Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Build Data Centers: Willie Nelson Declares War on 'Water Thieves'

Before we get to the story at hand, I must begin with a few "disclaimers" of sorts:

First, I've been a Willie Nelson fan for as long as I can remember. I've seen him in concert several times, too.

Second, one of my favorite "Willie songs" was the classic, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," recorded with fellow "outlaw" Waylon Jennings in 1978.

Third — and this comes from first-hand experience. Seeing Willie Nelson at an outdoor venue can be a trip (no pun intended), simply by walking around in the common area and taking deep breaths. OK, I digress.

In a nutshell, here's where we are: Willie Nelson has urged Americans to think again about building data centers. 

Nelson, 93 — who grew up in Abbott, Texas — encouraged his loyal followers to “fight against data centers invading our land” in a social media plea shared Tuesday:

I grew up in Abbott and I still have a home there with farmed land where I can still see stars at night. And now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land. The last thing we need is a water-thieving, light-polluting, data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter). 

The strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints. It comes from generations of people, open spaces, local businesses, and a connection to the land. All of America deserves thoughtful stewardship that doesn't steal farmland (where our shared food is grown) and small family farmers' livelihoods, and not data centers that only destroy the environment around them.

Whoever controls food and water, controls the masses. Let's not allow our demise or give up control over necessary resources in the U.S. and especially in Abbott.

Bless his heart — and I mean it.

To whom it may concern and to everyone else as well, pic.twitter.com/GQxuxUj3ie

— Willie Nelson (@WillieNelson) July 28, 2026

While I empathize with Willie and other like-minded people — except for the intentionally-ignorant fearmongers on the Left, and conspiracy loons, on both sides, of course — a couple of reality points are in order: 

First, the America of today — love it, hate, or somewhere in between — is, unfortunately, not the America in which Willie Nelson grew up.  Even more critically, neither is the world and its would-be evildoers. 

Second, the artificial intelligence race between the United States and China is a high-stakes competition focused on advancing AI development, economic integration, and strategic implementation. While the U.S. leads in core hardware and foundational software innovation, China continues to aggressively advance its efforts with cost-efficient models and widespread global market distribution.

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Being neither an environmental scientist nor an expert in artificial intelligence and modern data centers, here are the pluses and minuses as I see them:

Pluses

• Drive AI, cloud computing, and digital services that support businesses and consumers.
• Create construction jobs and a smaller number of permanent technical positions.
• Generate local tax revenue and can attract related technology investment.
• Improve computing capacity, cybersecurity, and national technological competitiveness.
• Support research, healthcare, finance, education, and other data-intensive industries.

Minuses

• Require substantial electricity, which can strain power grids without adequate infrastructure.
• Some facilities consume significant amounts of water for cooling, depending on design and location.
• Can increase demand for new transmission lines and power generation.
• Occupy large tracts of land and may generate noise from cooling equipment and backup systems.
• Offer relatively few permanent jobs compared with the scale of the investment, leading some communities to question the local economic return.

But — with an unfortunate nod to China — the United States (including Abbott, Texas) doesn't live in a protective bubble. It's a scary world out there, and promises to get even scarier in the years to come — both domestically and worldwide. China's stated goal of world domination is real. There's zero that Willie Nelson or America's radical leftists can do to change that reality. 

At the end of the proverbial day, it all boils down to this:

Winning the AI race matters because AI is poised to become the defining technology of the 21st century. The nation that leads in AI will likely enjoy major advantages in economic productivity, national security, technological innovation, and global influence. 

If China gains a lasting edge, it could shape the rules, standards, and strategic balance of the AI era. — and worse. That said, while where and how we build modern data centers can be debated, the decision of if we build them has already been made — again, with a nudge from Chinese AI activity.

Unfortunately, those who refuse to listen and learn also refuse to be swayed. Even the 93-year-old "outlaw" from Abbott, Texas.

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