I am actually against the current idea of political secession and the formation of yet another political party within the American-Canadian corrupt political systems. I believe a slave who feels that they need to ask for freedom from their master is never free. A political party would be stereotyped in the corporate media and at first might get a surge in support, but would hit a plateau in interest as it’s stereotyped into two seemingly conflicting images: “radical hippies in communes” and “gun totting racists and xenophobes.” I believe eventually professional or life-long Cascadian politicians would be the biggest obstacle to independence as they would privately see staying in the corrupt political system as a means for their own financial gain. I fear that such a political party would give false hope for reform of the corrupt system.

That all aside there are some things if changed or aspired to would get me to shift my stand on supporting a platform of political secession. I would support political secession if certain things were addressed and actually acted upon. If these (currently 10) specific things are not acted upon then I believe the movement of Cascadian independence is doomed to repeat what the US and other nation-states have become.

1.) That such a secession movement be focused on bioregional awakening

2.) That the movement be a decolonization movement, questioning and deconstructing the thinking of domination of Nature, the Earth and ourselves that we have inherited from “settler culture.” In essence it becomes a resistance movement that includes paradigm shift within us as well

3.) Solidarity with indigenous people in their struggles and acknowledgement of the sovereignty of the indigenous nations within the bioregion

4). Inclusion and active dialog with minorities and marginalized communities as part of the human landscape of the bioregion

5.) Confronting and resisting the current socioeconomic systems of the oppression

6.) Focus on building (birthing) a decentralized Alternative Infrastructure of Resistance and Resilience (A.I.R.R.)

7.) That the movement be focused on decentralization and community autonomy within a bioregional network

8.) Securing and creating culture of stewardship of the social commons (such as education, health and infrastructure) and natural commons (such as water, air, forests, ecological communities, minerals, soil and the Earth)

9.) Denouncing of Nationalism and Cascadia as a single nation, but acknowledging that many indigenous nations exist within that bioregion.

10.) If a secessionist political party was formed that it not focus on electing individuals to positions of power, but focused on issues such as decolonization and demonstrating the corruption of the dominant system.