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London Zoo: [Sink] Cascadian Independence

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  1.  (210.1)
    WHAT IS CASCADIA?

    Cascadia
    Cascadia is a multi-national region located in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. It is broadly described as being composed of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska from the Cascade mountain range west to the coast. The mountainous walls of the eastern border of Cascadia naturally results in a way of living life in our region that is conducive to many transnational interconnections and similarities. In other words, the yearly 5 month period of icy snowcapped peaks in the Cascades mean that most people from Seattle, for instance, will have a lot more in common with people in say, Vancouver, than with people in Miami. Likewise, most people in Victoria will have a lot more in common with people in Bellingham than with people in Quebec City. This common social bond is prevalent in the fact that Cascadia is the most heavily unionized region in both the U.S. and Canada. It is also the least Christian, the most openly progressive, and the most heavily forested region in each of the respective countries. In our region, we are actually physically closer to places that might sound "far away" such as Khatyrka, Siberia and Iguliak, Nunavut than we are to D.C. or Ottawa. The many smaller indigenous groupings of the area are primarily comprised into six major groups: the Tlingit, the Tsimshian, the Haida, the Kwagiutl, the West Coast (known formerly as the Nootka) and the Coast Salish.

    WHY WOULD WE WANT TO LEAVE CANADA AND THE U.S.?

    Our region has enormous social, economic, political and bioregional similarities across the national borders of not only the U.S. and Canada, but also within and between the indigenous cultures of the region. The current stage of economic globalization is bringing massive changes to our region, changes which many of us do not support and which will make life increasingly difficult for people, animals and the environment. For these reasons, and many more, the various Cascadian independence movements believe that we may be approaching a time in which it will make sense to officially secede from our relationship with the United States and Canada - a relationship which many regard as an imperialist one - in order to form a sovereign "Cascadia Confederacy" that truly reflects the unique makeup, beliefs, desires, and cultures of our region.

    The movement for an autonomous Cascadia Confederacy springs from the desire for full sovereignty and self determination for all people and peoples in our region (Indian, Metis, and non-Indigenous) to be able to organize ourselves into communities and other social groupings as we see fit, and to live as we choose without interference. We hope to form a regional support base and link up in a confederated fashion with the many indigenous peoples of the region in order to help reestablish full cultural and political autonomy and sovereignty - attributes that are repressed under the current nation-state arrangement of Canada and the United States.

    Supporters of the Evergreen Revolution, hope to one day achieve the independence of Cascadia through peaceful means versus the use of violent revolution, much the same way as was done in the former Czecho-Slovakia's Velvet Revolution in 1989.

    If you live in Cascadia I urge you to learn more about the land you live in and the true history that the oppressive foreign governments of the United States and Canada have hidden from you. If you do not live in our beautiful country I still hope you will take the time to learn more about us, and possibly support our cause.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia

    Thank you
  2.  (210.2)
    Wow. Virtual Country Spam. Only in Whitechapel...
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      CommentAuthorFredrik
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.3)
    I find the concept interesting though, as a thought experiment. There are other "virtual countries" like this one? I wonder how people would band together if established governments gave up control, you can imagine lots of bloodshed in some areas, but what interests me here is the areas where new borders would be drawn naturally, without widespread conflict, thanks to cultural similarities. It's all purely theoretical of course but I wonder what the world map would look like.
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      CommentAuthorobliterati
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.4)
    I'm having a time out until I can learn some manners.
    In 2002 even the FBI was kept out of certain areas of Cascadia Free State because of jurisdiction issues. Cascadia was pretty well thought-out. After the 2004 election there were "Viva Cascadia" signs up all over Portland, it was very heartening.

    I nearly got married in a tree-sit on the Oregon/Washinton border actually, because me and the almost-bride never wanted the bizarre US marriage laws to apply to us. It was kind of like how Mick Jagger's marriage in the Balinese jungle wasn't recognized by England because Indonesian tribal court didn't matter anywhere but a few hills in Indonesia.
    • CommentAuthorrobb
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.5)
    there was an awful book called "ecotopia" about just such a secession. not named Cascadia, but that region. the only thing good which came of it was introducing me to the concept of communal bikes, which i've never seen work anywhere in the US.
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      CommentAuthorobliterati
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.6)
    I'm having a time out until I can learn some manners.
    Plastic made from vegetables was another great idea from that book I thought. Pretty much I think the author wanted to make the whole place out of weed.
  7.  (210.7)
    To hell with peaceful secession, I'm for annexing Idaho.

    Multnomah über-alles!
  8.  (210.8)
    I always thought it would be if not intersting, at least amusing to enact a State/Province exchange program.

    Maybe exchange Manitoba for Ohio?
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      CommentAuthorJacen
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.9)
    But why would you want Idaho? The US doesn't even want Idaho.
    • CommentAuthorrobb
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.10)
    the US will not give up Ohio, if only because it contains Derek Hess
  11.  (210.11)
    Good point. Let's exchange it for Saskatchewan...or maybe a more easily spellable Province?
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      CommentAuthorFractal
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.12)
    A decent enough idea that will never happen. Those boundaries should go further though: at least to the rockies and to San Francisco.
    • CommentAuthorrobb
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.13)
    I'm sure Washington has been laughing about this for a long time. The Seattle ports, fishing industry, and the link to Alaskan oil are way too key to ever give up. I pity any little militia faction which attempts something stupid. but, bully for them tor trying.

    Fredrik: "...other "virtual countries" like this one?"
    Transdneister is an eastern European "virtual country" which is more powerful than its sovereign nation due to very profitable weapon, drug, and sex trafficking. but, it's unrecognized by most nations.
  14.  (210.14)
    How well does the US government represent you obliterati? Cascadia has a lot of diverse thought, but we are all pretty independent compared to other regions. Would you say the average Cascadian shares the same values as say, your average bible belt American?

    Our economy suffers from taxation to support less stable states and regions. As much resources as Cascadia is capable of producing, our region should be able to support numerous social services and public projects to raise the quality of life for the citizens. Instead we are suffering from roads that are falling apart, a rapidly declining educational system, and subpar urban development, while regions like the great basin are receiving massive U.S. Government public works projects to prop up a population that should not be living in such dense numbers in an area that is incapable of providing for them.
    Government restrictions placed on us by politicians that are to distant from us to understand that our ecology is different then other areas, so conservation and management techniques that apply to them do not apply to us. Sure timber conservation in the central east method may be necessary to maintain their forests, but Cascadia's ecology is more closely related to Finland, where for century's they have been maintaining sustainable logging and are able to provide very well for their citizens with the profits. In addition the US Government does nothing to protect our waters from Russian and Japanese drag fishing which cleans huge swaths of our "protected national water" of all life, taking only the sea life they want to sell and dumping the rest back into the ocean dead. Instead the US and Canadian governments place harsh restrictions on domestic fishermen to protect a dwindling stock.

    They don't teach you about this shit in school because who do you think mandates what books can be used for public education. You don't hear about this on the national news, because no one cares about a bunch of dumb hicks living all the way over there.

    The fact is the U.S. needs us a lot more then we need them, and they have for a good long time. Google "Republic of the Pacific" or the Klamath, Trinity, and Jackson movements. We never really wanted to be in the union but were strong armed by rigged votes and violence. We have tried many times before to secede, but they have alway brought in the troops and beat us back into submission.
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      CommentAuthorobliterati
    • CommentTimeDec 7th 2007
     (210.15)
    I'm having a time out until I can learn some manners.
    The US government represents me kind of poorly though I was thrilled when Pelosi became Speaker of the House. I enjoy privacy, clean air, reproductive rights, healthy food, and good diplomacy with our neighbors. I mostly do not enjoy massive debt, total ignorance, egregious white collar crime, treason, Old Testament-style pure evil, permanent war, or fiery death from above in general.

    The average Cascadian, though perhaps spiritual on one level or another is very, <em>very</em> different from the typical bible belt American, which is weird because you'd think agricultural economies would produce similar kind of people. But somehow the South developed this ridiculous Christian essentialism and deeply-engrained racism which is just completely fucked up on every level. The "Cascadians" I know are mostly environment-oriented, they live in the woods because they like the woods, it's almost more a rejection of modernity than a rejection of the government itself, though ignoring the government certainly is helpful. What's interesting about the northwest is that often certain stereotypes are all reversed, the farmer in the boonies could be just as radical as the anarchist downtown, and you can find redneck types who would probably vote to secede even though they're redneck types who like to run down hippies in their giant trucks when they're not voting to secede. As it stands now Portland is the only city in the country not cooperating with the Dept. of "Homeland Security" surveillance programs and nobody has any problems with that. I mean, Portland isn't perfect, but it's certainly very independent.

    If Cascadia became it's own country right now we would have more graphic designers and Licensed Massage Therapists than any other country, but then if Bill Gates came along we could buy everything we don't have.
  16.  (210.16)
    Oh, Cascadia. I love it when people actually think it could *happen*.

    Same thing with the Alaskan Independence Party. So amusing when people actually buy the concept that the federal government would somehow let any piece of itself, especially one so strategically important, go. It's adorable! Like believing in Santa Claus when you're 25.
  17.  (210.17)
    "Our economy suffers from taxation to support less stable states and regions. As much resources as Cascadia is capable of producing, our region should be able to support numerous social services and public projects to raise the quality of life for the citizens. Instead we are suffering from roads that are falling apart, a rapidly declining educational system, and subpar urban development, while regions like the great basin are receiving massive U.S. Government public works projects to prop up a population that should not be living in such dense numbers in an area that is incapable of providing for them."

    But you get to underwrite farm subsidy programs so folks in the mid-west can afford to tell you how morally inferior you are, that's got to be worth something.
  18.  (210.18)
    Brandon Cyphered every struggle for independence has it's nay sayers. The American war of independence almost never happened. It was a ridiculous idea to think that a few colonies in the bumfuck new world could take on the British Empire, but they did, and eventually they succeeded. Although peaceful secession is our greatest hope, there are still those that will take a stand if others will stand with them. All it takes is enough people believing in Santa Claus when they're 25.
  19.  (210.19)
    But why would you want Idaho? The US doesn't even want Idaho.


    Northern Idaho is rife with white supremacists, a group most people wouldn't feel too bad about invading and subjugating. Then you have an almost-justifiable slave labor force to work the potato fields.

    The average Cascadian, though perhaps spiritual on one level or another is very, very different from the typical bible belt American


    For one, we don't have the dedication, uniting fanaticism, or balls to make an effective rebel province.

    All it takes is enough people believing in Santa Claus when they're 25.


    I, for one, welcome our noble ally Santa Claus in our fight for independence.
  20.  (210.20)
    All it takes is enough people believing in Santa Claus when they're 25.
    You're adorable! Well, I wish you luck in your magical land of unicorns and dinosaurs and reasonable taxation. I'm come visit you through the magical wardrobe in my bedroom when I get tired of the tyranny and petty disappointment of the real world.

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