Where is "The Gultch" located today?
Is it New Hampshire? North Dakota? Texas? Alaska? I don't live in any of these states but I hear the government is much less intrusive in those places relative to the rest of the country. Or perhaps (and sadly) it isn't even in America. Prior to Hong Kong's reposession by China they would've been towards the top of the list. Have those citizens lost rights since then?
The Eastern Half is the Urban and "Farmer" mentality that goes back to the 1930's Democrat/Populist/Progressive Depression Era Government is the solution. That's over-simplifying it, but true.
My school board just voted (against overwhelming discent) to tear down the high school in good condition to build a brand new one with a price tag of $100M!!! We don't have $100M so they are borrowing some of it and seeking out the State to subsidize it. The idiots don't realize where the State gets its money from...THE TAX PAYERS!
The people of our nation were fooled and they veered off track over 100 years ago. Today, bad ideas pretty well permeate every level of government everywhere.
I live in Idaho. It should be a bastion for freedom, but I am constantly dumbfounded by how ignorant people are, how arrogant and entitled the city governments are, and how blind everyone is to the whole situation.