I say we move to Nebraska, buy up a bunch of farmland and start our own country.

[originalpckelly]

Who's with me?

:P

Yeah, like anyone would ever do that.

[treestar]

1. Libertarians tried to do that

They picked New Hampshire, I think, but are still like only 5% of the New Hampshire voters.

I think we should do this in a more northern location, so that if nothing is done about Global warming, we have the best farmland.

[originalpckelly]

3. Actually, what's neat about Nebraska is that they still have good land...

but their hardiness zone has changed, so they can grow crops from further south.

I say Nebraska because it's relatively undeveloped in some places, and it would be easy to buy larger tracks of land. Heck we might even convince some of them to join us.

[leftyclimber]

4. It'll be hell on our thriving national tourist trade, though.

:evilgrin:

[SharonAnn]

27. And it would start changing a Red state to Blue? Don't it make my Red state Blue?

[RC]

35. Have you looked at North Dakota?

Buffalo Commons, don'tcha ya know?

[originalpckelly]

38. Anything open. It could be anywhere really, but it must be open land...

that's relatively inexpensive.

[originalpckelly]

7. I should also say, we don't need an entire state.

Just a sizable portion of land.

[leftyclimber]

2. Can you pick a better state?

Maybe the Pacific Northwest or get northern California to secede or something.

Then I might consider it. ;)

[originalpckelly]

6. Well, the problem with that, is that they are nice climates, (except the farest northwest)...

but they are both in dangerous areas. The only major volcano that threatens Nebraska is the Yellowstone super-volcano. If it goes, it won't matter where you are in America.

California is an earthquake prone area.

Now Nebraska does have the problem of sinking, its water table is being destroyed. However, there are ways to get water from the atmosphere, even if it doesn't rain. Think dune and the water collectors. That's actually a very real idea, and has been implemented at a very small level. Ironically, I watched it on Pimp My Ride, they had a water dispenser that never needed to be filled.

[originalpckelly]

9. Here is one of those water thingies:

http://www.air2water.biz/air-2-water-technology.html

[leftyclimber]

16. That is COOL. nt

[originalpckelly]

19. You're telling me, I thought they were full of it when I saw it first...

but it's actually a real thing, and like I said, they put one in a car on that MTV "Pimp My Ride".

[leftyclimber]

15. While arable land is important

I also like the surface of the earth to stick up in places to break the monotony of the view (mountains). That's just an aesthetic preference, though.

Back to the Nebraska thing, though, how's the topsoil there? The reason I ask is because I know that Iowa has had horrendous topsoil loss over the last century, and Nebraska's right next door. I can't imagine that Nebraska's any better off topsoil-wise. Not that anywhere else is likely any better; I'm just assuming that a move to an agrarian economy was somewhere in the picture based on your criteria.

What would you call this new Nebraska-country?

[originalpckelly]

17. Actually, I'm really thinking more of a modern system...

there would be hydroponic farming as much as possible to reduce the amount of soil loss. I'm just thinking about farmland because it would be very flat and easy to plan a city or two on.

[leftyclimber]

18. Ah. Got it. nt

[originalpckelly]

21. And also because you'd have to have privately owned low density occupied land...

so you would have fewer people to get to join up.

[hfojvt]

33. western Nebraska is starting to get into the Rockies

I think that Scottsbluff, Nebraska is actually a well kept secret. In spite of being well to the North of KC they are significantly warmer on most winter days. Then again, we used to call Rapid City, SD as part of 'the banana belt' because of their warmer winters.

[AndyTiedye]

22. Nebraska Is a Very Red State -- They Voted 2-1 for Bush**ler in 2004

I'll take my chances with the earthquakes in California.

I think we have more to fear from Bushbots than earthqukes.

[Marrah_G]

26. Why pick a spot surrounded by the rest of the country on all sides, making you dependant on them

Seems to me, theoretically of course, that you would need land with its own flowing water sources and its own seashores for both shipping and fishing.

[treestar]

11. A hunk of Oregon - on the coast?

Or maybe on the Hudson Bay? (Cold, but in anticipation of Global Warming)

[Arugula Latte]

5. No ocean -- no deal.

;)

[AndyTiedye]

24. Agreed. Gottta Have an Ocean. And Mountains Too

[Rockholm]

29. I need water. Oceans, please.

[htuttle]

51. Settle for the shore of one of the Great Lakes instead

The other coastlines are going to be somewhat 'unpredictable' in the near future.

[Arugula Latte]

56. I spent a lot of time on the shores of Lake Erie as a wee lass.

My grandma had her own beach. Damn, pollution meant dead fish galore in the 70s. Then they built a nuclear power plant nearby. Come to think of it, all that toxic stuff could explain why I am the way I am ... ;)

Out here, well, if the earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes don't get me, I might go due to Latte Overdose.

[mnhtnbb]

8. After living in Nebraska for six years, I swore when we moved I'd never set foot there again.

It's a land of frontier justice run by the good 'ole boys. Good luck.

[Connonym]

28. get enough good liberal folk and we can outnumber the good 'ole boys

run their asses out of the place. That would be one of the beauties of going to a place that's not too populated, it wouldn't take too much to become the majority. Plus it would be beautiful to watch them get in a tizzy.

[Connonym]

10. I would love to do that

one of my dreams is to live in a remote place, self-sustained with wind/solar power, land for planting, etc. I think I'd have to buy a ginormous satellite though because even though I'd love to live out in the boonies I'd still want my internet.

[originalpckelly]

12. Actually, I think we could use a mesh network to provide internet...

that wouldn't be owned by a single person/company. That would ensure the freedom of the internet.

Here's an article on this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_network

[mnhtnbb]

13. You better like the wind--it never stops blowing on the Plains.

[originalpckelly]

14. I know, but that's a source of power too.

:P

[uppityperson]

20. buncha darn hippies

:hippie: :toast: :hippie:

[Marrah_G]

23. I'll pass on Nebraska

We have everything we need right here in the North East :)

[Blue_In_AK]

25. There's been a faction in Alaska

that's wanted to secede ever since statehood, the Alaska Independence Party. http://www.akip.org/

[northofdenali]

30. Let's take over Alaska instead -

there's reasonable climate for those who can't hack the cold; we have mountains, ocean, rivers, tundra, farmland, oil, gold, coal, unlimited forests and empty land -

Then we secede, declare war on the Lower 48, surrender and get foreign aid forever! :P

On edit :hi: Blue! Great minds, and all that.

[Marrah_G]

31. How feasable is farming in Alaska?

Meat and fish yes, but are there any grain or vegetable crops that can grow in that climate?

[Blue_In_AK]

34. Oh, yes.

You haven't heard about our gigantic vegetables?? The Matanuska-Susitna Valley north of here is wonderful farm country...a short season, but very intense.

http://www.alaskagiant.com/saveur_magazine.htm



I grow a little garden in my back yard every year, wonderful lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, Swiss chard, peas, green beans, carrots, zucchini, etc. We have Alaska-grown potatoes in the markets here all year round.

[Marrah_G]

36. Really?

I had no idea....and what the heck is that massive thing? Cabbage?

[Blue_In_AK]

39. Yes, that's a cabbage, and really a rather small one.

I believe the record cabbage is over 105 pounds. The gentleman in the article grew a 53-pound rutabaga last year. Regularly at the state fair, we see broccoli heads 18 inches across, three-foot long zucchinis, turnips as big as your head. It's really pretty amazing.

[Blue_In_AK]

32. You bet.

For people who are still into the idea of having "states" in their country (Alaska), we could split it up into Southeast, Southcentral, Interior, Aleutia (I like the way that sounds), Y-K Delta and North Slope, each with their own capitol. Juneau could stay the capitol of the country, if they wanted to.

[northofdenali]

37. Yes, keep it in Juneau -

and don't build a road there!

Farming is very feasible - also in the Delta Junction area, now mostly known for the Ft. Greeley Star Wars Missile emplantments - and the University here in Fairbanks has a huge agricultural research program.

Besides, it's just plain pretty up here!!

[Blue_In_AK]

41. You had barley going on up there, didn't you?

And I agree with you on the "just plain pretty." Alaska would be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

[northofdenali]

53. Barley, hay, other hardy grains -

hemp, too. Don't forget we also have a missile launching facility at Poker Flats!

Hey, folks, this could work!!! The biggest problem is that most of the land is "owned" by the Feds. :(

Think of the fisheries!

[Blue_In_AK]

55. How could I have forgotten the hemp?

:rofl:

[northofdenali]

57. Well.............

we don't necessarily call Matanuska Thunderfuck "hemp", but it'll do......... :rofl:

[Cerridwen]

54. "All hail the Grand Duchy of Fenwick!"

:rofl:

[chaska]

40. Vermont has an active secession movement. Links below. And more....

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vermont+secession&btnG=Google+Search.

What you're proposing has been done (they're called communes), but unfortunately there's just not a tremendous level of interest out there. So you get small communities like Twin Oaks in Virginia http://www.twinoaks.org/index.html (about 100 members).

For anybody seriously interested in exploring the idea of liberal communities (or even just a really cheap vacation), I would definitely recommend their 3-week visit program. I found the place didn't really suit me, but I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Great people too.

Oh, I always like to fight against stereotypes, preconcieved notions and such, so I must say that I saw very little drug use (one joint's worth).

One last thing, Northern California is a great liberal hotbead of course, and just about as close to Heaven on Earth as it gets.

[originalpckelly]

43. The thing with all these movements is that they're meandering and slow...

Why not get the people together, however many there may be, and then just declare independence. It's not easy, but if it's done completely peacefully, I highly doubt anyone would mind.

[chaska]

45. "I highly doubt anyone would mind."

I live in South Carolina. Believe me, people mind very much when you decide to form your own country. "We" tried it.

I don't mean to discourage you. I'd be down with it. Build it and they will come, or likely not; but if you've got the stomach for the task, more power to you. GO! FOR! IT!

[originalpckelly]

48. As I remember it, y'all shot at Fort Sumter first.

People don't take kindly when you shoot at them. On top of that, y'all started your own nation to keep slavery around, amongst other things.

[chaska]

46. dupe

[blues90]

42. I was in Nebraska in 1964

I spent a 7 day year there on a farm owned by my mothers relatives .

The big outing was a drive to Omaha across endless flat fields of two lane roads . Can't say I liked it much sitting in their farm house off a main highway counting the few semi's that passed by .

[originalpckelly]

44. I CU.

You're just frightened to death that'd we actually do it and make it work out.

[originalpckelly]

47. "Hell, we'd shoot them and use their bodies to help the crops grow."

Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the rock or what?

[uppityperson]

49. are you channeling someone?

[originalpckelly]

50. you know now

nuff said

[uppityperson]

52. got it, but beware

mods delete messages with links to That Site.

[Cleita]

58. I once lived two years in the state below Nebraska, Kansas.

In the winter there is only a barbed wire fence between you and all the weather the artic winds want to blow your way. Brrrr. I'm cold thinking about it. Also, where did you get the idea that Nebraska has good farmland? It really doesn't. I admire every Nebraskan that tried to coax a living off of that land but it's not the best.

[northofdenali]

59. Arctic winds? Not up here - they only hit the "middle" states -

come join the Alaska movement :P