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[Ya-ta Boy]

You might be on to something there. On our maps Alaska is always shrunk and tucked away down in a corner. I don't know how conscious we are of Alaska--not very, normally.

Besides that, small-government people have always had an incestuous relationship with secessionists. There isn't even a solid line between them, more of a dotted line that lets them scurry back and forth between the ideas. We haven't had a serious secessionist movement since 1865, so most people don't even think about it. The ones who do are the far right survivalist types who infest the Rocky Mountain West.

By the way, we have a $10 trillion debt thing going on south of the border. Does Canada have enough money in the bank to buy Alaska for a price that would put a dent in our debt?

[On the other hand]

[Kuros]

She's not a secessionist. The AIP represented a whole lot more than secessionism, as it had to to become as mainstream as it is in Alaska.

Much more worrisome than Palin's association with a mainstream political party in Alaska is her whacko Christianism and her lack of knowledge of foreign affairs.

[On the other hand]

[On the other hand]

[Kuros]

[caniff]

[Ya-ta Boy]

I don't know if she's a secessionist or not, since no one so far has asked her about it. Long over-due question, in my opinion. I have a little bit of trouble accepting that as a Republican, party of Lincoln, she can be even remotely tolerant of the idea. But we won't know until someone asks her directly.

The AIP itself is coy about independence, but not very coy. Here is what their homepage says:

Until we as Alaskans receive our Ultimate Goal, the AIP will continue to strive to make Alaska a better place to live with less government interference in our everyday lives.
The Alaskan Independence Party's goal is the vote we were entitled to in 1958, one choice from among the following four alternatives:
1) Remain a Territory.
2) Become a separate and Independent Nation.
3) Accept Commonwealth status.
4) Become a State.
The call for this vote is in furtherance of the dream of the Alaskan Independence Party's founding father, Joe Vogler, which was for Alaskans to achieve independence under a minimal government, fully responsive to the people, promoting a peaceful and lawful means of resolving differences.


I'm not sure if 'receiving' is meant to be 'achieving', but the odds are...

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Ya-ta Boy]

That's not quite true. If the entire US wanted to put the question of Alaska leaving the union to a vote, that would be OK. But the citizens of a state are just a minority of the people, and do not have the right to take their neighborhood out of the union at their will.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Kuros]

[On the other hand]

[Ya-ta Boy]

Puerto Rico has every right to discuss their relationship to the US. They are not a state. There are historic legal forms to follow for them to change their status, just like all the states had.

Hawaii cannot discuss secession.

Maybe I wasn't clear above. Alaska alone cannot have a referendum on its status. The entire US would have to vote. I don't know if a simple majority or a super-majority would be needed for independence. Constitutional scholars would have to answer that.

Palin's religion is a delicate matter. I'm all for freedom of religion and she's entitled to hers, just as Romney is. Hers is a bit of a fringe religion. At the Assembly of God in my hometown, they spoke in tongues and were called 'Holy Rollers' when I was a kid. I don't know if hers is like that or not. Those kinds of religious practices are more widely spread than they used to be. I suppose the public should be aware of her religion, but I wouldn't want it to be an issue.

[Kuros]