Uninhabited islands!?

On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

Bring back the locals and repopulate the islands.😉

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

🙄

Yeah, because everyone is just dying to move to some rock where the ferry only shows up once a week.

The wildest part to me is all those stories about how we'll repopulate the islands—how the Appalachians will become Switzerland, the mountains will turn into Austria, and settlements will just pop up on the Appalachian Mountains like mushrooms after a rainstorm...

What will actually happen is that eventually, retirees from Western Europe will roll in, snapping up cheap houses to spend their golden years. I mean, it’s fine, really; that’s basically how older Americans head down to Florida, and even places like Portugal and Spain are absolutely packed with Englishmen, Irishmen, and Germans...

Unless some new Stalin takes over the country, I suppose there isn't much force left that can save our rural areas from just fading away entirely...

Elizabeth Allen5 said:Bring back the locals and repopulate the islands.😉

I suppose that could work, though maybe they’d only make it if they happened to swim there, specifically toward Maui😉

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

It mostly plays out that way, unfortunately, and I’m becoming increasingly convinced that it isn't just some coincidence. Our islands have been passed down through us since prehistoric times.🙄😁They have been steadily declining over the last century, and that rate of disappearance has only accelerated during the past fifty years or so.

It’s a recurring pattern, really. If you look at a place like Manhattan, what happened after that bridge was built is nothing short of a tragedy, no matter how harsh that might sound. Sure, the connection made life much easier for the locals on paper, but the reality was a wave of concrete sprawl, rampant overdevelopment, and pure greed. You saw all that looting and corruption during the nineties, and even before that, they tore apart the local industry back in the old days of the socialist era, followed by those massive waves of migration from all over the former America.

There are still a few places out there—places like Maui, Oahu, or maybe even parts of the Florida Keys—that truly feel alive and vibrant, but honestly, most of the rest is just a heartbreaking sight to see. You can actually feel the decline happening; it’s palpable, and there are plenty of examples of towns that are effectively on life support, just slowly fading away right before your eyes. 👎

What a mess. It’s just like the people living here—everything reflects the state we're in. If we keep patting ourselves on the back just because we managed to rack up even more massive debt, we aren't going to move an inch forward. Honestly, it’s high time everyone actually rolled up their sleeves and put in some real work instead of obsessing over luxury goods and other mindless nonsense.

Sell those islands off to foreigners—better yet, peddle them to some Hollywood stars.

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

I don't think it's quite that much of a disaster. Nobody lives on the "War Island" in New York City anymore. Honestly, I'm not even sure anyone ever lived there to begin with. 😎 😎 😎

Michael Collins said:As far as the islands go, I honestly don't see a bright future there. I'm worried that in maybe 20 years, everyone except the top 10 biggest spots will be completely ghost towns...

A lot can change in 20 years. If they actually lean into tourism and bring in some serious big-money investment on those islands, people will start moving back.

Oh, please. What do people actually do on islands (I mean, Maui is a wonderful place to be 👍)? Is it strictly because tourism is so seasonal, or do they just work one job in Washington, D.C., while their older relatives rent out rooms during the summer?

It’s not just people leaving the islands. This is a global trend, really. Big cities—especially massive metropolises—just offer more opportunities, whether you're looking for a job or trying to climb the ladder.
In this consumerist culture we live in, hardly anyone values the quiet, steady quality of life you find on an island or in a small town anymore. Kids head off to the big cities for college and they just... stay there.
It's a shame, honestly. It's a real pity. But look, if you try to revitalize an island by building a bridge, like they did for Manhattan, you often just end up devastating it instantly. You don't even know which problem is worse. It’s a losing battle between preserving nature and chasing the money... or maybe it wouldn't be such a mess if we actually had a more competent government, or better politicians in general.

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

😁Well, now I know exactly where I'll be spending my twilight years—eating olives in Manhattan.

granitepilot282 said:It’s not just people leaving the islands. This is a global trend, really. Big cities—especially massive metropolises—just offer more opportunities, whether you're looking for a job or trying to climb the ladder.
In this consumerist culture we live in, hardly anyone values the quiet, steady quality of life you find on an island or in a small town anymore. Kids head off to the big cities for college and they just... stay there.
It's a shame, honestly. It's a real pity. But look, if you try to revitalize an island by building a bridge, like they did for Manhattan, you often just end up devastating it instantly. You don't even know which problem is worse. It’s a losing battle between preserving nature and chasing the money... or maybe it wouldn't be such a mess if we actually had a more competent government, or better politicians in general.

😛 So why don't you just run for office and start marketing islands as these beautiful, secluded havens for clueless corporate managers?

It seems our forum members aren't particularly interested in the heavy-hitting topics; I suppose that explains why politicians do nothing but make empty promises...
Take a look:

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

I mean, the average life expectancy for most people is like 70 to 75 anyway. It's not just happening on your island. And honestly, what's the big deal? 🤷

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

Savannah?

They’re just going to end up making them look ancient

If they end up completely stripped of personnel, we might as well just repurpose them as aircraft carriers.

It isn't just about the aircraft carriers—we're talking nuclear subs, dinosaur theme parks we could sink into the ocean, sell off, level to the ground, or just pave over and annex into the mainland...

ruggeddriver2 said:On my island, the average age has hit 70. Honestly, it’s a disaster. It feels like the absolute last chance for our brilliant politicians to finally wake up and actually do something meaningful to encourage people to move back to these deserted islands.
Open

Maybe we should just legalize the adult entertainment industry on the islands... that would certainly bring a crowd.
I mean, sun, sand, parties, and a little bit of debauchery... that's really all anyone is looking for anyway.