Declare Autonomy. Please

The editors of the Wall Street Journal do not seem to not seem to be overly concerned about CHAZ, the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”, a few blocks of Seattle presently occupied by “demonstrators”:

The founding of any new nation is worthy of note, and so it is with the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, several blocks of Seattle that have been seized by protesters, Occupy Wall Street types and assorted opportunists. Now it’s up to the citizens of the CHAZ, adapting Federalist No. 1, to decide the important question: whether anarchies of men are capable or not of establishing good government.

This week the Seattle police withdrew from their East Precinct in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, after threats that it would be torched. The cops removed barricades and began “decreasing our footprint,” Chief Carmen Best said, as the protesters had requested. Ms. Best called it “an exercise in trust and de-escalation.” But human nature abhors a vacuum, and CHAZ revolutionaries soon declared their autonomy.

They conclude:

President Trump denounced all this in tweets, but for once he should let it speak for itself. The good progressives of Washington allowed the CHAZ to rise, and now they can decide whether to invade the enclave or let it become a new republic, if they can keep it. The city of Seattle says it has “arranged for garbage cans and portable toilets to be placed in the vicinity for use by demonstrators.” Let’s see how progressive this paradise looks in a month.

which strikes me as about right. As usual I don’t know what President Trump is thinking. I am reminded of Napoleon’s advice: don’t interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake. An article at USA Today by Ryan Miller describes the scene:

News reports describe the occupied area as peaceful and safe. The words “Black Lives Matter” were painted on East Pine Street. Free food has been handed out at a “No Cop Co-op.” Speakers, poets and other performers share ideas and art.

A sign on the abandoned police precinct reads that the building is “property of the Seattle people.” The Seattle Times reported that some protesters hope to turn the building into a community center.

A community garden has also been planted in Cal Anderson Park. “We’re forced to build new plots because people are giving us so many plants,” Marcus Henderson, who was working in the gardens, told the Seattle Times.

Francis Vann, a 15-year-old high school freshman, told the newspaper that the movement happening inside the area is being driven by young people.

“A lot of times, the older people criticize the young people for how we choose to show our grief,” Vann said. “It kind of takes a lot to stir up emotions with the young people, but once we’re mad, we’re mad. And we’re mad. It’s the young people’s energy that’s out here and the old people’s wisdom that’s keeping us out here.”

I know nothing about the relevant area of Seattle and am disinclined to comment on other people’s problems.

I can only tell you that if, for example, the Austin neighborhood were to declare autonomy, the City of Chicago of which it had formerly been a part should do two things:

1. It should disconnect the water, sewers, and electricity for street lights and traffic lights.
2. It should wish them the best of luck.

Such a move would substantially lower the homicide rate of the balance of the city and probably improve that balance’s on-time high school graduation rate.