You get a bunch of guys, w/ literally too much time on their hands (IMHO), and they start BS'ing and/or drinking, playing with their guns etc. and before you know it, you got a toxic mess. Most people don't let these ridiculous fantasies get too embedded or don't entertain thoughts such as this, they either support a candidate actually running for office etc. or run themselves for offices. Somehow these idiots decided to kidnap someone. Idiots.
This article does point to a point that rural America doesn't hold a lot of high paying jobs, doesn't offer a bright future for a lot of people unless they already have something lined up (job-wise or career-wise that actually pays decently). I don't know if this is because some people are just too lazy to really work at it / go to school and get trained or educated in another field (probably both).
Most rural folks are good people, and sure, perhaps times are hard, and they may have to drive 50 miles one way to work and then another 50 miles back home (or maybe even more miles each way), and the majority of them don't cause any problems, but some do, and the neighbors usually know about them. This was the way it was when I owned a spot in the Country. All of us knew who the trouble makers were already (and the police did too by the way).