Breakaway Republic

Jason Flores-Williams has always been a bit of an arrogant prick. After publishing his second indie press novel at age 28, he told a San Francisco journalist that he was the rightful heir to Dostoyevsky, Melville and Nietzsche. "I want to save literature, and I think I have the ability to do that," he boasted in 1998.

Now a somewhat chastened activist and 35-year-old law student at Rutgers, Flores-Williams is focusing on building a different kind of legacy: that of a counterculturist Fidel Castro, who will mobilize resentful New Yorkers into a movement for secession from the United States. He's dead serious, and he's confident it can be done in six to 10 years.

"If what the red states really want is a Christian state with no abortion, no concern for the environment, limits on free speech-then let them have it," says the Texas native and former High Times political columnist. "I'm sick of this depression we're in. I'm sick of waking up every morning with this feeling that there's this 200- pound southern tire around my neck. Something has to be done."

Flores-Williams' strategy is to recreate and redirect the energy of this summer's RNC protests, which he describes as a potent mix of politics and culture and "really good parties." The secession meme will then spread from NYC to the outlands upstate and beyond.

"Constitutionally, it has to be state secession, but NYC is the locus. We'll start by making the city an autonomous zone with secession events, which will happen every six weeks, taking a lot of different forms. Then this summer, I want to have a massive event, either in front of Rockefeller Center or around Wall Street."

Flores-Williams has organized big, traditional political demonstrations before, but says his secession events won't be about fighting the government with sticks or lying down in the streets. "Getting arrested is not the answer," he says. "I've been through that. The cultural events mean more than the street protests where everyone gets arrested."

When did he first start thinking seriously about the idea?

"Nine a.m., November 3. The election was an awakening for me," he says. "After the RNC stuff, which didn't accomplish much, I did some soul searching, which continued up until the election. It's then that I realized something. We tend to view U.S. history through the lens of the 1960s. We see America as evolving, with different states being in a dialogue with each other, and at the end of the day, we move forward. What I realized on November 3 is that the 60s were aberrational. The history of this country is the liberal-progressive regions continuously prodding the red states to recognize human rights and, generally, modernity. It's [no longer working].

"The red states just don't like us. To be called a liberal nowadays is like being called a pussy. If you're in a relationship and your partner is always insulting you, then it's like, 'I'm going.' And that's it. It's not such a big deal. This could be easily arranged. I don't see it as radical.

"So I picked up the phone on Nov. 3 and started having meetings with creative-resistance groups and activists. I called John Mailer, who is MCing our first event, and United for Peace and Justice (who isn't involved officially) and here we are, getting ready for our first event."

Once the blue states have seceded, Flores-Williams envisions blue-minded citizens of red-states relocating to the new republics on the coasts.

"People in Austin, TX, would just move. It's like if Amsterdam were to suddenly open up here-I'd move there. They'd have to come. There'd also be an immigrant exodus, and we'd welcome them with open arms. It'd be beautiful."

-Alexander Zaitchik

Jason Flores-Williams reads his "Call for New York Secession," Weds., Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at Junno's cocktail lounge, 64 Downing St. (betw. Varick & Bedford Sts.), 212-627-7995; free.