Editor’s Introductory Note: The following is a translation of a March 24, 2023 article in France’s oldest newspaper, Le Figaro. One of the newspaper’s American staffers interviewed me by telephone, in February, during his fact-finding tour of the region.
Here is a link to that original piece, in French: Aux États-Unis, la «Redoute américaine», un rêve de forteresse conservatrice. (In the United States, the “American Redoubt”, a dream of a conservative fortress.) Most of the article was “réservé aux abonné” — reserved for subscribers.The Le Figaro reporter, Adrien Jaulmes, kindly sent me the English version of the article. The reporter included this note in his e-mail to me:
“The trip was extraordinary. (Of course it involved quite a lot of driving; we Europeans are always baffled by the size of your country). Northern Idaho was probably the most stunning, such a beautiful place, but Eastern Oregon was also quite interesting. Therein, I understood better what you were saying about the importance of water, and also about how deep is the geographical difference between east and west of the Cascades.”
Most American mainstream media journalists are prone to write anti-conservative hatchet pieces. But this article was quite straightforward and unbiased. – JWR
The English version of the Le Figaro article follows:
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Northern Idaho and several northwestern states have become the destination of a political in-migration movement in recent years. Blending survivalism, Christianity and conservatism, the mountain stronghold of the American Redoubt has gained momentum since the Covid pandemic.
Jim Rawles keeps the location of his ranch a secret. Somewhere in northern Idaho, the writer and former U.S. officer has built a retreat where he and his family are preparing for what he calls “the end of the world as we know it.” “I moved to the area in 1991 from California, where I had previously lived,” he says by phone. There were simply too many people and government power had become too intrusive.”
Three decades later, Rawles has made a name for himself. Now a best-selling author of political-fiction novels and a disaster survival guide, he named the imaginary country that encompasses the mountainous areas of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, plus parts of Oregon and Washington, “American Redoubt,” a term for a military fortification. Sparsely populated, far from the coast and major cities, but fertile and with many lakes and rivers, this part of the continent is, according to Rawles, the best refuge in case of disaster, natural or social. “I coined the term around 2011,” he says, recommending in a manifesto to move to the region. It’s not a political movement, more of a philosophy. It’s not a secession either: rather, we advocate partition.”
Inserted like a wedge between Montana and Washington state, bordering the Canadian province of British Columbia, northern Idaho is a region of lakes and mountains, valleys and forests covered during the winter with deep snow. The area is full of French names, Coeur d’Alene, Lake Pend Oreille, given by the Coureurs des bois and trappers from Canada. Towns are scarce, usually small communities isolated in the snow where the gas station also serves as a grocery and hardware store. Most people live in isolated farms with painted barns.
Continue reading“The “American Redoubt”, the Dream of a Conservative Fortress, by Adrien Jaulmes”
