I dunno, man. Just seems like more could be done to connect people to the real value of nature, stop pigeon-holing it as only a concern of international political targets, and promote it as a unifying, all-American source of pride.

America is embarking on a dark political shift and its important to protect your sources of light. How does nature lift your spirits? Talk about how national parks are a source of pride and an international envy. Shout about the importance of protecting your local park so future kids can enjoy it.

Nature is cool. Sitting in the shade of a tree on a summer's day, swimming in your local lake, strolling around your local green space, visiting a national park. They all need protection and their value needs to be shouted about loudly. Don't just connect it to UN targets and abstract duties.

Show some emotion. You care about nature! Nature's fucking lovely and there are people and companies out there trying to make themselves richer by destroying it. Trump doesn't give a fuck, he'll sell out to the highest bidder. Shout about why that's wrong, about why its un-American, why it matters.

People care about the air they breath, the water they drink, the food they drink. They care if corporations are enriching themselves by poisoning their air, polluting their water, and contaminating the food they eat. Why wouldn't they? That shit sucks.

Trump obviously has some of that political 'sauce'. Doesn't really matter what he says, it's more about how he says it and how he connects his message to people's real daily life. Granted, in modern America people aren't as connected to the land, the plains or prairies. Where do people connect?

Caring about the natural environment is an American as apple pie cooling on a fucking windowsill.

So why doesn't it capture any political capital? How come Trump gets to sell cowboy NFT trading cards and sell himself as an all American hero while drooling "drill baby drill"?

The US has some of the world's most gorgeous national parks and they are a beaming source of bipartisan pride for voters. The Scottish highlands are wonderful but look at this MF. Who wouldn't vote to protect more of this?

Seems to me that a big defining characteristic of a cowboy is his love and appreciation of the natural world. He's a bloody farmer for fucks sake. He's out there with his only horse, his cattle, and his par'ner for company. It's bonkers that this hasn't had much connection to partisan politics.

Whether its in the ads from decades ago or Beyonce's Cowboy Carter, US culture is soaked in the cultural power of the cowboy.

To my mind, the cowboy is a foundational pillar of the American identity. He is supposed to represent stoic individualism, ruggedness, and the pioneering spirit that built America. You see it in American culture everywhere, from John Wayne to cigarette ads, even DeSantis' boots (incl lifts)

Where does nature fit within the modern American political psyche?

I've read some takes in the last few days that say environmental issues have broadly been silo-ed into the 'progressive' bucket of modern American politics, which is poisonous for the future of the US and untethered from US history