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YourAverageCracker t1_j5ep019 wrote

I mean it is a small rural state in the United States.

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SkyBS t1_j5fchmb wrote

Don’t forget that high white population percentage. Also mountains 👍🏼

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ragajoel t1_j5ilzto wrote

Another connection is that both were destinations for the ‘back to the land’ movement in the 1960s.

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warmpita t1_j5fa459 wrote

I've lived in both. Way more similar than you might think.

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somedudevt t1_j5frymt wrote

I lived in both. Way more different IMO. Poverty is the same, the racial makeup is similar, but how people approach life is totally different. They embrace religion and regressive policies that continue to exacerbate the issues, refusing to let go of the past, while VT has gone though many economic phases and isn’t stuck trying to keep one. No body here is advocating for major Potash factories to open, or for the copper mines to reopen, or the clear cut all the land for sheep, or that having the garment industry back would save the towns. We accept that change occurs and we adapt. They refuse to accept that coal is dying, and as a result they are dying.

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Legitimate_Proof t1_j5g3qv9 wrote

I mostly agree with you, but I was thinking about how we are clinging to a dying industry when I read this: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/some-lawmakers-say-vermont-should-consider-a-milk-price-premium-to-help-struggling-dairy-farmers/Content?oid=37393636

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Soci3talCollaps3 t1_j5hm7kb wrote

It's not such a bad thing to try to keep local food production alive. Just because it is struggling doesn't mean that it should be abandoned.

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somedudevt t1_j5jc46a wrote

I don’t think the entire state is hanging onto dairy as the industry of the future. Sure we want to help the few farmers left, but we know the writing is on the wall. Also small family farms vs coal mines are very different conceptually. One is a low impact means of food production that could actually be better for the future, the other is killing the planet.

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kellogsmalone t1_j5hd8vh wrote

Group those into "local economic struggles" and they're similar. Perhaps the thought of similarity between the states offends you? Which comes off as supercilious.

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appalachianexpat t1_j5hg6ue wrote

You'd be surprised at the political language coming out of the Republican majority in West Virginia (I grew up in West Virginia, and have bounced back and forth between there and Vermont over the years). The leadership in the House, Senate, and Administration is very pro-solar, pro-renewable, pro-all of the above. It turns out when multinationals say they won't locate factories, or offices, or data centers in your state unless they have access to renewables, that that leaves an impression. As a result over the last couple legislative sessions, several pro-renewables bills have become law. That said, you can't go attacking the heritage (which would be equivalent to attacking the maple and dairy industries in Vermont). But diversification is widely desired and supported.

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Commercial_Case_7475 t1_j5ey5j1 wrote

Honestly WV and VT have a lot in common. I would definitely have a lot in common with hillbillies in WV

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_j5f3c24 wrote

Can confirm. Have hung out with hillbillies in WV. Lots in common, poverty is pretty universal.

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oblivioncntrlsu t1_j5fmfw0 wrote

"What did you do for fun growing up in Vermont?"

"Smoked weed and went sledding. Partied in the woods with cheap booze and bonfires. How about here in West Virginia?"

"Smoked weed and went mudding. Partied in the woods with cheap booze and bonfires."

"Nice. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

*clink*

"Got some of that VT bud?"

"If you've got more of that moonshine!"

"Nice. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

*clink*

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_j5fopie wrote

Exactly, someone said the difference is we don’t moonshine. Weed is to VT what moonshine is to WV.

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somedudevt t1_j5fv13y wrote

Who doesn’t moonshine? You need to hang out I. Better crowds if your not encountering home distilled spirits. We don’t do the make you go blind shit that they do down south, but the reason we have a lot of micro-distilleries that are making high quality products is because we have a VERY strong home distill culture, some with money go legit, but most are just making good whiskey, vodka, gin, etc for friends and family which is moonshining.

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_j5fynn6 wrote

Most of the people I came up with didn’t moonshine. We all grew pot every summer though. A few brewed beer but making alcohol takes more resources and space than growing weed in my experience.

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RoyalIndependence500 t1_j5g4fbn wrote

I live in Vermont but grew up in North Carolina. We drank moonshine and smoked weed while partying in the woods with bonfires. I think you are describing a lot of rural America here!

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tyguyS4 t1_j5f6dm0 wrote

Went camping on a friend's land in WV last year and the landscape is very similar, with a few different plants and bird calls.

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Significant-Pound-19 t1_j5fgrax wrote

If wv wasn't as commercialized it would be a dead ringer for VT.

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KineticTechProjects t1_j5foabi wrote

True. VT has so many nice small businesses and cute tourist towns that WV just doesn't.

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Significant-Pound-19 t1_j5fw8es wrote

Berkeley springs is a cute place to visit if you're ok with rubbing shoulders with DC garbage on the weekends

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McGrupp1979 t1_j5g2z08 wrote

I’m not sure if you have visited WV much or recently. But Lonely Planet ranked WV the #2 Travel Region in 2022, the only state in the US to be selected.

The creation of a new National Park, New River Gorge, definitely helped. But if you wanted to visit a nice tourist town you may like Lewisburg, Fayetteville, Davis and Thomas, or Elkins. If you wanted something even more unique try Helvetia.

Point being there is more to WV than the stereotypical hillbillies working in coal mines and drinking moonshine.

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hideous-boy t1_j5jbm8o wrote

hey now nothing wrong with hillbillies and moonshine. Could do without the coal mines though

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DaddyBobMN t1_j5fcww6 wrote

Vermont is the WV of New England, common knowledge.

Small, rural, mountainous, struggling. They've even had a similar program to pay folks to move there, with the similar strife between locals and newcomers.

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BeckyKleitz t1_j5fr485 wrote

I'm a native Vermonter and I live in Kentucky. I travel through W. VA on the way to my daughter's house in D.C. several times a year. To me, W.Va reminds me more of New Hampshire, than Vermont.

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jproads t1_j5f95fk wrote

WV is going to have a boom in popularity once people realize it's still relatively cheap and the state is beautiful.

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DoNotWeepAtMyGrave t1_j5fv7yr wrote

Except:

No infrastructure. No high speed internet. No good public schools. No jobs expect minimum wage or blue collar. No healthcare options outside of major cities.

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jproads t1_j5fwskv wrote

I don't think we need to shit on blue collar jobs like they're a bad thing. And everything else follows with money. That's how it goes.

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diamondstar400 t1_j5g06e5 wrote

Where are you drawing this from? I live In West Virginia and a lot of this isn’t true.

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rdvt4g t1_j5f5y0v wrote

Idk, encouraging interest in WV is probably a good idea.

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Affectionate_Cod_348 t1_j5fsvxw wrote

This is funny. When people from outside of Vermont ask me what it's like - I've found the most reliable way to describe it is "West Virginia on ice featuring special guest Bernie Sanders".

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papercranium t1_j5f9etw wrote

I mean, I follow the Cleveland subreddit (my parents and in-laws live there) and reddit keeps telling me "Oh, you like AMERICAN MID-SIZED CITIES? How about Denver? Detroit? St. Louis? New Orleans?"

It's pretty ridiculous.

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Virtual_Bug_3733 t1_j5hswoo wrote

Not the best comparison IMO. Yes, WV and VT have mountains and are rural, but I don’t see a lot of similarities beyond that. Sure there are pockets of poverty in VT, but nothing like what you see in most of WV. Way more recent wealth in VT (folks who’s wealthy city parents moved here in the 70s-90s plus the recent Covid surge). Major tourism and strong $ influence from Boston and NYC.

The comparison might have fit 50 years ago with manufacturing and farming running VT’s economy, but it’s been a playground for the affluent for awhile.

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agutema t1_j5f0gry wrote

Ooo I got r/Alaska suggested to me. I’m assuming because I’m in here and Washington

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Beardly_Smith t1_j5hj6hv wrote

It's a subreddit devoted to a state, I'd say it's pretty damn similar

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Fumesofpoon t1_j5feifh wrote

Apps do this all the time for me with football as well. They’re like “oh you like Liverpool? How about the arsenal subreddit/instagram??”

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richstowe t1_j5gpvo0 wrote

Reddit has spoken OP . The algorithm is just fine . Even the politics are similar . The dominant majority bullies and denigrates the minority because they have god on their side .

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ZenLitterBoxGarden t1_j5h9kuo wrote

I’m only ever suggested this subreddit bc I’m part of the WV one.. it’s ok. WV is a nice state, which has its flaws, much like VT (I’m assuming)

It’s okay OP, Reddit didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

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HorseDrankMyWhiskey t1_j5hiry4 wrote

I’m from Michigan and this subreddit keeps getting suggested to me…

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OxfordAnnie t1_j5hlyol wrote

I live in WV and am in that sub but get r/vermont (and r/newhampshire) in my “similar to” recommendations. “Close enough,” apparently.

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LawrenceofUranus t1_j5gd89d wrote

I only saw your complaint about the algo because the algo showed me it from r/vermont as similar to r/Wyoming… top notch

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MarkVII88 t1_j5gzv8u wrote

What's the proportion of inter-familial "relations" in VT vs WV? Isn't that the statistic everyone comparing these 2 states needs to start with? I'm honestly curious if, or how much, of a difference there is.

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thqks t1_j5h36g0 wrote

Mountainous state shedding population? Sounds about right. Only difference is there's a hell of a lot more tourism and money here.

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captainogbleedmore t1_j5hi3u5 wrote

Mostly the only thing separating places like Athens or Weathersfield from southern Appalachia are the accents.

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Mallard_a4_Thoth t1_j5ierie wrote

I keep getting them for all different states. I liked r/vermont, so how about r/connecticut, r/nevada, I think got an r/indiana, too.

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FyuckerFjord t1_j5fmuh5 wrote

Bernie spends a lot of time and is popular in both.

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Wild_Bake_7781 t1_j5gcdjl wrote

Same here! West Virginia keeps being suggested to me as well

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yhtomitn64 t1_j5gvb44 wrote

I get stuff like this too

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Mannymarlo t1_j5j9gsb wrote

They're a lot more similar than you realize I remember the Vermont of the late 80s and compared to then Vermont has become unrecognizable to me
Not so much in a geographical sense but as in quality of life

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beaveristired t1_j5jpp3p wrote

Once you join or even look at a state or city subreddit, you’ll get these suggestions. It’s pretty random sometimes.

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accepteverything t1_j5f960n wrote

Maybe it has something to do with what I call Reddit snark?

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