Vol 4: Why Sell Montana?
There’s a lot of Montana-stuff discussed on my site, for two reasons: I love Montana (who doesn’t?) and I’ve written a novel called SELL MONTANA, that revolves around that beautiful state (as well as DC and Hollywood.)
The book has an outlandish premise and unthinkable plot, which serve to illustrate how crazy our world is, how overreaching our government can be, and how the triumphant spirit of individual Americans rises when catastrophes challenge our way of life. In the future (about a decade out in the book) the country is divided, and we face an economic meltdown of epic proportions. Sounds a little too familiar these days, right?
I started writing SELL MONTANA about fifteen years ago, long before the current economic crisis we’re facing, before Trump’s escalator ride, before Obama and the healthcare changes, before the iPad was even invented! And the book was set in the future…the near future, just a decade or so away, which is a tricky proposition. Of course, I’ve had to slide the timeframe and update the predictions for technology and more, since I took so long to craft the book. I mean, iPads were going to be a novelty back then, so I had to leap ahead. And Pandemics were distant history.
The synopsis of Sell Montana is on SteveGilreath.com, so I won’t go deeper other than to say the title describes the radical action that Dan Crowley, our pro-active President of that time chooses to lift us out of the collapsing debt spiral dug by Washington politicians from both parties, over decades. It’s unthinkable and outrageous, right? So, why Montana?
To make the book work, I needed to take away something from everyone. This thing had to have immense value, including emotional currency. I could have chosen something vague, like “freedom” or specific to all, like “driving cars”, but that didn’t sting as much as I wanted. Oh, that hurts, believe me! I got my driver’s license in ‘73 during the first gas shortage and economics robbed me of that joy for a while. I could wait in gas lines of more than three hours, but the price per gallon soon crossed 40 cents—who had money or time for that? The recent Coronavirus Pandemic forced sequestration on my family and took away many of the activities we enjoy. But we (prayerfully) knew that would pass. No, I wanted to create a cost too large for us to accurately calculate because it not only took away something dear to us all but struck fear in what might be taken next?
So, I chose Montana. I am amazed at how many folks I meet that have a deep emotional connection to the Big Sky state. A majority of the people I talk to about my book describe a memorable vacation, magical honeymoon, challenging outdoor adventure involving fishing, skiing, or climbing—or some other wonderful event tied to that state. Proposing the sale of any state in our Union, especially a favorite like Montana, are fightin’ words to most Americans. They quickly extrapolate to thinking their state/their home could be next. And perhaps they are right!
While I grant the book plot is outlandish (the federal government selling a state), the mechanism appears to be in place for some part of that happen, should the stuff really hit the fan.
The government seizure of land—both small and large—relating to the 5th Amendment is documented and used from time to time by our courts and politicians as a solution to various economic and political problems. Several Supreme Court and lower court rulings regarding eminent domain, condemnation, and “takings” rulings, are indexed and are the basis for my plot, which I believe makes it plausible, although admittedly unlikely. It has been used for more than just utility easements. Massive areas and industries have been seized, including coal mines, flood plains behind massive dams, and even entire downtown areas that were just going broke (hello, Barstow, CA.) The scale is different, of course, which makes the book fun to think about.
What if the government can carve off something we all hold dear and limit, ban, or outright sell it? I have no doubt that our representatives in the Washington bubble spend too much time thinking about absurdities like I’ve proposed, sometimes drooling with the prospect of unlimited income! I spend my time thinking about the unquenchable American spirit that would rise up at even the hint of such a travesty. And that’s why I chose Montana. It represents something dear to me and others and the best our country has to offer. Enjoy the read!