The Tale of the Ponderosa Princes

I've been reading about these guys for several years. The Ponderosa Princes of northern Victoria in Australia makes for an interesting story.

Long story short, back in 1994 Virgilio "Big Joe" Rigoli, a fruit farmer, got cheesed at the Australian government for bulldozing some of his orchards. So, he informed the government he was seceding from Australia! He formed the Principality of Ponderosa, put up a fence and moat around his 60 acre farm, and it stayed that way ever since.

Well, the story came to an end a couple of weeks back when the Aussie stormtroopers took the Rigolis into custody. Big Joe has been tossed in jail for thirty five months, and his sons for two years and twenty months respectively. They topped it off with a $25,000 fine.

Now, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. But I empathize with the self-styled "Princes." Who wouldn't? When you have what amounts to the following conversation with the government that supposedly represents you:

Government: You have to bulldoze your fruit trees.
Big Joe: But I don't want to bulldoze my fruit trees...
Government: Too God damn bad. We'll do it if you won't, because we say those trees need squished!

I mean, seriously...

Like all attempts to leave a modern nation, this one fell flat. Now, I don't support seceding from nations, but it is an interesting thing to think about: When governments become heavy-handed, what avenues are left for citizens?

Alas, the valid choices are shrinking, so some desperate (or deluded) individuals may go as far as secession. (It never works, though.)

For a funnier example of secession, read about the Conch Republic of the Florida Keys. Now that's good stuff. :)