Did they replant Bill yet?

Fables be dammned--tell us what it's like where you live and what you think. Having spent some time in both Laramie & Cody, my impressions were that locals are some of the most patriotic and freedom-loving folks I've ever met. You agree or not? And if you agree, tell me just how those values match up with current administration actions. Regardless, your views welcomed and if you're not careful, you just might get a shot of Southern hospitality!

We aren’t required to live in colonies like they do in the insect-cultures of China, NYC, San Francisco, Boston, etc. The purpose of the federal government is to keep invading foreign grasshoppers out. We gladly give up part of our production to support that. The purpose of the State/local government in this fable would be to stop the lazy grasshopper from stealing what we have produced. Again, we gladly give up part of our production to support that. The problem, of course, is when you have more lazy grasshoppers than ants. Then they just elect a group of like-minded do-nothing worms to take everything that the ants produce.

Thanks for joining in the discussion here in Fayette County, a hotbed of fanatical conservatism where "simplistic fables" are the norm and Limbaugh and Fox News are like french fries for their minds. Yummy to eat, but no nutritional value.

Yes Don, welcome to the discussion. As Yellow Stream indicated, this is a conservative hotbed. She is a liberal gadfly who drops by occasionally, usually when on lunch break at McDonalds. She frequently mentions french fries because that is what she does for a living. She is supposedly the french fry "chef" at our local McDonalds. She is very bitter about her miserable life and reminds us constantly. Apparently food stamps are much easier to qualify for in Georgia, because she lives here while hating it soooooooo much. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. But, that is the liberal way....

I notice that several responses to my post missed the point of what I said--not surprising.
Having lived in NW Wyoming for nearly all my life (I'm 65), I can tell you
that it is just as conservative as Fayetteville, and listening to and observing conservatives for as long as I have has taught me that the extreme conservative position is a fantasy. That is why I've become more liberal as I age.
Conservative Wyoming was purchased by the federal government (the Louisiana Purchase), it's borders were defined by the federal government, and it was settled with a lot of help from the federal government through subsidized transcontinental railroads (the UP and others), irrigation projects and land ownership (i.e. the homestead act,) not to mention the U.S. Cavalry (Gen. Custer died not too far from here) which swept the Native Americans out of the way.
Powell, where I live is an example. the community owes its life to the Bureau of Recreation, which built the Buffalo Bill Dam and the irrigation project that enables agriculture in what is desert land. All this was after Buffalo Bill tried to develop the area privately and failed, despite spending much of his personal fortune. Had the government not taken over, Powell would literally not exist.
The town itself was laid out by the BuRec., and homesteads were awarded as late as the 1940s. They went to veterans of World War II, and were small compensation for their service, but they were available because of the actions of the federal government.
In addition, local agriculture gained another government benefit courtesy of the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp, where Japanese American internees developed part of the land and extended the irrigation system. After they left, the buildings at the camp were given away, and many homesteaders lived in them for a few years while developing their farms.
In addition, a major crop is sugar beets, which are profitable courtesy of the federal government because the Sugar Act, which limits imports of cheap sugar.
The last figures I saw show Wyoming receives 1.35 from the feds for every dollar we pay in taxes, and we depend on tourism enabled by federal highway spending, and air travel into the region is courtesy of federal and local government subsidies.
So Wyoming conservatives talk a lot about independence, but our situation belies it.
Nobody exists totally on self-reliance. We are all part of an economic and political system and we all benefit from it in various ways. On the other hand, we are all jealous of our freedoms and resent being told what to do. Those of us who deny either reality, that is, the extremists of both ends of the spectrum, are either blind to reality or hypocritical.

D Amend

Welcome!

Anyways your "both ends of the spectrum" analogy is true. After all, we have "watch the hate talk" Princess Pelosi and Vice perpetrator Biden and his puppy Reid and "I'll nationalize the oil companies" Maxine Waters. Someone has to keep these liberals in check.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

...your conservative christian values are showing again.

I don't know if I'm ready to have to think too much, and your post had a lot of insight into the overall big picture. My head is starting to hurt and I'd rather you not do that again, OK?

However, since humans are neither ants nor grasshoppers, we have the choice of choosing the best of both worlds--individualism and community (of which government is one component) to maximize the success--maybe even the survival--of our nation.
Over the years I've been watching China carefully move towards choosing the best of both worlds and create a society more like what we have in the United States. Thanks for sharing.

Sad, but true!