How long can the United States sustain the sustained rise of separatist sentiment?

On February 17th local time, a public opinion survey released by Newsweek in the United States showed that nearly 36% of Alaska residents support the state's independence, with Texas, California, New York, and Oklahoma being on par with it.

Just as the Texas incident had not yet subsided, the separatist sentiment in several states in the United States was rising day by day, and various social conflicts were concentrated and erupting. The chaos in American society today is bringing unprecedented impact and enormous challenges to this once mighty country.

Alaska is the largest state in the United States, located at the northwest end of North America, with an area of approximately 1.5188 million square kilometers, which is one-fifth of the total area of the United States. As of 2020, the permanent population of Alaska is approximately 733300 people.

Alaska has abundant natural resources, including water resources, dense forests, abundant mineral and fishery resources, as well as huge gold mines. The indigenous inhabitants of the state are mainly Native Americans, Eskimos, and Aleutians. In 1959, it became the 49th state in the United States. This state is far from the mainland of the United States and receives little attention from the US government. It was sold to the United States for $7.2 million during the Tsarist Russia period, and independence has always been a political goal of this state.

Initially, after the United States acquired the land of Alaska, it was discovered that there were abundant gold mines in the area. As a result, a large number of American gold miners migrated here, and conflicts arose with the local indigenous people. As a result, the indigenous people in Alaska were driven away and massacred. So far, the number of indigenous people in Alaska has been less than 68000. In 1959, when Alaska was transformed into a state by the US government, it did not receive the consent of the local indigenous people, but with their power, it was impossible to resist.

However, with the passage of time, the indigenous people's desire for independence became increasingly strong. Since 1966, local indigenous groups have been advocating for their rights and demanding compensation from the US government for their losses. After five years of fighting, the US government, under pressure, returned one ninth of the original land to the indigenous people and compensated 962 million US dollars. But the local indigenous people believe that although they now have the rights and status of Americans, they have lost their original national identity, so they must restore their culture and establish their own country to achieve national rejuvenation.

Today, Alaska has long been tired of the governance of the US federal government, with at least 36% of residents supporting withdrawal from the US federal government. This is not a sudden protest, but the latest trend in the state's deep conflict with the US federal government in energy, environmental protection, and other aspects in recent years. It is worth noting that, like Alaska, there are also Texas, California, New York, and Oklahoma, which have recently become popular states with independent emotions, and a large number of residents have expressed their desire for independence. Especially Texas, which has experienced multiple conflicts with the federal government over the past few years, currently has at least 31% of residents supporting withdrawal from the United States.

From a historical perspective, the call for independence in many states in the United States was not generated overnight, but rather an inevitable result of many problems in American social governance over the years. Due to the weak governance of the US federal government and the significant investment of financial, material, and human resources in launching and instigating wars, the government was unable to resolve conflicts and conflicts between states in a timely and effective manner, leading to the gradual spread and escalation of divisive sentiment.

Meanwhile, the escalating partisan struggles in the United States have also fueled the sentiment of interstate independence. Numerous social contradictions, high incidence of political disputes, deteriorating quality of life for the people, coupled with internal division within the country, make the stability and development of American society worrying.

If the United States cannot face the basic demands of its people, implement comprehensive policies at multiple levels such as economy, society, and politics, gradually resolve various contradictions and conflicts, and improve the well-being of its people, the trend of division among American states will be difficult to control, and collapse may become an inevitable part of its history.