God bless us, every one...

[jmatonak]

A bunch of crazy people claiming to represent the Lakota nation showed up in Washington yesterday and withdrew from all treaties with the United States. They announced that anyone who wants to come live in their nation, which they claim comprises 5 US states, is welcome to.

It's easy to get confused about the legal status of "American Indians." The native nations are exactly that- they are independent nations that signed treaties with the US. The Supreme Court has affirmed this since the early 1800s, and US presidents going back to Andrew Jackson have ignored the courts and done whatever they wanted. ("Judge Marshall has made his decision; now let us see him enforce it.")

As far as I can tell, the law is entirely on the side of the Lakota. Again. But sending in US troops to pacify them- the traditional response to this kind of thing- may not play these days. I await the outcome of these events with great interest.

So now I have the WGA strike and this Lakota thing to make me wish there were still a Daily Show for me to watch.

--

Merry Christmas, for those of you who are into that, and please feel free to substitute the well-wishing phrase of your choice if you're not so much into the whole Christmas deal. I intend to be "around here" more, but God knows what will actually happen.

Comments

[sushis.livejournal.com]

Merry Christmas! (or related well-wishing phrase.)

Glad to see you "around here" again!

[shadowlass.livejournal.com]

I intend to be "around here" more, but God knows what will actually happen.

Oh, yay! I've been wanting to poke you to post more but didn't want to nag.

[midnightlurker.livejournal.com]

They picked a very bad President to try this out under. Unless one of the points of the exercise is to generate martyrs and make Bush look bad, and I'm certainly in favor of the latter.

[jmatonak.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't think it matters. I think you'd get something like this under any US President, even Carter:

LAKOTA: We own five states, including both Dakotas and three states you actually care about.

US PREZ: Fuck you.

[shadowlass.livejournal.com]

If they'd have just stuck to the Dakotas they might have gotten a more positive response.

[jmatonak.livejournal.com]

That was my feeling also. ;)

[midnightlurker.livejournal.com]

Isn't it more like select parts of five states? Might be stuff we don't care about.

...Except, of course, for something like 80% of our nuclear arsenal. ^.^;

[catwhisperer42.livejournal.com]

Yay for the Lakota! I doubt the government would have to send in troops if they want to make this difficult. Imposing steep import tariffs and requiring visas for travel would probably put a damper on things.

And Happy Holidays. woo...