Sure, it is. You dang-well bet it is! It is our worst nightmare as a nation coming to life and as soon as we Sell Montana, there’s no return. But the reasons we’re selling Montana are even more tragic than the answer, and not many seem to be paying attention.

OK, to be fair, the actual act of “selling the state of Montana” comes from my novel SELL MONTANA set ten years in the future, around 2030 or so. I’ve extrapolated forward a bit from actions of the recent past to create an absurdly clear example of what could happen if we don’t pay attention. The government seizure of land—both small and large—is documented and used from time to time by our politicians as a solution to big problems.

Several Supreme Court and lower court rulings regarding eminent domain and “takings” rulings are easily searched and are the basis for my plot, which I believe makes it plausible, although admittedly unlikely for an entire state. Barstow, California and the seizure of an entire downtown area by government is an example. But what if the problems get larger?

Boundaries between states are something we seem to have fixed in our minds—yet they change fairly often. The fight between Georgia/Tennessee over water rights has been in the courts for decades and will likely end up with a change in the border. New Jersey/New York has seen the change in Ellis Island recently. How we’ll introduce new stars onto our flag by offering statehood to Washington DC and Puerto Rico should illustrate that our flag is fluid and make it easy to imagine ripping a star off Old Glory, to solve massive issues.

But the seizure of land and adjustment of boundaries is just an answer to the real problem: massive overspending by government. As our national debt careens out of control, we will see wilder scenarios come out of Washington, more Executive Actions, realignment of entire industries (and abolishment of others), all out of desperation.

And to be clear: this blog is politically agnostic. Both parties are guilty of overspending in Congress, plain and simple. And whoever ‘your guy’ was in the last 20 years, he’s pushed through overspending from the Oval Office, despite having great programs.

As the crazy escalates, people will come looking for answers anywhere they can find them, and before they abandon their own homes, they will certainly favor shedding resources way across the country, in a less densely populated area. Crazy, right? Well, tell me that you see a lot of sane going on anywhere near Washington…

So, Sell Montana is a thing, in my novel. And there are a lot of Montana’s on the block as we speak, being discussed in Washington. Pay attention so you can help write the ending.

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