From the Seattle Times today: War a world away reveals the differences next door; "We have come to wonder out loud whether Washington's rural places, in striking contrast to the Seattle area's awkward wartime angst, seem more comfortable donning the war garb because they have been fighting their own battle for survival for decades. And losing.

"It doesn't take a doctorate in economics to see the national shift, with old, resource-based jobs succumbing to a service economy, technology-based industry and, inevitably, an ongoing flight to urban areas."