The Republic of Cascadia
February 23, 2003 4:38 AM   Subscribe

The Republic of Cascadia. "The former American states of Oregon and Washington and the former Canadian province of British Columbia must join together as a sovereign nation. Only then can we have self-determination and take our rightful place in the Global Community."
posted by Joey Michaels (35 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Oh, rats. Seconds after posting, it was pointed out to me that it was discussed here. Well, I hope it deserves its own front page post, anyway.
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:42 AM on February 23, 2003


So after this, when Alberta separates, will they go the rest of the Prairie Provinces want to join in?

Of course, Torontonians have felt alienated and distinct from the rest of ONtario for a long time.. and now they get their own separatist movement.

Even the three Maritime provinces have mulled over whether they should have joined Confederation in the first place, with my tiny home province of Prince Edward Island needing to be bribed into joining.

So are we a real country or what?
posted by Space Coyote at 5:10 AM on February 23, 2003


The 'joined confederation in the first place' link above is to a PDF, btw.
posted by Space Coyote at 5:16 AM on February 23, 2003


But then where will Americans go to fish, sip expensive coffee and mourn the death of Rock N. Roll?
posted by cachilders at 5:35 AM on February 23, 2003


Unless I miss my guess, the capital of Cascadia is/was Smithers, formerly of B.C.

Save the Octopus!
posted by wobh at 5:43 AM on February 23, 2003


annex nocal! they want to be liberated anyway :D

would alaska and kamchatka want to join/be eligible for the cascadian commonwealth?
posted by kliuless at 6:29 AM on February 23, 2003


That's a "fir cone" on the flag. Suuuuuuuuure it is. We all know what Cascadia's biggest export crop would be: "fir". Premium grade Cascadian Gold "fir".
posted by bonehead at 7:59 AM on February 23, 2003


And you can bet it'd all be legal, bonehead! Once free of those uptight prohibitionist easterners, you can bet a ban on pot wouldn't last long in Cascadia. After all, since the dot-com crash, pot growing has to be something like half of the region's economy, and a newly-independent Cascadian government simply couldn't afford to overlook such a lucrative source of tax revenue...
posted by Mars Saxman at 8:07 AM on February 23, 2003


Cool country. Sucky Flag.
posted by zpousman at 8:40 AM on February 23, 2003


Ecotopia
posted by crunchland at 8:53 AM on February 23, 2003


This monstrous enterprise must be stopped immediately. They propose to turn their gentle indigenous peoples into cannon fodder!
posted by Slithy_Tove at 9:14 AM on February 23, 2003


Speaking as a native northwesterner, the Cascadians annoy me like stinky, middle-class kids with dreadlocks in drum circles do.
posted by D.C. at 9:57 AM on February 23, 2003


Ecotopia

You took the 'word' right out of my mouth, crunchland. 20+ years ago I worked for a solar energy group in Seattle called Ecotope, which has changed a lot, but somewhat miraculously still exists. The similarity of the names led me to those books. But the (fictional) Ecotopians were foolish (?) enough to let part of California in.
posted by LeLiLo at 10:03 AM on February 23, 2003


But wait Southern Oregon already has a their own state (Jefferson) along with Northern California. This could get messy.
posted by tdstone at 11:03 AM on February 23, 2003


Hmm, maybe this isn't such a bad idea. The rest of the US pretty much sucks anyway. (Sorry guys, it's true)
posted by Hildago at 11:32 AM on February 23, 2003


If Oregon and/or Washington states want to secede, I'll move up immediately. Defend the borders! Shoot the Californians trying to come north in an attempt to reach freedom! Arm the Tree Octopi! We'll never surrender!
posted by Captain Ligntning at 11:42 AM on February 23, 2003


But wait Southern Oregon already has a their own state (Jefferson) along with Northern California. This could get messy.

Southern Oregon can have their own state, we don't want 'em!

/End elitist Portlandian rant
posted by iamck at 11:58 AM on February 23, 2003


I've always loved the Cascadia movement, helps give the west the colour it needs. And anyone who can create the species of "Tree Octopus" can't be all bad.
posted by Salmonberry at 12:01 PM on February 23, 2003


But wait Southern Oregon already has a their own state (Jefferson) along with Northern California. This could get messy.

They've already taken that into account in their plans for the annexation Northern California:

"Eventually, annexed Northern California will be combined with Southern Oregon to form the fourth Cascadian prefecture of Jefferson, which will act as a stalwart against Californian incursions."
posted by homunculus at 12:12 PM on February 23, 2003


...annexation of Northern California...
posted by homunculus at 12:15 PM on February 23, 2003


Open letter to Cascadia:

Speaking for the Western mountainous region of Montana, uhhmmm, can we, like, uhhm, join with you guys?
posted by Wulfgar! at 12:54 PM on February 23, 2003


Wulfgar!: I would be happy to sponsor your membership, as long as you don't mention anything to North Dakota. We're also going to have to declare war on northern Idaho and annex that little bit at the top to facilitate free trade.
posted by Hildago at 1:13 PM on February 23, 2003


We're also going to have to declare war on northern Idaho and annex that little bit at the top to facilitate free trade.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. I think many in Northern Idaho would join willingly (mores the pity). Now, if you'll excuse me, I feel all dirty finding that link, among too many others. I need a shower.

(Fair Warning: That link is to a racist website advocating a Northwestern White Homeland. Think before you click...)
posted by Wulfgar! at 1:30 PM on February 23, 2003


as long as you don't mention anything to North Dakota.

Cascadia should launch a diplomatic offensive to convince North Dakota and the other Great Plains states to secede and form an independent Buffalo Commons nation. Then Cascadia and the Buffalo Commons can form an alliance against the remaining United States. Legions of bison-mounted sasquatch warriors will pillage the East Coast. They will crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and hear the lamentation of the women. It will be glorious.
posted by homunculus at 1:48 PM on February 23, 2003


We Atlantic Canadians are going to have to step up the breeding of mutant flying codfish and moose-hordes and open up a 2-front war on the common enemy :)

Maine and Vermont can play too, if they like :)
posted by Space Coyote at 1:57 PM on February 23, 2003


The Republic of Cascadia Homepage prefers the use of Microsoft's Tahoma font, a truely patriotic Cascadian font if ever there was.


Is Redmond to be the new capital?
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 2:21 PM on February 23, 2003


How long after Cascadia's founding would the eastern half want to secede from the western half?

To those who don't know this reigon well, the division between damp, urban/suburban, mostly-liberal, well-off west-of-the-Cascades (especially Seattle) and the rural, conservative, Midwestern-climate eastern side is huge -- probably as great as the difference between, say, Seattle and most eastern major cities.

The East thinks the West gets all the funding and attention; some in the West points out that the West pays all the taxes. Lately, though, the eastern Washington has had its revenge by voting in several tax-cutting initiatives that Seattle opposed; some in the West point out that the East has borne most of the burden of the budget cuts that followed.

Of course Cascadia would need both sides -- a country without agriculture? -- but those sides wouldn't get along. Pass.
posted by argybarg at 3:08 PM on February 23, 2003


This is a great idea and I wouldn't mind bringing San Fran and Western Montana along for the ride, either. I wish there was some way to exclude the ultra-conservative (compared to the rest of 'Cascadia') Bellevue/Redmond area where I live now, but it's probably better to have some diversity of opinion anyway.

If America ever starts crumbling like Rome this would be a very, very nice nation to live in.
posted by Ryvar at 3:08 PM on February 23, 2003


Let's not forget lovely central Montana - Wulfgar! and I are two sides of the same coin/state!
posted by davidmsc at 3:25 PM on February 23, 2003


davidmsc, Great Falls is within spittin' distance of the mountains, and we need to provide for the future defense of Cascadia. I don't think anyone would turn down Malmstrom. Billings, on the other hand, is SOL.
posted by Wulfgar! at 3:45 PM on February 23, 2003


This is a great idea and I wouldn't mind bringing San Fran and Western Montana along for the ride, either.

Yes, please (says the native San Franciscan who really doesn't mind one bit if you call it "Frisco") :)

Legal pot, good coffee... and I'd never have to listen to my B.C. relations do drunken renditions of "Oh Canada" ever again. Where do I sign up?
posted by echolalia67 at 7:27 PM on February 23, 2003


Of course annexation would mean that I'd be joining my B.C. kinfolk in a rousing drunken rendition of "Oh, Cascadia" from time to time ;)
posted by echolalia67 at 7:32 PM on February 23, 2003


Of course Cascadia would need both sides -- a country without agriculture? -- but those sides wouldn't get along. Pass.

Maybe. But forget about the whole separate country thing then. Just let eastern WA and eastern OR become one U.S. state, East Cascadia, and western WA and western OR become West Cascadia.

However, I shudder to think what a crappy state East Cascadia would be.
posted by pitchblende at 9:34 PM on February 23, 2003


I say drop East Cascadia (shuddering with you, pitch) and instead add the northern third of California, from about Mendocino.

Speaking of California, why haven't North and South been divorced yet? I can't think of any other state with such a distinct political, social and economic border. Let's cut it in half at about Monterey/Salinas.

My state knife is sharp.
posted by letitrain at 3:37 AM on February 24, 2003


Oops, Mendocino doesn't make a third of the state... OK, Sonoma and areas North.
posted by letitrain at 9:28 AM on February 24, 2003


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