Like many Vermonters', my ancestors came over in the 1630s, to Massachusetts, and several fought in the Revolutionary War of Independence from the British Empire. And while we may be proud of that, we also cannot deny the fact New England was settled by driving off and killing the original natives. One of Vermont “Green Mountain Boys” Thomas Rowley’s most famous 18th century poems - "To Rutland Go" - reminds us of this when he writes: “This is the noble land by conquest won, Took from a savage band by sword and gun, We drove them to the west, they could not stand the test.” So just like southerners who may support states rights and refer to the legalistic rights of the confederate states also should be careful to make it clear that slavery was an abomination, those who identify closely with the founders of most of our states must not forget to mention that our land was “colonized” through theft from the natives, most of whom died in the process. And that’s just the first thing to do when we promote the benefits of radical political decentralism, and its strategy secession, to minorities in North America. A longer list follows.

By 2050 the combined numbers of African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, Arabs, Muslims, lesbians/gays/transgenders, and immigrants and other minorities will equal a majority of Americans. Nevertheless, as single groups they will remain minorities for many years. The benefits of political decentralization to them are positive, similar to the benefits I described previously for women. (Though it make take more generations before women attain psychological freedom from the most patriarchal males, so that they can speak out their opinions freely without being viciously attacked by rogue males, including internet attacks.)

White elites try to keep minorities focused on how the government can help them punish minor crimes by ignorant bigots, or getting their share of the government pie. These are just sops that cover up the real and inherent racism and bigotry of our big government system, and especially the police and courts, in this country - racist imperialism abroad being a whole other topic!

Of course as I write at ”Issues in Secession” earlier on this blog, the benefits of political decentralization for all people probably only can be repeated in independent communities, cities or states that combine a good bill of rights and super-majority direct democracy, as opposed to the majority rule representative democracy that has lead to special interest rule throughout the world. However, even those who retain the failed experiment of majoritarian representation can reap benefits.

Benefits of Radical Political Decentralization to Minorities Include:

* Ends Divide and Conquer Strategies by Largely White Elites: Most nation states, including the United States, play off racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and regional factions, manipulatively giving and taking away rights and privileges. Large nation states and their flunkies do not want subgroups to unite against the oppressive state. (And so they employ propagandists and provocateurs to divide and conquer secessionists.) Once this outside aggravating factor is eliminated, most sectarian quarrels will fade away.

* Promotes Both “Identity” and Diverse Communities: Local, state and federal government polices of suburban zoning and poor public transportation between suburbs and inner cities often have forced minorities to live and work in impoverished communities they would prefer to leave, a form of government-enforced segregation. Allowing freer choice in lower income suburban housing and private transport alternatives (like jitney services) would provide more mobility up the economic latter to minorities who want to leave their enclaves. Those “identity groups” of whatever identity who desire separation to preserve their culture or live out a vision or lifestyle should not have to waste time and resources in defending or fighting discrimination lawsuits and onerous zoning laws and can focus it on building community. (This is especially true for the gay/lesbian/transgender communities.) Those who prefer diverse communities will not have to worry about sectarians backed by centralized power who want to destroy diversity - or economic forces with powerful political allies who would do the same.

* Reduces Racist Incarceration of Minority Males: The of blacks in America is up to 35 times higher than for whites; for Latinos up to 17 times higher than for whites, depending on age and sex. This is caused as much by planned policies as results of years of prejudice. Crime is a side effect of deprivation of economic opportunity, media and cultural messages that some minorities cannot succeed and that only machismo and “gangsterism” can prove that members of these groups are “real men.” Much of the motivation of the war on drugs (besides the religious war against mind altering substances) remains that drug laws are a great excuse to lock up blacks and, to a lesser extent, Latinos. Once minorities act out these criminal roles, or engage in any kind of drug use or trafficking, white dominated police, courts and prison can and do lock them up years, far longer than whites for the same crimes. Racism against Muslims and Arabs is much of the motivation for the Patriot Act and now the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. There is great fear among elites concerned about oil and Israel that the growing number of financially well off and politically sophisticated Arabs and Muslims will start to have a real impact on American middle east policy. Arab and Muslim charities have been decimated, young men arrested and accused on the flimsiest of evidence, and foreign students dissuaded from studying, and eventually moving, here.

* Breaks the Economic and Political Power of White Elites: Political and economic power largely lie in federal (and state) laws, regulations, subsidies, tax benefits, etc. that help the long-time established wealthy white corporate and political with the power to shape these policies. These are a scaffolding of oppression on the backs of women and minorities. Remove them and all fall down to a much more level playing field.

* Increases Economic Opportunity: Federal (and state) control of the economy crushes economic initiative, productivity and efficiency. Through taxation and inflation nation states, and their sub-units, rob citizens of 50% or more of their incomes and savings. Ending centralization and cartelization of banking, finance, insurance, utilities, transportation, housing, farming and the medical and legal professions would improve opportunities to earn money and cut prices for all lower income people.

* Improves Social Welfare: Social welfare programs are the great bribe nation states use to mollify their people, and often minorities. Bureaucrats running these programs have a vested interest in keeping people dependent and impoverished; their jobs depend on it. State-provided social security, welfare, medical care, education, child care, etc. are usually poor alternatives to what an efficient economy, compassionate voluntary organizations, and systematic voluntary redistribution of wealth can provide. The truth is, national governments use social welfare programs to excuse the larger wrongs done in the name of the nation state.

* Increases Respect for and among Minorities: Because they no longer have to put up with a federal government-controlled mass media that keeps them in their place; nor will they have to please or mollify the ruling white elites because of their legal, economic or political status.

* Protects the Environment in Minority Communities: National governments promote and subsidize environmentally destructive projects, permit the careless exploitation of “public” land, sanction poisonous levels of pollution, and build and use environmentally destructive military weapons - very often in minority communities. White elites will no longer have the economic and political power to run roughshod over these communities.

This, of course, is just a first draft list of benefits. Please feel free to add more!

To end on a personal note, over the last 35 years, I've lived in minority white neighborhoods in Detroit, Manhattan, Los Angeles and Washington DC; in the last 13 years in a neighborhood only 2 or 3 percent white, though the number is growing. They were all areas of relative racial harmony and I would feel uncomfortable living in an overwhelmingly white neighborhood. So, yes, many people will prefer diverse communities as their choice of where to live and who to associate with. Even those who now feel they need their own communities because they believe years of forced integration has harmed them, and certainly their children, will feel more comfortable with integrated, diverse communities over time. Freedom and tolerance are intimately related.