I Am Cascadian is a revolutionary concept because it empowers all forms, not just humans, as stakeholders in the bio-region. We the flora, fauna, microbes and minerals evolve through time in response to the challenges and oppurtunities presented by the geology and climate we are immersed in. Just as the Salmon are Sacred so too are all forms in our interwoven world, the birds, the bees, the flowers, the trees, the mountains, the rain...we're all in this together. The idea of Cascadia acknowledges a higher order than the schemes of the greedy deluded humans.“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world”. - John Muir
The system of borders in use today tries to divide the undivisible in an attempt to own and control nature's bounty as well as enslave the working class into doing their bidding. Borders control the free movement of labour but not capitial, borders are like the fences in a stockyard designed to protect the power of the few from the wrath of the many. When i see/hear the explosion of misdirected emotion along the Arizona-Mexico border i realize how well this particular form of tyranny has worked to divide the poor and divert their attentions away from their common oppressor. If, instead of the free-trade bullshit, we palavered over fair-trade agreements the results would be decent living wages on both sides of the border along with far fairer treatment for the overall ecology of the bio-regions that that false border tries but fails to divide.
The demise of our present understanding democracy will unfold we embrace the concept of the bio-region. The defination of democracy stands on the definations of stakeholder rights and who gets to vote. Remember that not long ago we white guys were able to deceive ourselves in believing that women and blacks weren't deserving, now we're saying only humans. we've deceived ourselves before, and we are again.
Over time, Life shapes the planet while the planet shapes Life. We are all stakeholders in the biosphere, we will either survive together or not survive at all.
