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 Volume 1: Issue 6 |
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Volume 1: Issue 6 |
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| Montana declares war on Maine A summer of skirmishes over tourism dollars (Volume 1: Issue 1, Volume 1: Issue 2) has erupted into a full scale war between Montana and Maine. The War on Tourism has its roots in the Montana Department of Commerce's "Montana: The Other Maine" campaign, launched in June. The Montana Legislature, which must approve declarations of war, has taken the position that Maine made the first strike with its inflammatory visitmaine.com Web site. Montana's newly appointed Secretary of Defense Denny Rehberg stated that "Maine's claim that it is The Source for things that we hold dear is a kind of fundamentalism that freedom-loving commercial interests everywhere in this state ought to deplore." The Maine Office of Tourism web site uses strong language that indicates the state is harboring weapons of mass attraction: "Embark on outdoor adventures like llama trekking, camping, skiing and snowmobiling. Go antiquing in charming villages. Encounter amazing wildlife including . . . the mighty moose. Immerse yourself in Maine's unique culture at our festivals and fairs." Rehberg's statement went on to say that "Freedom loving people around the state must reach out through every means to support the courageous Montanans who are defending their proud resources and their reputation as a center for outdoor adventures, amazing wildlife, the mighty moose, and unique culture against those who would hijack it for evil ends." Peace advocates feel that Montana has long been eager to go to war against a New England state, and that the current plan to invade Bangor, Boothbay, Bar Harbor, Belfast, and other key cities to root out weapons of mass attraction, is merely a ploy to control a state that has been a dominant player in the beautiful scenery cartel. According to the Montanans for Peace, Bison, Trees, Wolves, Piping Plover, Least Tern and Affordable Wading Boots, "We are destroying our own resources here, and given the huge appetite for more wilderness in which to ride ATVs, cut timber, and build subdivisions, we are marching into Maine." As the already beleaguered Montana National Guard prepared to deploy a second wave of troops to Maine, senior administration figures have been working to gather public support for a costly war that Montana seems unlikely to win. In recent weeks, officials are moving away from calling the conflict a "war on tourism" and speaking publicly of "a global struggle against the enemies of freedom in enterprise," and of the need to use all "tools of statecraft" to defeat them. One Montana Department of Defense spokesperson said that the move was not a change of approach, but was intended to give a broader perspective to the "evolving nature" of the struggle. Although war in the Gulf has prepared troops for fighting in the sand of Maine's beaches, the use of unconventional weapons has already posed a problem. In the photo below, a Montana soldier shows a weapon confiscated from insurgent lobster fishermen.  Montana soldier with weapon confiscated from insurgents.
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A closer
look at the war against Maine As recent reconnaissance photos show (below), Maine is sitting on vast
reserves of scenic beauty. The fact that Montana is rapidly using up or
selling off its own land makes doves and hawks alike question the
motivation for a war against The Pine Tree State.
 An aerial view of the Maine coast. Photo Courtesy of Montana National Guard.
Not everyone in Maine is itching for a fight. Some long for Montana freedoms that are not available to them at home, such as being able to drive with open containers in their vehicles. In a small coastal village, children welcomed the arrival of Montana troops (below).  This
little boy longs to be a real cowboy, just like the men from
Montana.
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