Come what may, the Mountain States could end up being the nexus of the American internal conflict, the location where all our national flashpoints converge to form a point of singularity.
Will have to re-read this again, much here to think about - first thought is to withhold judgment until November elections. If somehow Trump can win in November despite the entire US regime using nearly all they can muster to stop him, I want to see what happens with the left's defacto military antifa and blm.
I spent a lot of time and travel extensively in this area (and the rest of Washington and Oregon, though that's neither here nor there). I think you're spot on about this, and it's not something a lot of people out there seem to get. There's a lot of out and open conservative support, a lot of political bluster, and a lot of unambiguous confidence that, should the rubber meet the road, they're going to win in any sort of conflict. It's admirable, in a way, but extremely short-sided, and for as good at prepping as these people are (or claim to be), they still don't really seem to grasp the broader expanse of what's going on across the country besides "city bad". Which is true, but the further in the sticks you go, there's grinding poverty and crime that, while less frequent, yes, still rivals anything you might see in Portland and Seattle. Even in North Idaho, for as red as that place is, you go to any of the major towns - Couer d'Alene, Sandpoint, Wallace, etc. - they're all fairly liberal places. Sandpoint is less than an hour's drive from Ruby Ridge and, driving through there, you'd think you were in some small town on the Puget Sound the way the politics go. That's to say nothing of Boise, and especially Bozeman and Missoula.
Getting to know people in those places, though, I've heard from anyone with any sense and is more careful about who they're truly open and honest with. Like I said, there's a lot of posturing and peacocking in these places to see who can fly the biggest "let's go brandon" flag or scream "FJB" the loudest, but the more erudite and intellectual people - people I'd say are more intellectually conservative than temperamentally, which, the more time I spent out there, the more time I see clearly illustrated - know that these communities and towns are under a microscope, and there's a pretty pervasive caution of federal agents. It makes it hard to actually get to know anyone that, in my opinion, is worth knowing, because they're very guarded about what they say, which tells me everything I need to know about just how politically tumultuous the situation already is in these places, despite how red hot republican they appear on the surface.
Will have to re-read this again, much here to think about - first thought is to withhold judgment until November elections. If somehow Trump can win in November despite the entire US regime using nearly all they can muster to stop him, I want to see what happens with the left's defacto military antifa and blm.
"When we win, do not forget that these people want you broke, dead, your children raped and brainwashed...and they think it's funny."
-Famed Ukrainian fighter pilot Samuil Hyde
I spent a lot of time and travel extensively in this area (and the rest of Washington and Oregon, though that's neither here nor there). I think you're spot on about this, and it's not something a lot of people out there seem to get. There's a lot of out and open conservative support, a lot of political bluster, and a lot of unambiguous confidence that, should the rubber meet the road, they're going to win in any sort of conflict. It's admirable, in a way, but extremely short-sided, and for as good at prepping as these people are (or claim to be), they still don't really seem to grasp the broader expanse of what's going on across the country besides "city bad". Which is true, but the further in the sticks you go, there's grinding poverty and crime that, while less frequent, yes, still rivals anything you might see in Portland and Seattle. Even in North Idaho, for as red as that place is, you go to any of the major towns - Couer d'Alene, Sandpoint, Wallace, etc. - they're all fairly liberal places. Sandpoint is less than an hour's drive from Ruby Ridge and, driving through there, you'd think you were in some small town on the Puget Sound the way the politics go. That's to say nothing of Boise, and especially Bozeman and Missoula.
Getting to know people in those places, though, I've heard from anyone with any sense and is more careful about who they're truly open and honest with. Like I said, there's a lot of posturing and peacocking in these places to see who can fly the biggest "let's go brandon" flag or scream "FJB" the loudest, but the more erudite and intellectual people - people I'd say are more intellectually conservative than temperamentally, which, the more time I spent out there, the more time I see clearly illustrated - know that these communities and towns are under a microscope, and there's a pretty pervasive caution of federal agents. It makes it hard to actually get to know anyone that, in my opinion, is worth knowing, because they're very guarded about what they say, which tells me everything I need to know about just how politically tumultuous the situation already is in these places, despite how red hot republican they appear on the surface.
Updated the discussion post with one of your remarks and my reaction.