependancy by population density per square kilometer.

[@SlugSage]

What city are you in?

[@ezandman6804]

@@KingCobraJFS1234 Where's my country Netherlands on that list? a bit higher I suppose

[@boardskins]

It would be very interesting if you went inside the local businesses and interviewed the residents of these towns.

[@Cons2911]

Yes pls, yes yes . I would love this. I’m sure some would be happy to tell some stories, and if we are nice enough to ask, we’ll get some

[@NY51663]

Other videos on KZbin do exactly that and yeah, it's great.

[@jaytruelove3226]

The BBQ place you went by at about the 18:00 minute mark is a very famous restaurant. It has won numerous awards for the best BBQ in the state of Arkansas and if I'm not mistaken there was an article in the New York Times about their BBQ.

[@JamesAnderson-dp1dt]

My dad lived in that delta area south of W Memphis, back in the 50's, wich would be his later childhood and early teenage years. Towns like Marianna and Marvel, etc. It would be wrong to say that the area was ever wealthy; what it was, however, was bustling and alive. Its impossible for those who have never seen it to picture how life in small-town USA was. There were few if any corporate jobs at all; almost all farms and businesses were small family-owned affairs. The agricultural rhythm of life dominated. Most people in Arkansas raised a fair proportion of their own food. There were probably more people living in farms along those little country roads than in the towns themselves. Much that is now deep woods was farm fields and pasture. It'd be silly to suggest it was idyllic, but from the way people talked about it in later years, it seems to have been a generally happy and stable environment. I saw the last bits of reasonably healthy small-town life in the 70's, in SW Arkansas. It was a good environment to grow up in. The rise of the giant corporations destroyed an entire way of life; and looking at the mental health stats, mass shootings, etc, I'm not inclined to say that giving virtually utter control of our lives to corporations was a good deal. And if you've never thought about it -- giant corporations control your entertainment, your news, your access to food, your jobs, and your access to almost every item that you own or will ever own. Think about it. Not local employers and farmers whom you know, whom you can see and talk to in the street, but gigantic corporations to whom *everybody* is a mere number to either be milked or else discarded.

[@prescillavargas563]

In my small rural town in Arkansas we still have Trading Days and The Farmers Market on the first Saturday of the month. We block off main street and everyone walks around shopping and trading stuff This is a great way of life

[@americanadreaming]

I'm not a fan of the mega corporations, but I'm not a fan of the overt racism and bigotry that comes from hayseed types that come from places like this. Being forced out of their white ethnostate enclaves might not be such a bad thing for some of those folks.

[@americanadreaming]

Lol, you (out of left field) blame "mass shootings" on corporations... but you can't/won't single out those that produce the weapons (or laws that govern them). Either you don't understand what base causality is here, or you're willfully omitting the truth to conceal opposing viewpoints.

[@JamesAnderson-dp1dt]

@@americanadreaming I attributed the rise of mass shootings, and the other demonstrably more-common social pathologies that have arisen in the last few decades, to the destruction of a way of life, which was largely itself attributable to the centralization of economic development in big corporations. If you are too dense to understand the difference between that and "the corporations cause mass shootings", then you should probably refrain from airing your cognitive deficit. Edit: if you still can't wrap your brain around it, corporations are not the cause; the breakup of a stable way of life was the cause. Mega-corporatism just wrecked the stable way of life. If you need more help understanding, let me know.

[@dcocz3908]

@@americanadreaming Anything can be used as a weapon, even Finance though indirectly

[@Me-ll4ig]

I’m from the UK, I travelled 2,500 miles across America by car in 2009. The best and most interesting parts for me were discovering and driving through the small towns away from the major cities.

[@JoshPierro]

I felt the same when I went to England! (I am from the US)

[@davidrichards1741]

You'd be unlikely to make it through alive today.

[@calvinjonesyoutube]

Like a dog lying in a corner They will bite you and never warn you Look out, they'll tear your insides out 'Cause everybody hates a tourist Especially one who thinks it's all such a laugh Yeah and the chip stains and grease Will come out in the bath You will never understand How it feels to live your life With no meaning or control And with nowhere left to go You are amazed that they exist And they burn so bright Whilst you can only wonder why

[@brianjacobs8839]

Travelled from Arkansas to California. Absolutely loved it. I am from South Africa. Born and lived in a dangerous neighbourhood. So nothing really scares me much. Visited small towns and made good friends.

[@nigellee9824]

Well , I did the same over 30 years ago, and at times it was terrifying….

[@simonyip5978]

The spread of chain stores like Walmart, Dollar Tree, Krogers, McDonald's, the big pharmacy, gas station, clothing and other huge corporations have had a massive effect on chances of a family opening their own small business and becoming part of the American Dream. When these big corporation's take 70/80/90% of the local business, the self employed store owner cannot compete.

[@michaelinhouston9086]

In one Texas town southwest of Houston, the local retailers commissioned a study when word spread that Walmart was opening a store. One of the most important issues for the locals was that the retailers all closed early (6 pm). The local retailers' response was that they always closed then and they had to get home for dinner. The local civic leader that told me about this just shook his head. Walmart took a lot of the local business because of store hours.

[@ayejay5603]

Not to mention they don't pay a living wage.

[@jemimallah2591]

they voted for it, they got it. and they keep voting for it. no sympathy at all.

[@iserved1642]

That was Sam Walton's agenda. He started in Newport Arkansas with his brother.

[@annfrost3323]

I guess the big stores and big corporations need employees in these distant locations.

[@mikeberry2332]

I spent two years as a reporter covering four East Arkansas counties for a Memphis newspaper. It actually affected my health at the time, the area was so bleak and the atmosphere palpably mean. There was even a corrupt sheriff straight out of central casting, who later went to prison. I spent as much time as i could at the only Holiday Inn around (in Forrest City) as an escape. I hated that place!

[@davidmajor449]

If you are a reporter, I already have reason to doubt your comment.

[@kristiskinner8542]

​@@davidmajor449🙄 how asinine

[@dawns4641]

My grandparents were poor Illinois farmers, mainly rented their homes. They always kept pretty flowers, vegetable gardens, fresh paint….They had a goal to feed themselves, they did have a strong community and church. I think lack of community, poor schools, poverty and lack jobs, creates depression and despair. We need to re-invent a Rosevelt CCC from the Depression era, we need to anything to lift kids out of poverty.

[@chai-and-tea]

Totally agree, but current GOP will not back those types of community-building programs for ideological reasons. I think the best one can hope for is tax incentives to business to spur development.

[@chuckhuff7123]

I always said poverty creates crime. They insist it's drugs.

[@Scriptorsilentum]

hint: mass media, ronnie raygun et al, wall street. these are just a few of the more obvious contributors. there are others. very rarely are there just one-lever causes (or solutions).

[@PhancyPants99]

your grandparents probably weren't addicted to opioids. Things are a lot different now.

[@nousername2942]

Unfortunately, there is no fixing this. There was little reason to live in places like this before, and absolutely zero reason to now. Even if you could magically resurrect this town, given the current state of housing few will want to invest the insane costs in a house in Tornado Alley. Unless this town can become a city with it's own independent resources and minimize the need to go out of town just to find things, good luck.

[@jane84321]

SOME PEOPLE know how to survive without a lot of money and still be happy.

[@Whiskerman]

Sounds like someone who can never make decent money would say😂

[@jane84321]

@Whiskerman I'm retired and I'm not into measuring my worth by money or materialistic items. I started working on a farm at an early age and 40 years in the same profession so now I can enjoy life. Hope you are enjoying yours as well.

[@tommc49]

I'm pretty sure you can find small towns like this in every state in America. There just isn't enough economic activity to allow them to prosper. A lot of them used to be supported by local farmers, but many of the small farms have either failed or been bought up by big-ag. Young people typically move away. No opportunity here. Sad, but true.

[@prowelsh56]

The Statistics are truly jaw dropping. The kids under 17 and poverty. How can those kids have any chance to break that cycle. I wonder how many kids make it through to graduation and if they do, clear that they escape and head out. Makes me shudder to think of that cycle. As a retired Deputy Sherrif what's to say about crime rates and humanity....poverty and crime...saw it too many times. Shakes a certain belief in opportunity for all. Very insightful trip....this is the stuff that kids in school and college should be seeing...a documentary of these towns in the USA! At a Federal Level makes my blood boil when the city and state representatives fall the communities....very disheatening. This is HISTORY though and I think incredibly important in ever sense of social commentary....I would imagine there has to be an educational outlet for these video records. Best to you.

[@peggypasson8794]

There are still 22 states that still allow child marriages . I'm not sure if Arkansas is on that list .

[@zonainman2144]

I am a retired teacher and I can tell you why some of the schools are now closed. Many of our small towns were consolidated with the larger schools in counties. The small towns lost a lot of their population with these closings.

[@JamesAnderson-dp1dt]

Very true. It was considered inefficient (which is perhaps true). Same thing with the little local hospitals. The one in my hometown was still functioning when I was a kid, my dad dealt with his first kidney-stone there. The town doctor was Dr. Peeples. Every time my father walked into his little building, Dr. Peeples would look at dad from over his glasses and say "Well, Kenny, what've you done to yourself this time?" Usually he'd cut his shin to the bone with a machete, etc. Incidentally, my old high school had a cornerstone showing that it had been built by the Public Works Administration during the Great Depression. They replaced it with a crappy metal building out by the highway in the later 1990s; then a few years afterward it burned down.

[@paulheydarian1281]

​@@donalkinsella4380 🤔😏😉

[@JamesAnderson-dp1dt]

@@donalkinsella4380 I see what you did there, lol.

[@TaylorWilmes]

Good

[@manonfire3642]

And there's the race issue supported and funded by Jews/Ashkenazi-style.

[@misses9896]

I'm from Hughes grew up there. I been waiting on you to drive through.😩 It actually didn't use to look like this..😢 I have a lot of good memories as a child & my teenage years. Lots of love & just about everybody we're raised up in church. ❤ My great grandmother use to own a lot of those homes back in the day where you see lots of areas with nothing there use to be houses in all those spots a whole lot of them have actually been torn down. That Dollar General store wasn't a actual Dollar General it was a store owned by the Fong family with a bunch of everything , everywhere in there 😅 there's no such thing as downtown in Hughes we call it uptown..😂 There was actually a little more to Hughes but , you didn't go that way you drove towards the way you go to leave town. When I was a youngin we only had 1-2 police officers patrolling the town and a chief of police Ed Gardner.. I'll never , ever forget where I came from Hughes will always be a big part of me. I literally can't think of not one bad memory..❤

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Great comment.

[@misses9896]

​​@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip Thank you! I know it looks bad to others but , I just wanted to shed a little sunshine...🌞 people are not doing as bad as you think you just to travel to other near by cities for better opportunities.. Most people have moved to some of the bigger surrounding towns but, Hughes is still home. I now live in Dallas where I've been since my young adult years to current.

[@antoniowalton6571]

Don't Forget. Locks,The Pit Stop...Dr Collum...lol ...Maywood lol shooting at tutrles off the bridge at Greasey Corner ..Everyone Left lack of Jobs.. Great school believe it or Not. Just small. Drugs played a Big Part.

[@kennethmarshall7453]

Rep your city.

[@kire115]

@Leland Jumper Palestine, AR, know it well

[@cheriecooley9362]

Jones Bar B Q Restaurant in Marianna that you observed the great smell is remarkably a James Beard award winning restaurant. You find the most interesting places in your vidoes. I binge watch them all the tine. ❤

[@rovers141]

It blows my mind that theres so many people working for 18k a year around there. There are better opportunities all over the state and even very close by to that area, ive always wondered what keeps people there. My family is from a similar small town in northeast Arkansas, we got outta there. It wasn't difficult, it wasn't even expensive. It just took a little effort and motivation... and several trips back and forth with an old chevy moving things!

[@miainsel513]

Not everyone can just up and leave. And the problem is South East Arkansas is run by Democrats who run business out. The businesses that hire skilled workers barely pays above minimum wage.

[@finchborat]

It depends. Some actually like where they live despite the negatives that persist. Some see hope/potential and some like small-town living. Some have deep attachment to their towns or homes/property. Some want to get out, but various circumstances might prevent them from leaving (i.e. money issues, family obligations). If it weren't for my mom's health and mobility issues, I would've stayed in Conway and never returned to El Dorado after I graduated from UCA.

[@donred1693]

My parents and grandparents were from small towns like these in South Carolina and Georgia,. They left in the 1930 and 40s and never looked back. Beautiful country, paradise to the eyes, but the socio-economic climate made it a hell on earth

[@firecracker_jim]

I’m from western Arkansas and the Delta just has a depressing feeling surrounding it. You can tell why the blues originated around that area.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

It’s exactly why. 😀

[@mrniceguy3750]

I live in Eastern Oklahoma. I love Western Arkansas…

[@forasterofunambulesco1584]

"I had a job on the levee...i had a good-looking woman she lived in Hughes".......Son House

[@357SWAGNUM_MAGA_X]

Seems like my kind of place .I hate living in san Diego

[@firecracker_jim]

@@357SWAGNUM_MAGA_X you could move there and live for cheap

[@user-cb8kb6rg1w]

I am from Camden Arkansas, yes the poverty in Arkansas is very high ❤sad,sad,sad😢

[@finchborat]

What East AR is going through is just about as bad as what we're facing here in South Arkansas. It's crazy y'all aren't far from falling under 10,000. Here in El Dorado, we're still losing people. El Dorado and Camden have lost the most people in the past decade plus. MAD and the Promise have done little to spark population growth. However, with the way East AR looks, it makes me more appreciative of the beautification efforts in El Dorado.

[@cousinbilly1259]

I was raised in this area and can tell you for a fact that all of these towns up into the late sixties were gem’s especially Forrest city. Most left for the bigger cities.

[@aureliomarsili3902]

They look like post-atomic landscapes !!! Very fascinating, even in their decadence ... thank you !!! Ciao from Italy ...

[@DonariaRegia]

The first phase of shrinking rural towns came with large-scale agriculture, often combined with the construction of interstate highways with the former causing the young to seek work elsewhere and the latter diverting traffic away from businesses. The rise of corporate retail monopolies forced family owned businesses under. Add to that the fact that white families have 11 times the wealth of black families in America and videos like this document the result.

[@MarcusVinicius116]

One expect to see walking dead wandering at each corner. These places would be perfect for post apocalyptic movies...

[@klwthe3rd]

These videos of the Mississippi and Arkansas delta are my favorite of the whole channel. It's so rare to get a glimpse inside the poorest areas of the US. People think Appalachia is poor, which it is, but NOT like it is the delta. Running water is still a luxury in some of these parts. It will humble you fast.

[@Castleknight]

Most parts of rural American are becoming more rural. Agriculture has changed a lot, i.e. fewer farmers giving way to larger farmers and/or corporations, which means less need for the supporting businesses, as well. The rural areas that have gained population are the pretty places, that have attracted new comers. Retirees have a bit more flexibility to move to rural locations, but they have to be cognizant of available health care. Rural counties close to more urban areas tend to grow, as well.

[@lippesmit6542]

The BBQ joint in Marianna burned down at the beginning of 2022. It was like 100 years old. It was rebuilt totally on donations since the owner had no insurance.

[@justinheer9098]

I moved to Arkansas from Arizona , thought it would be nice i will miss my mom but it will be a very happy day driving out of here i cant get out of here soon enough .

[@DenisBonichov]

What are the things you didnt like?

[@justinheer9098]

@DennisBonich dry counties , the Bible belt culture im a Christian but its a bit much here ... lack of infrastructure and resources I don't like having to go far for simple things ... im still here I have a lease to fulfill ...I just feel arkansas is more concerned with preserving some way of life that's imaginary ...I live in russelville and everyone talks about this hypothetical casino that the ground isn't even broken on it , its the topic of conversation after its been voted in the pulpit wants it not to be here ...In my opinion everything they are trying to prevent for the sake of the kids is attracting it in by default ...the humidity and rain isn't good for my job painting .

[@xelamas1able]

I am from Lake Macquarie Australia. It absolutely blows my mind the state of decay of U.S towns. How is it the people allow the government to spend Billions of dollars on war, death and destruction in foreign countrie which decays the standard of living in your own country? This is absolutely outrageous!

[@jasonnugent963]

“The federal government spent $6.5 trillion in FY 2022 - or $19,434 per person - including funds distributed to states.” The $100 Billion sent to Ukraine is only 1/8th of our Military budget, which itself is only about 1/4th of our overall budget. We’re spending 65x more on our own citizens than we’re sending to Ukraine.

[@patricksquinlan1]

@@jasonnugent963 The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq cost an estimated $2.2 trillion, which were not part of the regular defense budget. They were supplemental appropriations, above and beyond the amount budgeted for "defense." I guess when you invade places that's more accurately described as "offense." The wars were also financed in large part by loans, which suggests we will pay an additional $2.1 trillion in interest by 2030, just on the cost of those two wars. * Brown University Cost of Financed War Study, 2020. so... $4.3 trillion bought us a large fortress in Baghdad that we call an embassy, and an embarrassing exit in Afghanistan. I suspect you could do a fair amount of domestic community revitalization for $4.3 tril.

[@thewildgoose7467]

A lot of Americans just don't get it because they've been blinded by media and Hollywood propaganda. They should read a book by one of their own, Major General Smedley D Butler, at the time of his death he was the most decorated marine in US history. It's called "War is a Racket" and is available as a free PDF. They might then better understand why the military industrial juggernaut just keeps on rolling...

[@realist8967]

Well, the fact is the defense budget today is 1.2 trillion. We eclipse (last time I checked) the next 30 countries combined. Also nearly every NATO member. NATO is a scam for the military industrial complex.

[@semicountryliving3095]

Actually, the U.S. spends billions on bailing other countries out of crisis.

[@spacewaltz]

Love hearing the birds singing as you travel through these towns

[@shawnhampshirehick101]

I also enjoy the sounds.

[@clay282]

I don't live in Hughes, but I live in the Delta, no far. You wonder how we have so many politicians trying to take us BACKWARDS as a state? It's towns like Hughes. Poorly educated people vote based on some campaign promise to make their town great again. And, it just won't happen. Talent, educated people, goal oriented, they all leave.

[@JohnLockesReflection]

I just looked up the composition of Hughes and St Francis County Government. The Mayor of Hughes is a Black Democrat. The St Francis County Government is comprised and all Democrats with a few Unaffiliated thrown in. No Republican on the mix. So you are saying that the poor are voting on campaign lies spewed by Democrats and keep voting them in which takes the area backwards? I agree

[@chiefslief1886]

Hello from the Netherlands. This is the first video I saw from you and your tours through this part of Arkansas..and by watching this it saddens me to see the state these small towns and the people are in. So much poverty, crime, abandoned homes, trash etc. I always had a "better" image of these towns or was I fooling myself or did I lived under a rock?.yes I know America was also going downslope and the media here never let us see the truth of a Country that we all looked up to from not so long ago. I went quiet inside with this video really. I know America isn't gone completely and there a beautiful places to live in but o man.. I wish you all lots of Love and Strength into your hearts❤. Nice and interesting Channel, thanks❤

[@waltbroedner4754]

America IS GONE COMPLETELY! What it needs is FOOD and HOUSING. 43 MILLION Americans STARVING of those 12 MILLION ARE CHILDREN, hundred thousands of homeless, and Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett have more wealth than half the population of the US combined! Most of the senate members have been in power longer than most world dictators, the Supreme Court is not elected and serves for life, the Electoral College voids our votes, and only two political parties, both the same, corrupt to the hilt. And worse yet we pay the taxes, WITHOUT representation I may add.

[@doninmichigan]

The 50's, 60's, 70's, and even the 80's were the BEST of times in America. Glad I lived it, I was fortunate to be born in prime time. The future looks very bleak for the younger generations. It's part of a greater scheme of things, all by design

[@EdWatch-yx7hy]

This is why I don't understand why people my age are still having children. Just selfish 😂. I'm 33 and refuse. This ish around here ain't adding up anymore. Won't have my beautiful babies suffering. They can stay in the ether ...chilling w God they don't need to come here to pay bills. 😂

[@mannacler]

The little business offering a multitude of services was actually quite gratifying to see. Its wonderful to see an entrepreneurial spirit working in such bleak circumstances. I wish a brighter future for the people of eastern Arkansas.

[@JamesAnderson-dp1dt]

Just a few months ago I found out that my dad's uncles laid the sidewalks in my hometown. I walked on those same sidewalks as a kid. Heck, you can still walk on some of them today. His uncles were aged 18, 16 and 15 when the town commissioned them to do it. They dug the aggregate out of a gravel bank in a local creek, to mix into the cement. Their dad had gone to St. Louis when they were very small, to learn the mechanics trade. Instead he died of influenza. I reckon the town offered the job to them to help their single mom make ends meet.

[@davidmajor449]

It's not as "bleak" as Joe's obviously cherry picked data and narration makes it out to be. "Joe and Nic" are charltans-- they "sell" their channel by presenting doom and gloom accomplished through spinning and twisting some areas and cities to much more impoverished or "bleak" or whatver than they are in reality.

[@user-ng1sf3nq2b]

I lived in Marianna from 1970 -1974, and Forrest City from 1976-1978, where I graduated high school. Some of the nicest people I have ever known lived there. The economy, especially for Marianna and Hughes, was primarily dependent on agriculture. Like most of the young people that grew up there that could, I left for greener pastures to follow my career. My last visit was in 1993.

[@Monteiiroigor]

How was it there back in 90?

[@user-ng1sf3nq2b]

@@Monteiiroigor It looked to be much more optimistic for a future, than what is occurring now. There was still some industry (i.e., well paying job potential), and the agricultural industry had not yet become automated, which removed a lot of people from the workforce.

[@Blackheathenly]

The only thing that brightens this video to any degree are the delightful birds calling!

[@samschneiderwind2567]

My daddy was from this area. He left when he was a teen to join the navy. He’s so glad he did!! We visit family occasionally. It’s not a happy place. I hope some day things change for these people or that they can get out.

[@JasonJohnson-ub4pt]

Forrest City is my hometown, it's a good place to be from..far away from. It's true there were no proms from '68-'88. There were separate dances for seniors but they definitely not proms. I graduated in '86 and left for good in '98. Most of these towns are heavily agriculture reliant with Rice being the prime crop. As farming technology advanced the need for farm hands decreased and the small towns shrank. If you desired to advance in life you had to escape your roots. Most of us either went to Memphis or Little Rock to start out adult lives and have scattered from there. I landed in DFW. WOO PIG!!

[@Sir.Alexander]

Do u know any Lucas, Alexander, Brooks

[@JasonJohnson-ub4pt]

@@Sir.Alexander Last names? They sound familiar.

[@rickiesteward883]

Videos are totally addicting. I love the way you detail all aspects of the towns you visit, sort of the good, bad and ugly without using those exact words. Anyway, as long as you post I’ll definitely watch. Thanks for doing what you do so well.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you for the kind words, Rickie!

[@marcustalamantez915]

Ummmmm general Forest was the first grand wizard of the KKK!😳

[@blackvulcan100]

Yes I am watching from here in England it's addictive viewing, I never realised that so much of the South was as like this.

[@muthianimutisya3683]

Who owns this abandoned homes, in kenya 🇰🇪 we don't abandon houses and let them rot down.

[@doninmichigan]

​@@blackvulcan100The 50's, 60's, 70's, and even the 80's were the BEST of times in America. Glad I lived it, I was fortunate to be born in prime time. The future looks very bleak for the younger generations. It's part of a greater scheme of things, all by design

[@TheHamsterfist]

The inconsistency of police across these small towns is always so weird. Some have one cop, some have dozens and others have zero. Yet their crime rates all actually seem stable. The other bizarre thing I have noticed is regardless of where you go, the cars always seem nice.

[@skintslots]

Fascinating little series this,especially to those of us outside the USA who similar traits here in the UK and many other countries too. I suppose that the crime figures overall are probably less important than violent crime as crime will always exist in some form? All this happens as we live in a world were too few have too much and too many have too little. A smart person once said 'Mother earth has enough for humanity's needs,but not for it's greed.'

[@DiscoveringJustice]

When I stopped at the Dollar General in one of these Arkansas towns on a road trip, I struck up a conversation with a local resident who was working behind the counter. As we talked, I couldn't help but notice the weariness in their voice and the sadness in their eyes. They told me about the struggles they faced living in a town that seemed to have been forgotten by the rest of the world. It was a stark reminder of the human toll that neglect and poverty can take on a community. As I left the store and continued on my journey, I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness and frustration that lingered within me. My experience at the Dollar General in that small Arkansas town was just one small glimpse into the larger issue of poverty and neglect in these communities. But it was a powerful reminder that these are not just abstract concepts or statistics - they are real people, with real struggles and real stories that need to be heard. As we grapple with these issues, it's important that we listen to and uplift the voices of those who have been left behind. Only then can we truly build a more just and equitable world for all.

[@stevereithemeyer4065]

what do you want the government to take from you to make it a more equitable world?

[@gurriato]

@@stevereithemeyer4065 A government doesn't need to take from the people in order to develop its territory in a sensible way. Governments can direct the economy at the highest level by building infrastructure or incentivizing private investment, to make sure that every region's potential is realized and they are able to contribute to the prosperity of the nation. When a government does nothing of the sort, things can quickly enter a feedback loop where rich regions get richer and poor ones get poorer, just like what happens to individuals and corporations. Ironically, it is then when the government starts taking action, by taking money from the working class and giving it to the unemployed, which is proven to be completely counterproductive.

[@madamelebuff]

It is so sad to see these decaying towns. I imagine all the elderly poverty-stricken people remembering the past when families, life & hope lived & died in these areas. The USA is full of towns where people want to get out of.

[@FloridaGirl-]

No jobs

[@tybarker5038]

So much of this country is boring and hot and humid. I just looked at these towns and they’re 84 and humid today in May!! Who wants to hang out in that? Not me. I’m in Santa Cruz, CA right now and it’s 62 with a nice coastal breeze. People out and about everywhere. Definitely doesn’t feel like a dying town. This is a “liberal” place where people just kinda do what they want. But this is where all the money is. I just had a $100 order pop up as I’m typing this! $100 in probably an hour! Try making that in rural Arkansas doing delivery work. Try sitting around in that heat waiting for work. I’m young and this is where I wanna be. Not in Texas or anywhere south. Young people like working in the good weather and the sunshine.

[@lysergamides]

​@@tybarker5038Tennessee is a lot better than this

[@doninmichigan]

The elderly have lived their lives and they've glad they lived when they did. They're sure as hell glad they're not young and starting out now with such a bleak future ahead 👍💯

[@kernithudson]

Love these videos -- so needed...so you know how to move around! Thank you again for theses videos! You two ❤🎉

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Glad you like them!

[@Sternodox]

When I grew up in a small Arkansas town in the 60s we had a drive-in theater, a regular theater, a bowling alley, a center with pinball and foosball, a pool hall, a skating rink, and 4 drive-in restaurants where kids hung out. Today that town has none of the above. As is the case in a majority of small towns here. The kids have zero to do. Wonder why the drug problem is rampant?

[@susanaldridge2000]

The CIA imports drugs to the USA to sell to support their nefarious projects around the world

[@jimgregg7250]

The drug infiltration is just WHY those places don’t exist any longer… Drugs are killing the US, just as planned. It’s coming to you too.

[@toomanybears_]

I've been to all these towns. Forest City has long been famous for the amount of crime for some reason. Interesting tidbit, the Auto Zone you drove past in Forest City is Auto Zone #1. It's their very first store and has been there since the late 70's.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Interesting!

[@michaelporter7056]

Before it was Auto Zone, it was Liberty Super Market, Where i worked at 17 years old for Mr. Oral Edwards.

[@jumpinjehoshaphat1951]

In 2015, Hughes was forced to dissolve its school district because it had less than 350 students. As a result, their students needed to be bussed to West Memphis 27 miles away.

[@Cajek2]

If you vote red, you tend to get collapse.

[@ohmeowzer1]

Thank you for taking the time to do this .

[@georgekelly9797]

Thanks for the video Joe. I’m just catching up on some of the videos I missed. Amazing all the abandoned houses and businesses and I realize that every one of them has a story to tell of a family growing up, holidays celebrated, births and deaths. I guess like everywhere, life goes on. I also listened to Al Green many times, one of the great ones. Be well, be safe on you journeys.

[@heatherhillman1]

Abandoned buildings, especially homes, make me sad and fascinated at the same time. So much urban exploration just sitting there waiting.

[@sharonp6468]

Exploration or exploitation? 😢

[@heatherhillman1]

@@sharonp6468 I don't know what you mean, but personally, I just like to walk through and see the layout of the house and if there are any unique features. I have found that most old houses have some feature unique to the time they were built, but are not really a thing now.

[@sharonp6468]

@@heatherhillman1 I enjoy that, too, Heather! I'm referring to those without an appreciation or a conscience; those who break in, ransack, defile and steal items. Those who spray paint vulgarities, trash places, or even commit arson.

[@heatherhillman1]

@@sharonp6468 Oh I hate when people have such little respect that they destroy things. I have the heart of an archeologist. That is to say I like finding artifacts, but I prefer to leave them for the next explorer. Take only pictures, leave only footprints. 😁

[@manofreedom]

I grew up in Caraway Arkansas and spent about 5 years in Lepanto. Not far from Hughes, Earle, Parkin, Marked Tree, Tyronza, Turrell and other small towns. The area around Horseshoe Lake (just outside of Hughes) is being surrounded by multimillion dollar homes. Mississippi county is home of the largest steel production facility in all of north America. Sure, there is a lot of poverty but there is also a lot of economic development not far from Hughes. You need to go film Wilson and the developing steel industry there and at Armorel. Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest was the founder of the KKK. If you want to see a throwback to the late 1800's and early 1900's then go to West Helena. The battle of Vicksburg should have been at Helena. There is a lot of civil war history there and the old downtown is impressive.

[@seanhartnett79]

Interesting. Need to see that.

[@jolindacarpenter9912]

My family has farmland in Tyronza/Poinsett County.

[@manofreedom]

Until I was in the 6th grade we lived in West Ridge and I went to school in Missco then we moved to Caraway. I worked on a rice farm outside of Tyronza between Tyronza and Whitton and Birdsong. I live in Jonesboro now but we still have lots of family friends that live in Lepanto and my parents still live in Caraway. @@jolindacarpenter9912

[@manofreedom]

@@jolindacarpenter9912 When I was just out of high school, I drove a tractor for a farmer that had about 2500 acres west of Tyronza between Tyronza and Bird Song. He also farmed most of the land from the Joiner cutoff between highway 135 and the Tyronza River toward Whitton on both sides of highway 118.

[@thetruequeen6747]

Thanks for the videos and sharing all this information even though sad but i just hope everyone that was able to leave those towns, r living and enjoying a much better life experience. As said in my previous comment, I grew up in Prescott Arkansas but always said as a child, “one day I’m going to California” and here I am. I’m 66 now and have a very blessed life. Yes, I’m gratefully blessed 🙏🏾

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Nice!! 😀👍

[@WujiErTaiji]

Just started to watch this channel and as someone from Europe I always think "Man, these streets look so empty and deserted. No one is walking around." And then in this video you see two people and he's like "Strange, people are walking around here. That adds to the overall despair." And I'm like "Yeah, I guess nobody is walking in Murica.".

[@demostrakon1666]

It's too far to walk anywhere. Europeans don't realize how spread out everything in the US actually is. Unless you live downtown in one of the largest cities, chances are you need to drive to get anywhere. Sidewalks, bikeways, things like that - they are nonexistent in these areas or in a constant state of disrepair.

[@georgi.nakovv]

What on earth is happening to America? I am from Eastern Europe. I grew up under the Communist regime and have always admired the US and the free world beyond the Iron Curtain. And now everything looks so sad and abandoned.

[@in10citty]

America is collapsing. It’s a shell of what it was even 20 years ago. Without real change, America is going to end up like every other major superpower that has existed, then ceased to exist, within history.

[@thepitpatrol]

He concentrates on poor towns. There are plenty of towns that are prosperous.

[@thecollectoronthecorner7061]

Actually the USA was a poor place up until WW2. Then after the war ended Europe was Bombed out and the USA untouched by war on the mainland had the factorys workers and natural resource's to become the entire worlds makers. If anyone wanted of needed anything manufactured they came to the USA to get it built. That led to a one time Anaomally in the entire History of the world. The USA Blue Collar middle Class. And the Middle class lived like kings compared to most places. It was short lived and began to Decline with that fake gas shortage in the erly 1970's. The Final nail in the coffin was NAFTA and Free trade agreements. We hardly manufacture anything any more. Just exist because the FED creates digital petro dollars out of thin air and loans it to the USA Treasury Dept.

[@Gemelli2906]

Selling our souls to china

[@alanjones3874]

The difference is that in this country you have to look for the sad and abandoned .

[@nateschneider936]

I love these videos. I grew up in a town of 2500, which is now 1500 in rural Nebraska 30 yrs later. Best days of my life.

[@Sebastianfebruar]

Nice Channel. Sad Pictures. Greetings from Germany

[@wexfordto7297]

Amazing how many newer cars, SUVs and pickup trucks there are on the streets of these abandoned towns.

[@hilarygibson3150]

I thought that. Houses you think no one could be living in, smart pick up outside. Weird.

[@HCforLife1]

Yeah. Astonishing to me as European is the fact that there are cars like that parked next to eroding house and pile of trash. like: why do you spend your money on expensive new car if you can't afford cleaning your backyard and repairing porch. Completely different mentality than in Europe

[@cosmo10973ify]

Hello from Edinburgh, Scotland. I've just subscribed to your channel and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. I'm actually shocked and surprised at the level of decay in these towns and cities in the United States! Very sad indeed.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Welcome aboard!

[@krulltheskull]

I'm an American living near Glasgow, Scotland. I've been here for 15 years, and I just found this channel; being from WV I was once used to these kinds of sights but seeing them here really opened my eyes again. It's so sad and interesting to note that these kinds of places all seem to look the same, regardless of the state.

[@mritchie85]

@@krulltheskull I'm just outside Glasgow too, many ghost post industrial towns in Scotlands central belt, much like in this video tbh

[@keithhyttinen8275]

The results of right wing greed for 45 years. These were all thriving towns in 1970.

[@BeckBeckGo]

Canadian here. I lived in Edinburgh for a year when we lived in the UK. I haven’t been back since I was a teen there. I’ve been binge watching walking tour videos to trigger my memory. Some streets and closes trigger immediate memories, others? I can’t place them. But, for the most part, watching these videos, I can almost immediately smell the bready scent of the breweries. I miss it.

[@heritage80elite]

Wow. My dad grew up in Haynes, Arkansas. Halfway between Forest City and Marianna and very close to Hughes. It’s not the end of the world, but you can definitely see it from there.

[@michaelporter7056]

Walter Bradford had a store in Haynes for years.

[@johnrobinson1020]

Thanks for yet another informative video; It makes me sad to think of all those little kids and people living in such poverty and the conditions that you show in this video; I would like to have seen some of the medical facilities in these places, Hospitals, Doctors' surgeries, etc. I was surprised at the low cost of fuel (gasoline) at $3.19 cents a gallon; Here in Australia it varies a bit and goes up and down in price but on average is around $9.00 per gallon and sometimes up to $10.00 a gallon. (that's Australian dollars) Your videos are great to watch and show us some of the problems the politicians don't want to believe exists. We do have poverty here as well but nothing equal to that in the USA. Keep up the good work. I don't know for sure who does your camera work but it is very good work and your commentary is very professional. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. I love America and spent some time in New York a few years ago and found everyone so friendly and helpful. I wish I could have seen more of America but your videos are doing that for me.

[@kimberH1005]

In Hughes the Pepsi sign was at least 50 years old probably more. By the mid 70s they didn't use that look anymore. The leaning cross on the church wasn't ajar - it was a cross. LOL couldn't help myself. Some of the homes you assume are abandoned I sadly think are inhabited. In high school and college I did volunteer projects with my church. We fixed homes like those that people were living in. It was so tragic. Many homes would have cardboard walls and ceilings instead of drywall. Very poor people sometimes live in homes most would look at and think are abandoned. 😢

[@neanam]

Yup you ain't lying houses that I thought were abandoned people came up outta them homes when I was in Tallulah Louisiana

[@rebeccamay595]

It could actually end up in a museum prob should I know here in australia we have things like that from different eras . Even a 90s glass coke bottle on display WA museum 😂

[@rebeccamay595]

I actually love that the sign is still there and Is that old

[@doninmichigan]

​​​@@rebeccamay595a 'nineties glass coke bottle in a museum'? Sheehit, I've got a 60's glass coke bottle at home from when I was a kid. 😄

[@dougiestone710]

My family moved from Baldwinsville NY to Magazine AR back in 1993 I was 10 @ the time. Population @ the time was 799, I think my class in NY had more people in it than the whole town. It’s beautiful in the shadow of Mt Magazine, kinda felt like going from modern day civilization back in time decades. Dirt roads, cows, and nothing open after 10 pm. Finally escaped a few years ago to Ohio but moving back next year cause my wife wants to be back around her fam. Love your videos, and hope I can do this with my fam one day. Thank you!

[@dfuller81]

I’ve driven through Magazine. It’s a beautiful area.

[@jamesportrais3946]

Dougie, I'm an ex-pat Brit living in SE Asia. If there's one piece of advice that I can give you if you're a working self-employed stiff like me; do something that you can sell internationally. Although "they're" trying to screw even this up, the chances are that you'll be safer given local or national problems. Where I live, everyone aspires to open a shop and of course they fail when the local economy tightens.

[@thepitpatrol]

Magazine is a beautiful area.

[@Theywaswrong]

If people feel best in a city, then they should stay in the city. But for many of us, we call it elbow room. I've always lived in the country but not far from a sizeable town but not the kind with symphonies, bistros, museums. Magazine is in one of the most beautiful spots in the country for scenery, mountains, valley views. The lodge at Mt. Magazine is a beautiful place to stay. On a motorcycle trip it's just hard to beat. What places, outside of a city, DON"T have gravel roads, cows and horses. Dirt roads? Unless you were trying to find them for some reason, I think you meant unpaved or gravel base roads. You don't come across as an outdoors enthusiast so Ohio's cities might still be your best location.

[@thepitpatrol]

@Rick Jones magazine is one of the the best spots. Gorgeous. Is it Little Rock? No. Is it Springdale? No. But it a great place. You have a very nice little town in Paris. Your a stones throw from Ft. Smith and Logan County has one of the best County judges in the state. Does it have all the amenities of a big city? Nope. But it doesn't have all the problems either.

[@doesntmatter123]

Very interesting videos, been binge-watching these. Much love from Finland!

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@AussieWalks]

Great video -although some really sad situations there. Happy for this to have shown up in my feed - you have a new subscriber from Gold Coast AUSTRALIA. Thanks for these tours - I look forward to more of your videos

[@chefjasonhaywood162]

Seeing some of these towns make me realize how much I love my hometown of Opelika Alabama.

[@stevedavis5704]

The homes and buildings that are abandoned for whatever reason are usually left to collapse on themselves because it takes money to tear them down. When I was young if you had a building that was condemned you could donate it to the fire department. They would then catch it on fire, sometimes more than once, and would use it for fire training. When it couldn’t burn anymore then the city would scoop up what was left and drag it off. However for the most part the EPA won’t allow it anymore because a lot of the old buildings had all kinds of nasty stuff you don’t want to be inhaling in the smoke.

[@harrisonmantooth7363]

Steve Davis; My youngest son, while attending a Fire Academy participated in a couple of these Old farmhous burns. As a side note, all of the illegal fireworks confiscated during the year were placed in the big empty water storage ta nk and set on fire. This generated so much heat that it started raining over the remains.

[@ennuiblue4295]

Oh yeah! Once when I was delivering in Illinois I saw smoke and was like 'fire!', but it was a condemned apartment complex they were using to train 😂

[@rebeccamay595]

We would cop a fine if we let a house left to rot doesn’t make sense to me

[@stevedavis5704]

@@rebeccamay595 The problem is that it’s a long involved process for the fines to be assessed and collected. And if you don’t pay the city or county seizes the property and then they are stuck dealing with the mess. This legal limbo is the reason the buildings get left to fall down.

[@rtre870]

Come to South Arkansas, take a ride across 82 from Texarkana to Lake Village into the lower delta, or go up 67 from Texarkana to Arkadelphia & up into the Ouachita Mountains, its alot to see here. Stops I'd recommend along the way, Garland City, Lewisville, Stamps, Waldo, all interesting historic towns along Hwy 82. Hope, which is the birthplace of Bill Clinton, Prescott (pronounced Pre-Skit), Gurdon, which is famous for the Gurdon Light, onwards into Arkadelphia, which is a nice little college town, along the Hwy 67/I-30 corridor. When you get to Arkadelphia, take the Caddo Valley exit onto highway 7 & enjoy the scenery.

[@kernithudson]

I'm so late to your videos! One thing I have noticed - even when these homes and buildings are dilapidated or have caught Fire; I don't see homeless and or people walking around like zombies -- like they are in my city! And let me tell you -- people live in makeshift tents, RVs, and cars-- in every park of my city! Again I don't see any of that- in this impoverished town- during the first 5 minutes of this video! So people who live in these towns featured in this clip are doing something half right! For real ❤

[@luann7517]

I love your videos. I am somewhat homebound, and seeing rural America has always been a dream of mine. What I most admire is how you are still aware of all traffic signals and signs as you tell the story of a town. I was never very good at talking and driving at the same time...so kudos!

[@PSP92262]

Hopefully you don't drive

[@msclecarcrzy]

Because of your videos Spoda I checked my small town here in Virginia and from 2020 census to 2022 we have gained about 40% in population. The town is thriving and hardly any empty buildings. Glad to see it doing well. Thanks for all your videos really enjoy them 👍

[@mersea.714]

Now I’m curious about the numbers where I live in Virginia. Hello from the coast!

[@msclecarcrzy]

@@mersea.714 I'm on the coast too

[@mersea.714]

@@msclecarcrzy Cheers from VB 🏖️

[@tomayres4237]

I live near Lynchburg, Va.

[@joycelebaron2582]

I live in Wytheville here in the Appalachians and I love it! It's beautiful and doing well. About 8000 in population and holding steady.

[@SomewhereInIndiana1816]

thanks for taking us along with you!

[@masaimkenya]

Your videos are very educative . I am a fan of travelling upcountry and it feels great watching your videos . Greetings from Kenya 🇰🇪

[@tommyirwn131]

Lord spoda videos are always interesting to watch

[@ENJIMEEREBAY]

A great presentation. Arkansas has not changed in such a long time. There are places even more desolate.

[@jeffsmith8178]

You ever been to other parts of arkansas they're growing and thriving

[@Theguys1]

Wow…their Governor just spent allegedly $19k on a podium. How can she see this and not weep?

[@glennbourque111]

I just discovered your video tours yesterday for the first time (Ohio) and I'm enjoying them - your narrations are informative, pleasant. I plan to watch one each day to glean insights into parts of the country I'd otherwise have no interest in visiting. Any that would interest me I've probably already been to. Thank you.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Awesome, thank you!

[@4BCJesus]

What always strikes me with your videos, is just how few people are walking around.

[@jimmyjames6267]

No kids outside ever also

[@trige000]

This is America sir, we drive the cars.

[@tenaguin1054]

Usually way to hot and humid.

[@tonymills5086]

You know I wondered about that too , Where are the people?

[@carlhaldeman420]

I was expecting you to comment on the amount of litter in Hughes. There was a lot for a town of that size. As a resident of Arkansas I have heard of these towns/cities many times. I have never seen them until this video. I never thought they would be in the condition they're in. They could be greatly improved if the owners of the dilapidated properties would tear down the buildings, mow the grass and weeds and keep the litter picked up. There may not be enough of a police force in these poor communities to keep things neat as far as litter control, though. I always think of old people that witness the degradation of their community over the years and for economic reasons can't afford to leave their home. They might have the one nice-looking place on their street or block. This was a well made video with the stats at hand.

[@Mike-uk3tb]

55%

[@sharoncarter5962]

It was more than litter, actually debris. It appeared to be tornado leavenings especially with the number of broken large limbed trees. I'm sure most property owners are long deceased with no one claiming the asset...the young had moved away to cities long ago. Its so sad. I wish a movement to rehouse and employ the massive unhoused urban populations would develop and reclaim our dying cities and towns. Kinda like a modern updated version of the historic homestead act. Be well. 😊

[@cjumberger7489]

@@sharoncarter5962 tornado hit Hughes in 2013, so good observation. EF 2 and I think one person died

[@jshshh1041]

The owners of those dilapidated properties is often a bank. People abandon them and default on the loan. And usually what happens is the property has no interest, and the bank has no interest in spending money on the upkeep. Kind of a snowball effect, which is why you often see a piece of property just sit for decades. It just gets worse and has less appeal

[@user-ii9xh5lz6u]

Young folks probably moved to Texas and TN and never looked back many of those empty homes owners are dead

[@maryclairfitzpatrick8135]

I love your series! I am looking after an elderly parent and working so have no time to travel. In fact little time to do anything fun. I escape with you and your commentary is v interesting. Keep up the great work safe driving! Fan in Ireland.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Wow, thank you. :)

[@pmventura41]

That was a great tour, thank You.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you!

[@cherrykristin]

Watching here from the Philippines. Coming from a third world country, i did not imagine that the US has more than what i expected poverty issues as well. Though I must say some of the videos u showed (except for the messy properties tho) were still picturesque for my taste as I have been living in a big city all my life and had always wanted to see the rural areas esp in the US. I am a fan of your videos but may I suggest that you try some diners or other stores that are inhabited? Maybe interview locals a little bit. I am quite curious as to how those downtowns look like inside and with inhabited. But if there's going to be security issues then I would understand. My family and I will be vacationing in LA and I asked my sister who is based there to bring us to places like the one you're showing in your videos. Well that is, if there are areas like that in LA. My weekends off from work are spent watching your videos! Thanks a lot!

[@jsedge2473]

Some of these areas are sketchy and some are perfectly safe, just depends, but it's easy to know and feel which is which. It would be interesting if he got out and walked around stores and stuff, definitely.

[@shawnhampshirehick101]

Probably the policies of government.

[@Tokishi7]

a little different from poverty issues at times, many of these places are just drying up. The businesses that once propped them up have disappeared and as the old generation dies off, there's no one left. But there's certainly poverty in some parts tho. But there's plenty of small rural towns doing quite well in NW arkansas as well

[@StratKruzer]

Better believe there is poverty and decay in LA. More than you imagine.

[@VWNate1]

@cherrykristin: I hope the Los Angeles visit doesn't shock you too much . Poverty in the U.S.A. is really bad, the 1% has taken most of everything yet people who live in towns like this still vote republican . -Nate

[@JAT009]

School consolidation killed a lot of these small towns. When a small town loses its school, it's kind of like the heart has been removed & the soul slowly dies. Which is sad because a lot of these small towns are, or were great places to live. It's hard to beat small town living. Being in Brinkley, you were really close to another town that was a "gem on the prairie" & now is probably one of the worst small towns in existence. That town is Cotton Plant.

[@jodyross6185]

what does school consolidation mean?? are you speaking of treating all races with equality?? did the schools shut down due to uneducated folk not wanting to share the classes with God's first humans??

[@namastelounge3863]

Captivating video but at the same time depressing to see the decline of these towns. I feel for the locals trapped without means to get out. It would be even more interesting if you interact with the residents in each town .

[@roybond5404]

Thank you for the tour , it was very enjoyable 😊

[@ewinleti4680]

The birds are chirping happily!!!! The stately homes are nice.

[@ewinleti4680]

Amazing how many abandoned vehicles are left there.

[@dukert27]

That BBQ restaurant in Marianna is famous in Arkansas. One of the best for sure.

[@kornicopiakids112]

Autozone opened its first store in Forest City on July 4th, 1979. It has now expanded to most of the country with over 6,000 stores.

[@damedavidfrith55]

This the America we all need to see more of ,not just the glamorous shiny bits we are swamped with ,what caused such poverty you could do with explaining that more ,thanks for that peak at real Americans lives

[@cancellogout6468]

You documenting these small towns and capturing a moment in time like this is such an undervalued thing to do. 20 years ago many of these towns were in much better shape and 20 years from now I imagine they will have mostly either completely disappeared from the map or have been salvaged one way or another. Being able to see these cities in the process of decay is really eye opening, and I can't help but wonder where these people will go or what they will do when there's no work left in their town and no value left to the property they own. In many ways, I think that people will want to look back on footage like this in a few decades and wonder where things all went wrong...

[@FloridaGirl-]

That’s what happens when manufacturing and industry leaves the areas. No jobs. Then they become rust citiies.

[@tomkrzyt]

That's the point. What happened with jobs during last 20 years there? Most of these towns existed in XIX century. They survived Big Depression but decay in XXI century, the century of technology. So weird.

[@rickyjohnson4623]

Love all the adventures exploring the small towns. Drive safe, Garland, Texas

[@rebekahlikesmusic2723]

I have fam from Garland 💚 peace from Fort Worth area ✌️

[@chanakaranaweera1682]

I really love America. My dream country. I got to know Arkansas from watching the movie The Hunt. Your program is very good. I watched it today.😍😍

[@motsigman]

I'm English and was on a road trip through the US 15 years ago, there is no country in the world that abandons its poor and sick like the USA, its not just southern states either DC, Philadelphia both shocking.

[@cherienafo7676]

Australia here// WOW ! so much abandonment ! its quite astonishing really- I always think about all the homeless people when I see these empty houses- such a shame they cant be used in some sort of scheme? Thank you for your 'reports'- I am hooked ! and cant wait to find your next one.

[@danoc51]

Hi Cherie...As for these places being utilized to house the homeless, the towns don't look like there is any employment, which would just perpetuate a poor person's financial problems. We can find $800 billion dollars a year to build our military beyond all needs but spend very little money to get people housed or healthy.

[@lukebradley7879]

Why are Australians obsessed with America

[@danoc51]

@@lukebradley7879 Everyone has an obsession with the United States. I have seen USA t-shirts commonly worn in parts of the world where you'd think they hate us. I attribute a lot of this fascination to the USA leading the world in music and other entertainment. Also, regular citizens in the USA live like royalty compared to many if not most countries. And whatever anyone else has, we likely have it bigger and better. People from all over the world are trying to get to the USA to live here, raise their kids here and expand their lives. You rarely see USA citizens moving elsewhere...if they are, they are likely doing so purely for a lower cost of living. We complain about living here but most places are worse. How'd you like to live in Russia, China, Iran, Afghanistan, Mexico, Venezuela or Ukraine right now?

[@MurakamiTenshi]

The government has the means to revitalize these places, but doesn't want to. The vast majority of the US is wide and empty. Most people congregate in the concrete jungles, and those left behind are living in the ruined shells of industrial/agriculture hubs. All of our production went overseas and it destroyed the Deep South.

[@yvonneplant9434]

​@@lukebradley7879 There are always a bunch of comments from Australia on tons of American YT channels. I have the same question: why are they obsessed with this stuff and us.

[@TalliesbyDee]

The last few videos you've shared have really cemented how fortunate I am.

[@mickeb7524]

Hi, I'm from Sweden. Like your videos! Sad to see all the abandoned houses and all the trash everywhere. I will continue to watch your videos. Hearty greetings from Sweden.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Greetings to you as well. :)

[@ajeansmith5478]

Thanks. This was so informative. I wish these communities could attract some companies and people. I also think lots of folks need a hand cleaning up their properties and , well, whatever could be helpful to them .

[@craigblakes5499]

Didn't know that about Al Green. He is a legend. Those towns are hard to see. My family is from Morrilton, and I still got family there. Hate seeing towns going down like that

[@mrstanbmw]

Al Green the Rev one of the greatest live performers ever

[@forasterofunambulesco1584]

Al Green....great........how about Forrest City Joe, almost unknown, but on youtube you can here him: "Forrest City Joe (She used to be beautiful but) She lived her life too fast"