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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 11, 2026

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Yes, the Amish would do fine if they were the only ones around

If you mean the only humans around in the world then maybe, sure. If you mean if they controlled solely their own territory absolutely - would they? The Amish don’t have an army or any real means of defending themselves while they live on some of the world’s best and highest yielding farmland. They aren’t welfare dependent in the way the ultra-orthodox are, but they are ultimately reliant on the United States’ power, military, borders and technological leadership. They live in a garden inside a nearly impenetrable geographic stronghold maintained by the United States.

The Amish seem to do OK in cartel ruled Mexico, they're not reliant on a strong state with an inexplicable soft spot for them. You're correct that they probably couldn't run their own country, but in a post apocalyptic world they'd just feed the hells angels for protection or something, they way peasants always have.

I meant if they were the only people in the world.