If CA, OR, and WA became a separate country, what would you call it?

[pat_k]

I know, I know, the likelihood of constitutional amendment that establishes a doable process for secession is about nil, but who knows? With things going as they are, red states might be happy to say good riddance to blue states... Or maybe they'll secede to create Trumptopia and leave the rest of us to get back to creating a more perfect union.

Anyway, I found myself wondering what a good name might be for a new CA/OR/WA country.

Pacifica comes to mind, but strikes me as boring. Here in the PNC Cascadia has long been the name for a project to strengthen ties across the region, but I don't think it would be a good name for a new nation.

Any thoughts, dreams, or musings? If only to escape from the horror show for a bit.

[Torchlight]

1. Lucky.

Joking aside, I've heard the appellation, 'Cascadia' applied to the NW states as a whole in some other context I can't remember.

[pat_k]

3. Cascadia came to my attention when I started following

... activities of the Sightline Institute

Cascadia map here:

https://www.sightline.org/cascadia-map/

[pat_k]

5. Damn Lucky!!

[maveric]

2. Cascadia has been thrown around for a while.

[pat_k]

4. I've heard it in reference to the "bioregion"

with common problems and interests.

A map from Sightline Institute
https://www.sightline.org/cascadia-map/

[Attilatheblond]

60. Then, there is the book Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach

and another by Starhawk called The Fifth Sacred Thing

both about people of that area striking out on their own to create a society that repairs the damage to the area and seeks more sensible, respectful lifestyles.

[sdfernando]

6. I'd hate to give up the name....

How about "The United Free States of America"???

[pat_k]

22. Like it

Although looking at the red state blue state map, I'm warming to the idea of planting the notion of a red state secession to create the Un-American Christian Nationalist country the propaganda and money folks seem hell bent on turning the USA into. Then we can remain the USA.

https://freedomforallamericans.org/red-vs-blue-states/

[NewHendoLib]

7. Sanity

[EdmondDantes_]

8. I'd call it a disaster for those of us who would be left in the US

[pat_k]

23. So we just need to get a red state succession movement going.

Let the new red country be dedicated to their Un-American, Christian Nationalist, racist, xenophobic, straight white only, everyone out for themselves, cruel notion of utopia. I have a feeling they'd be begging to rejoin within a decade.

[EdmondDantes_]

49. I'd be fine with that as long as we offered space for those who want to leave red states

And help them afford it. I'm just not at all excited for a Senate with 6 fewer Democrats, all those fewer EC votes, and fewer Representatives. That's before the economic impacts.

[pat_k]

61. Thinking through details, even when just toying...

...with an idea reveals important problems and insights about how interrelated we are. We may view things as red v. blue, but there are nightmare scenarios with trying to effect some sort of partitioning.

So we move to the question of how the heck do we get through this with compassion for the vast array of humans who occupy this enormous country?

[WiVoter]

9. My New Home

[ret5hd]

11. geez...exactly the same time.

[Deuxcents]

30. Yep..I'd call it Home

[ret5hd]

10. My new home...what else could i possibly do?

[obamanut2012]

12. Pacifica

[pandr32]

45. That works because Hawaii can join!

[proud patriot]

51. shoots

that would be awesome

[brush]

54. Agreed. Thought of West Coastia but Pacifica is just right.

[Bobstandard]

13. Screwyouistan

[Tree Lady]

24. I live in Oregon

Sounds good to me!

[Renew Deal]

14. India

[Mister Ed]

15. The Land of the Free. n/t

[hlthe2b]

16. Add CO, NM and any NE, MidAtlantic, and upper Midwestern states with Canada and I'll be fine with Canada+

at least until a better mutually agreeable name presents itself.

Yes, it is a positive answer to a nightmare even while a mere daydream... sigh...

[pat_k]

38. Have any ideas on encouraging ...

... red states to secede and make their own horrible country? Then the rest of us could get serious about the business of creating a more perfect union

[hlthe2b]

44. It seems it would be by default..

I believe if the blue/bluish states mentioned passed a law in each state that required all businesses of 50 or more employees to submit their Federal tax dollars from their employees and for their business to an ESCROW account controlled by the state along with all records and which the states would routinely submit to IRS ONLY IF there had been no attempts to withhold agreed-upon FEMA or university or other funding. And if Trump's admin as the prime example, was withholding or making attempts to harm a blue state through directed targeted policies then only the amount EQUAL to what the state would owe in relation to the others (deducting for Callifornia as example the $ 80 million that that state pays over and above to support all the red states) well, there would be dramatic impact.

These ESCROW accounts could be merely "pass-through" in any future administration that was not trying to harm these blue states, but the withholding by even just California, Illinois, and New York would fully devastate the remaining US coffers and red states. If you think things would not dramatically change (even if it became a secession by default) then I think you need to consider the impacts of that premise more fully.

[pat_k]

46. Somehow, these escrow laws weren't on my radar

Food for thought for sure!

[hlthe2b]

47. Some accountant/lawyers smarter than me would have to work it out, but it does seem states DO hold SOME power

at least over business contributions to IRS (and that is the majority). Individuals owing at tax time and self-employed would not be affected unless they had more than 50 employees.

Of course all these states would be taken to court by DOJ over this, but it might well take years to sort it out. And hell, by that time the states may be quite prepared to simply ignore US Federal courts and essentially secede. Just spit-balling, but...

[JustAnotherGen]

58. Thank you

I've been trying to think of HOW we could do it.

NJ won't be able to participate. I think Shitarelli is going to win.

[petronius]

17. How about Jefferson? (Just to mess with our secessionist MAGAs in Shasta.)

But I'd go with Pacifica (we could invite Hawaii), Cascadia, or just America.

[pat_k]

26. Since we're just dreamin' the dream,

... perhaps, instead of a constitutional amendment for a secession process, we do the opposite -- and go for a mechanism to eject states that pass a "red line" in their Un-American, Christian Nationalist, racist, cruel, agenda.

They hate the Federal Gov so much? Okay. "No soup for you!"

[Ping Tung]

18. Happy.

[flvegan]

19. Depends on how large their navy is. n/t

[Celerity]

20. a Trump nuclear target

this POS RW satire site seems to think it is all one big joke



https://babylonbee.com/news/trump-nukes-los-angeles

[pat_k]

39. Stomach turning

[crazylikafox]

21. Smart

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

25. A haven for intelligent people

[SSJVegeta]

27. Fuck Donald Trump

...istan?

[sakabatou]

28. The NCR

IYKYK.

[Wicked Blue]

29. Pacifica

[Basso8vb]

31. Cascadia

Pacifica works too but that's also a beautiful coastal city just south of San Francisco.

[angrychair]

32. Already has a name

Cascadia. Even have a flag
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_movement

[pat_k]

40. Doesn't include much of CA.

My understanding is that Cascadia is more of a "bioregion"

https://www.sightline.org/cascadia-map/

[angrychair]

55. Yea but it's a older Independence movement

That's been around for decades. There are very different versions of "Cascadia"depending on who you ask. My click includes WA, OR, CA, BC (Canada) and AK.
Some only included northern CA, others include NV.
Until recently it was more an ideal than a practical aspiration.

[pat_k]

63. You spark my interest in the evolution of the notion over the decades.

[AStern]

33. Russian Meme

nt

[Norrrm]

34. Bad for our country. Our unity is our strength.

Division would result in several small-time countries to be run over by the big guys.

Which little country would Trump want to be the big fish in a little pond?

[pat_k]

41. Of course you are right.

But sometimes even just toying with ideas can lead to meaningful insights.

[enid602]

35. Seceed

Newsom would just re direct payroll tax contributions to Sacramento, until details with Ottawa are ironed out.

[GP6971]

37. Think so?

[Retrograde]

42. California Republic

It’s already on the flag. If Oregon or Washington want to join I suppose we could go with Bear Republic

[Mordred]

43. Home

[mercuryblues]

48. home

[mike_c]

50. home

[Sparkly]

52. Home!

Great minds think alike!

[GaYellowDawg]

53. Maybe they could become new provinces of Canada.

Tie the population of the West Coast states with the natural resources of Canada and you'd have a hell of a powerhouse.

[C_U_L8R]

56. A good start

I'm sure there are others who would gladly join a new union.

[LilyBelle]

57. California

[Ishoutandscream2]

59. My older daughter and hubby live in Oregon

Been there for three years now and love it. Maybe this new country would take my wife, son, and I as citizens.

[Nictuku]

62. United States of the Pacific Coast