Is Referendum the on Self-Rule Donetsk and Lugansk or Scotland Really 'Liberty on the Loose'?

This past weekend's independence referendums resulted in a landslide of support in Donetsk and Lugansk, Ukraine's most populous regions, for self-rule. Republic Co-Chairman Denis Pushilin said, “We, the people of Donetsk, based on results of the May 11 referendum and the declaration of sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic, declare that from now on DPR is now a sovereign state.” Valery Bolotov,  leader of the Luhansk People’s Republic, said, “We have chosen a way of independence from the outrage and the blood-stained dictatorship, fascism and nationalism of Kiev’s junta.” Sounds like 'Liberty is on the Loose'. But...

The Kremlin’s press service quickly issued a statement, saying: “Moscow respects the will of the people in Donetsk and Lugansk and hopes that the practical realization of the outcome of the referendums will be carried out in a civilized manner.” It stressed the necessity of a “dialogue between representatives of Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk.” Which translated into non-babble means Russia is scared shit less of referendums and no more supports any unilateral declaration of independence than any of the other 'rulers' do.

The reality is that a large majority of people living in Donetsk and Lugansk don't want to join Russia and they certainly don't want to be ruled by a US-EU-IMF installed fascist cabal whose muscle is provided by a combination of Right Sector neo-nazis and elite mercenaries from the notorious US private security firm Academi (formerly Blackwater). They don't want any part of the IMF's destructive, imperialist, noose disguised as loans. What they want is INDEPENDENCE. Russia and the West may argue about Ukraine, but what neither side can tolerate is 'Liberty is on the Loose'.

The Russians pay lip service to "the will of the people" when it suits their overall geopolitical objectives but the people of Chechnya know it's bullshit. They've fought two bloody wars in an a attempt to gain independence from Russia and the results, just as they were for the Confederates States who tried to declare independence from the US, were that "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" as Mao Zedong said.

How about China? What do you think the results of a referendum on self rule would be in the vast regions where the Uyghur people are in the majority? How about the numbers in an independence referendum in Tibet [before the Chinese forcibly moved in so many millions of ethnic Chinese that the Tibetans are now badly outnumbered in their own homeland]?

The list of active separatist movements worldwide is so long Wikipedia needs 6 pages just to list them. There are a couple of regions who have fought to remain culturally, linguistically and historically independent of the 'rulers' for so long that, though condemned and propagandized against by those rulers', they are allowed to have independence referendums. One such case is here in Canada where Quebec has held two votes on separation from Canada. Despite the fact there is no agreement as to what a 'clear' majority means, it is accepted that the possibility of separation by referendum does exist. The Government of Canada has done it's best to mimic the Chinese in Tibet by moving as many immigrants as possible into Quebec, by bribing Quebecers with special financial 'incentives' as well as propaganda and threats.

Scottish Flag

The most likely chance in the near future to see 'Liberty on the Loose' is in Scotland where, on September 18th 2014, after nearly 500 years of domination by the British, after countless uprisings and wars for independence, the Scottish people have a chance to 'Just say YES to an independent Scotland'. The British aristocracy, politicians and banking elites fulminate daily about the disaster a YES vote would cause for Scotland, but according to many of the contradictory polls the Scottish people will vote for INDEPENDENCE on September 18th.

Up here in Blackpoint we're part of Cascadia where 'Salmon are Sacred' and the concept of the bio-region is gaining a political foot-hold. The system of borders in use today tries to divide the indivisible in an attempt by the elites 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 capital, borders are like the fences in a stockyard designed to protect the power of the few from the wrath of the many.

Each of the world's independence movements is a response to how well this artificial form of tyranny - political borders - has worked to divide the poor and divert their attentions away from their common oppressor. If there must be borders, let them be the watersheds, let them be the real.

Cascadian Flag

That's why, if i must be something, 'i Am Cascadian'. To be Cascadian is a revolutionary concept because it empowers all forms, not just humans, as stakeholders in the bio-region. We, the flora, fauna, microbes, minerals forces and faeries, have evolved through time in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the geology and climate we are immersed in. That empowerment is 'Liberty on the Loose'.