This exchange is actually a pretty good example of the issues that a lot of Alaskan's, and American's have; lower 48ers, and random folks, who have no clue what they are talking about, spouting un-researched bullshit and making outlandish bullshit claims.
Verbose history of Alaskan political beliefs:
It spawned a political party up here, not to be confused with /my/ political registration of "Independent" as in "no party at all," the now struggling, and some might say defunct, Alaska Independence Party or AIP (
Alaskan Independence Party - Introduction ) Obviously I could never join nor support this party as one of their tenants actually seeks to void my vote - because my family is part of the US military they proclaim that I'm not an Alaskan per say and shouldn't be allowed to vote, however many of the basic concepts of "governmental freedom" and "loyalty" that most Alaskan's feel are/were forwarded by the AIP. In fact, the AIP put out one of my personal favorite sayings "Gun control is hitting your target."
The AIP was very active and vocal when I was growing up, a true grass roots movement of people fed up with D.C. overreach that impacted and destroyed the Alaska Constitution - most notably reaching a fervor pitch around Regan's war on drugs that pushed Federal initiatives that were in direct violation of the Alaska Constitution's privacy clause that specifically allowed possession of marijuana in the home for personal use, but also in reaction to many other Federal laws, like forbidding Alaska from exporting our oil to other nations and forcing us to sell our crude to the lower 48 at prices far below the market values, and many more as well. In fact, Todd Palin was an AIP member.
The AIP's decline really started in 1993, when the parties main voice, and the leader of AFI Alaskan's for Independence succession movement, a man named Joseph Vogler, was suspiciously executed weeks prior to a highly publicized speech to the United Nations arguing for Alaskan sovereignty from the hostile government of the United States based on illegal voting practices during Alaska's state vote in 1958 (too example just one of many arguments, the US government discriminated against Native Alaskan's through their rule that one must be able to read and write English to vote, and also that the option of becoming an independent nation was not properly put on the ballot.) It is quite common lore up here that D.C. killed him, then railroaded a man named Manfried West for his murder. Manfried West being an illegal explosives salesman to the gold miners who, thanks to yet another overreaching D.C. law that fails to consider Alaskan's unique needs, found themselves unable to qualify to purchase, and/or jump the legal hoops required for registration, to get the explosives necessary to work their private mines. Long story short, Vogler's remains were found some years after his disappearance, at the same time the (now ATF) had been sent up to arrest West, West allegedly confessed to killing Vogler during the stand-off, he later said he lied in an attempt to scare off the agents and troopers. Ultimately he blew up his house after giving up on negotiations, survived, and went to jail for both crimes [I believe] in 1998.
While I am not certain that succession from the US is the best choice for Alaska, I and many other Alaskan's, do agree with many of the AIP's political agendas (AFI being the succession movement not the AIP.) One of Vogler's many colorful quotes still resonates with a lot of Alaskan's today - “I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions.” Then there’s “The fires of hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American government. The problem with you John Birchers is that you are too damn liberal!” ( Referring to the somewhat extremist John Birch Society - a still somewhat prominent alternate "side" [more left aligned] movement that has been also been popular in Alaska since 1959 -
The John Birch Society - Note that's Chugiak, Alaska, as in the annexed city next to my own annexed city of Eagle river - also the namesake of my son's High School, just for reference as to how close to home this stuff is.)
Alaska is nothing like the lower 48, we still have small town USA beliefs, even a mere 20 minutes drive outside of the big city Anchorage, you find this independent free spirit. We still hold that 'homesteader' vein where we take care of ourselves, our neighbors, our communities and we don't like to be interfered with or being accused of doing shit we didn't do - just to example, the lower 48 and D.C. bureaucrats lock down our land in parks under a mistaken assumption that the land needs to be "protected" from us, but that's a flat-out lie meant to only placate greenie SJW's and buy their votes - real Alaskan's respect the land they live on, we don't mistreat it, we don't endanger it, we don't abuse it. COMPANIES may abuse the land, but the people here do not and we bristle to be accused of the crimes of shitty businesses when we have done nothing. It's not so much that we are 'anti-EPA' but that we are against things that infringe upon our private property rights - yet we are accused by lower 48ers of wanting to destroy the land. It's this kind of falsities that irk us Alaskan's.
TL;DR Version, though still a bit lengthy:
It's true, there is a prevalent vein of distrust for the government up here because of all the wrongs they have put on us. It's also true that there are indeed Russian loyalists, when Russia sold this state to the US, the Russian's who had settled here did not leave; nearly every city has a Russian Orthodox Church near by and indeed there is a collective of people who want to return to "Mother Russia" so it is that Alaskan's have a bit more understanding and sympathy toward the brother bear to the west. However, I am not one of these people, I respect their opinions and beliefs, I defend their freedom to speak and feel as they wish about "American Rule" as they put it, but I am not a 'native' Alaskan. My roots are German on my fathers side, and Norwegian on my mothers, my parents were moved to Alaska from Germany by the US Army so I'm a bit of an implant as far as that argument goes. Even so, I am Alaskan at heart, I value my personal beliefs and convictions, and the people directly around me, more so than I do the nation of America. I love the concept of the Constitution of the US, but I very much feel that the lower 48 does not.
For me the Constitution of the US is not just a piece of parchment, it is more a way of thinking. The ends do not justify the means if they crush the independent spirit and freedoms of the people. The government is no friend if they are not upholding freedom and what I consider to be the American way. Corruption of, and against, the values and ideals of the Constitution should be removed by any and all means necessary. I am no traitor, but I am an independent with strong values and beliefs as to what this country
should be. These are values and beliefs that transcend D.C. laws and regulations at times. While I would immediately turn in someone who dumps trash on the side of the road, I would never report someone doing drugs. While I would call the cops if I saw someone I did not recognize on my neighbors property - and even defend said neighbors property from theft should the need ever arise, I do not report my neighbors for practicing their shooting in their yard (Anchorage recently made it illegal to discharge a firearm in the city limits - which now includes us,) nor shooting off fireworks, nor anything else I don't "perceive" as a danger to others. And I am not alone in this 'rejection' of what we consider to be unnecessary laws; I've noted many times that we have seven police officers who live on our street, they too ignore a great many overreaching Anchorage laws forced down our throats.
The reality is that you urban sardines have no concept of how a large cross section of the population lives and breaths, you don't understand our belief systems, political or otherwise, and instead of simply respecting them - as I do the Russian remnants all over Alaska - you choose to viciously attack. This to me, is the true rot at the center of America being 'united' - and I believe, a lot of America has rejected this relatively new, less tolerant, extremest Democratic party. There is a huge difference between a traitor and a patriot, but it seems like so many are unable to see those shades of gray and would rather lay down vile words than truly discuss the matter at hand, each item is a different issue and it is utterly lazy to lump a person into the category of "traitor" over a singular issue. But that's the reality of these folks, regardless of party, they make knee-jerk irrational decisions based on almost nothing and abjectly refuse to participate in any real discussion on the matter.
That is the true frailty of America - that her people have become lazy and weak, violent and egotistical, unrealistic and without logically based core values. There is a loss of faith in thy fellow man that plagues this nation and will very likely tear her apart. I wish deeply that Trump were the answer, but the harsh reality is that this nation is practically doomed to fail at this point, we've let these cracks go too deep through our attempts, ironically, to respect different opinions, and now those radical beliefs have overrun all our defenses.
It's a shame, but as I touched on in the verbose version above; my allegiance, as a direct result of the actions of D.C., is far more to Alaska and my immediate community, than it is to a "national entity" that constantly disrespects us and our lifestyle. This does not mean I will not fight a Russian invasion along side my neighbors, after all the Russian's would likely be far more infringing upon my independence and too would be a direct threat to my neighbors, but it is a forefront point of contention in my decision to not blindly follow whatever the government says. IF the government had stayed true to the beliefs and ideals contained in the US Constitution, had stayed clean of corruption and lying to we the people, then I would be far more inclined to respect them and pay them my loyalty, but they didn't. My distrust is a direct consequence of their actions, to my eyes we are on the path to becoming the USSR or possibly even worse, which is a bit less appealing than Russia's path is this point in history... Not that it matters other than for idle theoretical consideration; if the US falls apart, and Alaska cannot stand on her own, she would join Canada - we've had a long affinity for them over "lower 48 America" as well, and certainly we Alaskan's would consider them a better option than Russia.