RSS
Home
What The Alaskan Independence Party Really Means
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
It seems Obamanistas have found a new angle of attack on Sarah Palin: her husband, a Native American, once belonged to the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP). For my part, I think that's less important than their candidate's possible membership in The New Party and overly friendly relationship with the Democratic Socialist Party, but that's because I'm just a right wing fascist of fascist right-wingerism.
The AIP advocates holding a statewide referendum on whether or not Alaska should secede from the Union. For Progressives, the subtext is that Alaskans who want to secede are the equivalent of antebellum southerners.
Many Southerners argue today that the War Between the States was about securing their political and economic freedom and autonomy. There is truth to that, and we do our country a disservice in ignoring it.
But the problem with the argument is that such freedom would have preserved a system that was horribly less free. For my part, a man's dedication to freedom is less about what he wants for himself and more about the freedoms he wants for his neighbor.*
So this comparison doesn't really tell us anything about the Alaskan Independence Party other than that a bunch of unserious people have clasped on to a word as though it were the same thing as making a point.
SETTLE DOWN, CHILDREN. THERE ARE NO SLAVES IN ALASKA
In point of fact, we'd be better served looking at Alaska in the same light as other territories once held by Native Americans.
Alaska still has the highest concentration of Native Folk of any state in the union. This despite wave after wave of Americans, Canadians and Russians pouring into the land prospecting for natural resources. In other words, it's like the story of a lot of America's lands, only many of the people who migrated to Alaska were changed by the land, instead of the other way 'round, as it usually happened.
Alaska actually has one of the highest median income levels in the country, with one of the lowest rates of poverty. But more than 80% of Alaska's wealth comes out of its various mining industries.
It's a lot of eggs to keep in one basket. When your relationship with people from the other 49 states largely consists of them telling you what you can and can't do with your basket – often so that they can feel good about preserving wilderness they will never lay eyes on – you're going to have some doubts about the relationship. That basket means a lot to you.
LOOKING FORWARD
If Progressives want to go up to Alaska and tell the Native Folk that they need to stop shooting wolves that compete for scarce winter food resources, or stop mining for natural resources because such behavior offends the cozy, Volvo-driving Progressive's environmental sensibilities, Progressives should strap on their stylish Patagonia parkas, go up there and do it in person... but not before we get the cameras prepped.
Here's a modest proposal. Since there's no viable way to turn outer Alaska into an urban center, complete with a tech sector, Lunds & Byerly's and Whole Foods markets, and since we, here in the other 49, are offended by their lifestyle and eagerness to use their state's land the way they see fit, we should just round them all up and move them down here.
Think about it: Alaskans will never enjoy the freedom to have inexpensive organic arugula unless we force it on them!
As a precaution, maybe we should practice that argument in the Black Hills first.
To Alyeskans, your dedication to autonomy, freedom, and for for being let alone is admirable. But those highly sympathetic to Alaskan secession would be well served to take a long hard look over that western horizon, across vasty Siberia into the cold wet of Moscow.
If you're going to be independent, it's unjust to act like a bunch of Canadians, Europeans and San Franciscans, gleefully slapping America in the face while you sit out the weather under her military umbrella.
Yes, Hopey-Changiness may be on the way. But we're not there yet and even if it wins this day, we have a way to go before even that Stay Puft monster of a political platform drags us all down. Stay here alongside us to make sure we never fall to the the horrible Statism that animates its sugary bulk.
To the rest of America, as a rule, Conservatives are not fond of social engineering programs. But perhaps it's time we spent a few more resources - including time and thought - on figuring out how to better the lives of our First People. They and their ancestors gave a lot to us, indeed, many of our ancestors took more, and integration for them is more distant that it is for a lot of other parts of our country. If much of the disagreements between Alaskans and the rest is over use of natural resources, perhaps there are ways to use the lands left to Native Folk today - lands that are technically Sovereignties of their own - that would create jobs and build infrastructure. Do good while doing well.
