Diana and I find ourselves halfway through Season 3 of the dystopian alternate history series “The Man in the High Castle” on Netflix. Originally produced by Amazon Prime (2015-2019) and now available on both platforms, the serialized drama explores a world where Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan won World War II and split the United States between them.
The Japanese rule the West Coast (Japanese Pacific States) from headquarters in San Francisco with the brutal Kempeitai enforcing the strict social codes left over from the war years. And, of course, the SS lives up to its barbaric reputation in the American Reich, ruled from massive headquarters in New York City. (A Nazi A-bomb has wiped out D.C.)
Utah sits smack in the middle of the wild and lawless “Neutral Zone” — composed of the old Mountain and Prairie states.
The protagonists — mostly operators within the resistance in both imaginary countries — zoom between harrowing near-death adventures battling old enemies of the extinct United States.
But of course, both the Nazis and the Japanese have utopian dreams for their new satellite states. The Nazis are after a racially pure and technologically advanced worldwide reign (with the pesky Japanese in the way), while the Japanese pursue spiritual agrarian world dominance.
As the hard-hearted rulers of the new North America battle each other — and the resistance — for an opportunity to create their new dream worlds, I find myself wondering just what Utopia would look like in our day and in our state. What would make Utah the long-sought Shangri-la?
Perhaps some of these idyllic objectives would include:
A Gangbuster Economy:
“We are the best economy in the country and that’s not just your governor bragging; that’s what the data says.” — Gov. Spencer Cox on Feb. 1, 2023, during the “What’s Up Down South” economic summit in St. George.
All the Electricity We Can Use:
“Through Operation Gigawatt, Utah is ensuring the energy abundance needed to power new industries, strengthen national security and keep Utah the best place to live, work and raise a family. It puts us on a path to double our energy capacity, ensuring that when Utahns flip the switch, the lights always come on.” — Cox on Oct. 8, 2024, at the One Utah Summit in Cedar City.
Really Bright Kids:
“There’s such a demand for STEM. These are high-paying jobs, great jobs. We want our kids and grandkids to stay here, and get these opportunities — robotics, science, technology, engineering, math — I mean, all of these things we’re doing right now, are going to have a huge impact on the future of our state. We’re not just solving Utah’s problems anymore. We’re solving the world’s problems, and we’re doing it right here.” — Cox during “Week of STEM,” November 2023.
A Lot of Affordable Housing:
"We’re going to build 35,000 starter homes over the next five years. We’re going to do that ... We’re going to make it happen. The Greatest Generation did this after World War II. We can do it again.” — Cox announcing his “Utah First Homes” initiative in late 2023.
Our Own Source of Rare Earth Minerals:
“[This is] a huge win for Utah and the nation. These new critical mineral reserves will strengthen Operation Gigawatt and give America a secure, homegrown supply of the resources that power defense tech, AI and advanced manufacturing.” Cox in a Facebook post on Dec. 11, 2025, on the discovery of Utah deposits of rare earth minerals.
Our Very Own “Nuclear Hub”:
“We have a simple goal: to build the safest, most complete nuclear energy ecosystem in the country, right here in the state of Utah. We must build. We can build. We have a will to build.” — Cox on March 27, 2026, during a press conference in a remote area of northwest Tooele County, announcing Utah’s goal to host a “nuclear lifecycle innovation campus.”
And Do All This While Playing Nice Together:
“You can have relationships with people that you disagree with. We’ve been told a false set of choices here — you can’t like someone that you disagree with. That’s just not true. We can disagree without hating each other.” — Cox announcing his “Disagree Better: Healthy Conflict for Better Policy” initiative on July 14, 2023, during the closing session of the National Governors Association (NGA) Annual Meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, while he was chair of the organization.
Wow, that’s quite a wish list. I think I’ll pass it on to Obergruppenführer John Smith as he lays out the architectural scheme for the American Reich.
If all this all comes to fruition over the next couple of decades, Utah really will be Utopia for my kids, grandkids and yours.
If not, maybe we’ll see you downstream in Newsom-topia.
 | John Rogers is a 50-year veteran of Utah media. He retired as managing editor of the Salt Lake Business Journal in 2025 and is now a part-time contributor to the paper. He can be reached at john.r@thecityjournals.com. |