I’d been dismissive of the idea that the Russian Empire is on the march in the wake of the war with Georgia, but Robert Farley takes note of Sarah Palin’s apparent fondness for Alaskan separatism and wonders if we’re not looking at an Eduard Kokoity scenario:
While most folks are concentrating on the implications of this development for late night comedy, I’d like to sound a more serious note. This is hardly the first time this summer that a political leader in a former Russian territory has staked out a fringe secessionist position; could the new-found prominence of the Alaska Independence Party portend a South Ossetia style invasion and annexation? Conservatives have been touting Alaska’s proximity to Russia and Palin’s consequent foreign policy experience; does this mean that Governor Palin has already engaged in negotiations with Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev? It would be irresponsible not to speculate….
You’ve got to admit, it’s a pretty chilling scenario. And I think Russian domination of Alaska would count as a more serious geopolitical threat than Russian domination of a region Russia has always dominated.