, Columnist
How Mississippi Is Worse Off Than Bangladesh
In the land of opportunity, things aren't necessarily getting better.
American life.
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
A year and a half ago, renowned travel writer Paul Theroux wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times -- based on his then-new book “Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads” -- that raised a lot of hackles. Some objected to Theroux's views on manufacturing jobs and globalization, which we would now call Trumpian. Then there was this assertion:
To a wonky economic journalist, this begged for refutation. Annie Lowrey, writing for New York magazine, offered this: