The Encyclopedia of Brittanica describes anarchy as "the name given to a principle or theory of life and conduct under which society is conceived without government - harmony in such a society being obtained, not by submission to law, or by obedience to any authority, but by free agreements concluded between the various groups..."
After having recently watched a three-part documentary, The Appalachians, I couldn’t let go of a certain hypothetical situation stuck in my head. To be honest, the closer and closer I get to explaining and writing about it, I’m realizing just how weird but relatively possible it actually is. Out of every other state, wouldn’t West Virginia be the best bet for surviving and possibly thriving in anarchy?
Yeah, sure, of course it would! Who else could? New Jersey?
The Appalachians went over the history, culture, and life of the mountains and the people who lived there. As I watched, it occurred to me how stubbornly self-sufficient, cunning, daring, willful, and enduring the people who live here are. From the state turning into a battleground that pitted brother against brother during the Civil War, to the infamous family feuds, to the coal wars, and to insufferable poverty with little to no federal help until the New Deal, it isn’t as if West Virginia hasn’t lived in and out of anarchical rule during its time. We’ve done it before, and we’d be able to do it again
(excluding the out-of-state college kids).We are a part of the United States but also a completely separate entity. So if West Virginia fell into anarchy, we would survive and thrive better than anyone else possible could (although Minnesota and Wisconsin would give us a good run for our money).
(excluding the out-of-state college kids).We are a part of the United States but also a completely separate entity. So if West Virginia fell into anarchy, we would survive and thrive better than anyone else possible could (although Minnesota and Wisconsin would give us a good run for our money).
-R
4 comments:
More than just being loners, I think it helps that most West Virginians have some basic homesteading skills. Nearly everyone could plant a garden or hunt wild game, of course, but I think more people than you would expect could also make their own clothes or furniture, know what plants to forage from the hills, or cook over an open fire if needed. Personally, I can make soap. These skills make Appalachians unique in their ability to survive and adapt.
West Virginians have always been a fairly self-sufficient. I think in some ways, we would do better in anarchy. The country folks would deffinitely be okay. They're isolated enough to not have to fight for resources -- much of which they can probably grow or obtain themselves. But I think the cities would fall into chaos and bloodshed would become far more frequent. We city-dwellers are to dependent on stores and manufactured goods -- which are regulated by the government.
I really have to agree with J. Although a great number of our population actually does live in the mountains and could easily survive, the rest would face the same problems as any other state.
Yes, the people in the cities would definetely run into some problems and probably go into Bane-controlled Gotham city mode, but thankfully by that time most of the out-of-state college kids would've been scared back to New York. And even then, some of the locals would be able to disappear into the mountains just as easily as any of their mountaineer counterparts because survival and self-sufficieny are bred into them, as Anonymous pointed out in their first comment.
Then those out-of-state-I-hate-WV-and-am-only-here-for-a-job types would probably resort to looting and bloodshed, resulting in a free-for-all in the cities. So then half the state would be just fine and the other would go up in flames...
I love these types of situations! - Re
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