Texas, is a state of mind for one example. A place that was nothing but sticks, stones, dry and inhospitable where all that lived there and still does stick, stink and sting. The Allen Brothers of Houston are a prime example of the power of promotion to have laid the foundations for a huge and usually prosperous city in a swamp.
The pathway to promotion of the state of mind that once was the United States has been very damaged if not destroyed. The destruction began in the home and the schools and the minds of our children. We have been invaded and nary a shot was fired. Just like Wild Bill killed the two little girls with their love in "Green Mile" we have been killed with abuse of our own rights and Constitution manipulated to favor actions we should have rejected. This would not have happened if we had been strong enough and numerous eough in our convictions to just say, "NO, not going to have that". When we tried our voices were drowned out by activist judges and others of their ilk. The loss of the moral, religious and rightly informed foundations of the nation that would roundly reject the freely expressed premises that have torn us down remained silent until the dirty deed has been done.
It also helps to be floating on oil as Texas once was.