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The negative, dangerous iterations of an individualistic, "liberty"-driven worldview run deep in our society. It isn't new, but in the modern urban era it's more self-sustaining in less populous areas where fewer public services exist to provide evidence of good government. 1/ https://twitter.com/citygreener/status/1334175685313753089
Rural life is indeed more autonomous in many ways than urban. There is no city snow plow; there is you on your tractor digging out your neighbor. There is no cop a few blocks away; there is your shotgun. Your connection to rest of the country &world is real but less visible. 2/
Meanwhile in many cases you're doing dangerous labor that benefits urban people while they're watching Hillbilly Elegy & either pitying or demonizing you. This combined with geographic distance from centers of cultural & government power is recipe for resentment of "mandates." 3/
So what do we do? Change the conditions of rural America, whose economies, culture and health were intentionally sold up the creek by federal and corporate entities long ago. When you care about them, perhaps they might care in return--not only about you but about themselves. 4/
Sorry to tell you, it will not be done in a year but in half a century at best.
People will shriek over any defense of the rural space, no doubt, and its explanations take more than a Twitter thread. Read The Art of Loading Brush by Wendell Berry. End
