fairly clear now that the massive budget cuts were supposed to bankrupt the NPS so they’d have an excuse to privatize it. naturally it didnt work because the park service has spent decades evolving a superhuman ability to run on peanuts but i guess they’re just gonna try anyway
the NPS generated over $30 billion in additional economic activity in 2017, often in otherwise neglected rural communities. its federal budget is less than a tenth of that and shrinks every year. also they’re assigned to protect over 80 million acres of wilderness
point being, this isnt a modernity vs natural beauty thing or even a profit vs ecology thing. its a bunch of free market ideologues seeing a federal agency provide a social good far more efficiently than a private company could and resolving to wipe it from the face of the earth
now are these people all cartoon villains who just get off on the thought of turning every once-beautiful thing in this world into disneyland?
in this case yes, definitely. but also there’s an ideological motivation
in this case yes, definitely. but also there’s an ideological motivation
