Me and my big mouth

Some folks don't get it even if they use it. Just because their side says it's so they'll stand up for it even if it's not in their best interest.

Keep up the good work Randy.
 
Plenty of intelligent gearheads on MM and 24....just keep in mind the necessity to prep your olfactory sense for the smell of piss.
 
Great example of "It doesn't affect me so its not my problem, he must be lying"....
 
It is a good thing that Tristate keeps posting. His thoughts are the thoughts of the opposition. You cant win war if you don't know your enemy. To think he is alone in his ideas would be foolish. Pay to play is the reality in most of the rest of the country and the opposition see's no reason why that cant work just as well in the West. The benefit of Tristate is he is open and honest about what he thinks should happen with Fed lands post transfer. It is easier to counter the opposition when they are truthful about what they really want.
 
It is a good thing that Tristate keeps posting. His thoughts are the thoughts of the opposition. You cant win war if you don't know your enemy. To think he is alone in his ideas would be foolish. Pay to play is the reality in most of the rest of the country and the opposition see's no reason why that cant work just as well in the West. The benefit of Tristate is he is open and honest about what he thinks should happen with Fed lands post transfer. It is easier to counter the opposition when they are truthful about what they really want.

This ^^^ is the value of having public dialogue with ideologues. I am always interested in the perspectives and experiences that drive the motivations to those on the opposite side of the argument. He has been beneficial in providing some further confirmation.

From a bigger picture, this entire State Transfer deal is a classic paradigm history has repeated for centuries. And it bothers me, for very personal reasons. Both in how we handle such things as a society, and how the smooth-talking hucksters swoop in to take advantage like hyenas finishing off a wounded animal.

In a society where one side feels abused, neglected, left-out, or otherwise made irrelevant, along will come a circus carney playing the Siren's song that appeals to those of the frustration. I lived it when my little logging town was economically hammered by changes in trade policy, environmental priorities, etc. We went from 500+ people, all working hard in the woods, at the mills, and ancillary jobs, to pretty much nothing. The population is now 200 people.

The story of my little hometown is replayed in thousands of places across this country. In totality, the number of Americans affected by some of these changes in trade policy or other social prioritization numbers in the millions. I suspect most of them, though normally being disengaged in politics, are avid Trump or Sanders supporters in this election year.

When the economic turmoil of globalization or societal prioritization happens, it is not pretty. Honestly, it's really ugly. Dreams are dashed, lives are changed, hope is lost.

Among the places where it happens, some of us get a lucky break, some just have the fortitude to push through the daunting unknown, some are pushed forward by those who decide to stay, almost as if a few are chosen as representatives of the people who stayed.

Yet, some want to stay, as it is all they have known, it is where their family has staked their claim. Some of the skills born of a life in the woods, the mines, the mills, the factories, do not translate well to an information economy, so the axiom of "Get off your butt and do something about it" is far easier in theory than practicality. Some have families with kids in school and they are not willing to disrupt the kids and their social structures. Some have elderly parents who need their daily care. Things called "life" keep some from adapting as well as others.

There are many reasons why not everyone can jump the next train out of town, head to the big city of prosperity, fully comfortable that they will land on their feet, even though they have no money in their pocket and mouths to feed. Having lived that, seen it, and frequently going home to those great people and feel how they have tried to make it work, I have a soft spot for those who are treated as body counts in the global economic war.

Maybe I am jaded, but that is how I see the manner in which many political power brokers look at rural issues. They view many of my family and friends as statistical casualties. In any war, there are casualties. Even in the war of global economics or environmental prioritization, their will be casualties. Maybe I need to accept that fact and accept that the victors of those battles really don't give a shit about the casualties.

Most those power brokers, not all, come from the best colleges, had some lucky breaks like I had, have had some sort of head start in life, or have such strong personal ambitions that they struggle to see the world through the eyes of those Americans whose boats are sinking, not rising. So, they continue to promote trade policies that leave out many people. They pass tax policies that benefit them and their buddies, while cutting programs that could help those who are just wanting to be good American citizens.

Because of my logging family background and logging's connection to the land, such elitism is very obvious to me in our changing environmental priorities. Nothing wrong with a society that wants less use of the lands for logging, mining, food production, etc. If that is what the majority of society wants to do as a matter of public policy, such is part of a democracy.

Yet, the environmental groups who want to control the narrative are as bad, or maybe worse than, the global economics purveyors when it comes to having little, if any, consideration to the people most impacted by their decisions. It is probably nice to jet from Jackson Hole back to SF, LA, NYC, or wherever, smug that you have saved the world by sending a bunch of money to a group stopping (insert activity here). Or that you are well-connected and lobbied your Congressional delegation to make huge changes to land use policies, none of which affect you, but put a lot of rural folks in a tight spot.

It is easy to rationalize why you did what you did, when it doesn't affect you. I suspect when that same person reads of rural unemployment being higher, alcohol rates being higher, lower life expectancy, higher suicide, and many other social issues that are amplified in rural areas, they find a way to disconnect any association of our national policies as somehow contributing to that. To not compartmentalize and accept your advocacy as a partial contributor would be discomforting and it is against human nature to impose discomfort upon ourselves.

All that said, the support for State Transfer by Tristate and others is a symptom. It is an expression by those who feel neglected, unappreciated, and at times, abused. When along comes a Ken Ivory, Jennifer Fielder, Ammon Bundy, or some other snake oil salesmen, people normally inclined to disregard that message will listen to it. Not because of the honesty or quality of the message, rather because it appeared the messenger finally cared about their cause. Unfortunately, most often, these messengers are not of good intent and they know it is easy to prey upon those who have feelings of being left out, dreams dashed, and hope forlorn.

It seems for all our prosperity from globalization, it would not be too much to ask for a bit of help to those casualties of these wars. We sent Trillions to Iraq. We spend Billions in Afghanistan. Yet, when we disrupt the hopes, lives, and dreams of thousands of hard working Americans as we reprioritize our land uses, we don't seem to have any money to assist that transition. Just make them another tally on the casualty count.

Point of this long ramble is that we had better start recognizing that our desire for a global economy and our advocacy for changed landscape uses comes with a price. We might not be the ones paying the price, but a price is paid nonetheless. So long as we continue to ignore those folks who are expressing frustration, rather than acknowledge them, we better understand that we are sowing the seeds for extremists to come and put a little fertilizer on the landscape and harvest the fruit of this frustration.

The State Transfer idea is not going away because we defeat it in State Legislatures or in Congress. Yes, it must be defeated, as it is a head fake that helps none of the people I mention above. The frustration-born ideas such as State Transfer will lose their appeal when we finally start recognizing the reasons for the appeal and provide a better alternative to those who heretofore have been considered economic casualties in a global economic and environmental policy war.

It has been a long week. Time to go fishing in Malta, MT and watch another community reliving the history of our past.
 
I think you are spot on Randy. The less the public lands are managed for multiple use the the more people will advocate for the sale or transfer of public lands. This and that a very small percentage of the population use the majority of public land leads me to believe that the battle will not be over soon.
Those arguing for preservation may be pursuing a strategy that will result in protecting the best and selling much of the rest.
 
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Well said.
I see the way they have made or tried to make many folks caualties. Like prey and they just want an easy target.
Well I'm not prey any more. I am a hunter,the predator.
Bring it.
 
Let me see if I'm understanding this: Teddy Roosevelt and his Public Land Conservation Legacy vs. Tristate and lets make it all private. TR's on Mount Rushmore correct?

On his stupidest day Teddy Roosevelt was about a billion light years ahead of this guy.
 
Nemont, I was up at Ft Peck on the 18th to run my "bucket list" Longest Dam Race across the dam and noticed a lot of fishing going on. I asked a fellow with NEMONT (a Longest Dam Race sponsor) signage on his vehicle if he knew THE Nemont of Hunttalk, the Nemont fabulous fisherman and hunter of birds and other fowl. He replied that the description could belong to thousands of Glasgow guys ... and I can see why as that area is certainly a fishing and hunting paradise. You are blessed to live there, even with all of those other "Nemont" guys.
 
I am amazed how this thread took off on MM. Not a member, but view it occasionally. Usually the NM forum. Nice people acting nice and help each other.

Tristate is an idiot!

It is great to see so many familiar names backing Randy.
 
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I enjoy reading your "rambles" as you call them, you've have a gift for words and are inspiration to many. Keep up the good fight!
 

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