Sectionalism - Rural Life Under Attack

I have said over and over the last few weeks that at this point rural America has but one course it can take. I still mean that. We have only one road at the moment but there are still many possible events that can open up new ones or even change the direction of the one we have.

Let's look at it straight my friends. There are several things on the agenda by the current administration and other Liberal Democrats that spell down right destruction for rural America and we don't even need to get into conspiracy theories like agenda 21 to find them.

Cap and trade regulations are wealth killers for any one running livestock, using machinery or who rely in whole or in part on alternative forms of heat. These taxes and credits may not be actual bans but they amount to the same in so many ways.

EPA regulations encompass most of the above but also expand even more as another form of oppression. Refusing to cut ethanol subsidies, claiming every ditch that ever carried a cup of runoff as a waterway and regulating stock ponds are just a  few examples of the ways the EPA is hurting small farmers and rural residents.

Labor laws cut deep into family farms banning teenagers born and raised on a farm from operating machinery or vehicles and participating in work that has been a staple of rural life for generations. In turn this causes an industry already beset by low margins to hire outside help and further cut into their profitability.

Energy policies. Attacks on coal mining is also an attack on rural America and will destroy the livelihood of many a family but it will also impact agricultural areas as well. You may complain about rising fuel costs but keep in mind agricultural endeavors require a much higher amount of fuel consumption each year than simple transportation. Not to mention rising electric costs coupled with the above mentioned regulations on alternative heating further damage family farms.  

The so called inheritance tax. This alone is cause enough for many a family farmer to take up arms. It is one thing for some city dweller to complain that the rich guy down the street shouldn't be able to leave his entire estate to his offspring tax free. It is another thing to take away an entire families property for the same reason. Farms have value yes but that values is completely different and pays off at a much lower rate than a factory or service company. With the inflated land values of today's government subsidized housing industry it doesn't take much acreage (especially in some areas) to get well above the 3 million dollar cut off fort he inheritance tax. Which in turn means the child of a farmer would need to shell out many hundreds of thousands of dollars that he won't have to retain the family's property that would make very little in return. Another words it is what kills small family farms and the the Liberals want to re-institute it.

Gun control is another issue that hits rural America hard. Those black rifles or magazine boxes may scare the hell out of city dwellers but for a rural person they are lifesavers. Not only human life but the lives of stock, pets and other wildlife. Ever seen a  pack of feral dogs killing a calf? A colt? Ever witnessed the damage a group of feral pigs can do? When you are limited to some bolt action "hunting" weapon you don't really get rid of the problem you only defend against more damage for a short term. Not to mention the second amendment was not about hunting anyway but that is another discussion.

These are just a few of the ways that rural America is under attack. There are others but these are some of the major ones off the top of my head. Tomorrow I will explore some reasons given why rural America cannot go it's own way and hopefully show they are false.

Until then

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!