What do you think about the idea that autistic people should have our own state

I am curious because there is an actual (online) movement for this which I am a part of and I am interested in your opinions

  • All humans seem to want to do is divide into weird little groups of people and hate on other groups. 

    I certainly don't hate any NTs, I just don't want to live in a society made for them.

    I don’t think it’s entirely unreasonable that towns could have different living areas

    Neither do I, in fact I think it's a necessity.

    I'm sorry for the confusion, I thought you meant you didn't think that separate living areas were compatible with an autistic nation.

  • I meant a nation-state, sorry for the confusion.

  • Some of my best friends are allistic

    Same.

  • NT society is like that for NTs, and specifically not for us. It'd be more beneficial, I think, to live among varied autistic people than among varied NT people who hate us.

  • There’s AH nt’s and AH nd’s. All humans seem to want to do is divide into weird little groups of people and hate on other groups. 

    I struggle immensely with noise, but unfortunately some nd’s are sensory seeking and are loud. Living in a nd only area wouldn’t fix that. But there are people that like to live a quiet life, I don’t think it’s entirely unreasonable that towns could have different living areas. You wanna let your kids scream all day while you hammer and listen to loud music? Cool, you go live in that area where other people like doing the same. You like it when it’s quiet and wanna sit in your garden relaxing to distress, that’s cool too, you can go in live in this part of town where all your neighbours feel the same way. 

  • If we expanded to even half the autistic population worldwide, I doubt you'd ever encounter them considering our size.

  • I think it would be no different to any other society, people will form groups, there will be dominant people and those who aren't that bothered. Some people will think that making others do group things will be good for them whilst others just want to be left in peace. Some pople are competitive and others aren't, some are artistic and others aren't. Food could be a big issue with some wanting a beige diet and others wanting colour and spice.

    Yes, it would be a society of varying autistic people, but isn't that what NT society is like anyway, except we are prohibited from self-expressing?

    How will this proposed state fund itself?

    Whatever resources we can find.

    Who will decide the rules?

    Probably the people who have a special interest in laws, politics etc.

    WIll everybody be equal?

    Yes.

    Who would police it?

    The people who join the police force.

    Are there enough autistic people to keep the nuts and bolts of this society running, medical doctors, engineers, builders, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, midwives, psychotherapists, dentists etc?

    I would assume so, given how many autistic people there are.

    Where is this uninhabited land?

    I've seen the uninhabited islands in the Pitcairn Islands proposed and maybe even the inhabited island (Pitcairn itself) if the citizens consent to it. I think that would be the ideal place.

    How big would it need to be?

    That I do not know.

    How would it's natural resourses be managed? If it had any to begin with of course.

    They would primarily be used for funding the nation. Resources are very profitable in this world, of course.

    'Taking land with the consent of the people living there', sounds a bit like a colonial takeover to me or a situation like the formation of Israel, peaceful to start with and then at war with it's neighbours. I'm not about to get into the rights and wrong of Israel, but I think its a good example of how a planned utopia can quickly become something rather different as more people join with different agenda's, trauma's and politics.

    Colonialism takes land without the consent of the people there, so this isn't colonialist. Also, we certainly won't be taking land that's very important to several religions, that's in one of the most nationalist and fundamentalist regions of the world, and that's going to cause conflict in general.

    How would this new society defend itself? Would we all have to learn to fight and be a militia, or would we have some sort of standing military?

    There would have to be some kind of militia or military. Conscription would likely not be used because I don't imagine many autistic people would want to forcibly serve in a military.

    What about any NT partners, children, friends and other relatives? Would they be welcome?

    As long as they are comfortable living in an autistic society, of course.

  • That's basically what I would envision the nation to be like. Of course families wouldn't have to necessarily be split up but allistics would have to be comfortable living in a society designed for autistic people.

  • Same but NTs will never leave us alone unless we defend ourselves.

  • Oh dear, you see theres a conflict already, I'd be the one cooking "smelly food", lots of spices and curries. I have to shut my windows in hot weather too because the smell of BBQ's makes me feel sick.

  • I’d rather have the choice to live in a quiet area, with no kids allowed. Then all of the noisy people can go live in a noisy area and leave me the hell alone. 

  • Interesting idea, but I don't see how it would work. Many autistic people live with ans/or are cared for by allistic people - if you only allow autistic people into this new state, you will be splitting up family units and most autistic people who have established relationships with carers would not want that to change, even if other autistic people in the state were able to take over caring for them.

    Perhaps an autism friendly village or town might work? One that allows autistic people and their families.to live there as long as they abide by certain rules? From my point of view, it would be great to live in a place where I knew the neighbours were not going to play loud music or cook smelly foods that force me to have to shut my windows in hot weather, the shops didn't play music or have tannoys, and there were no alarms.or sirens anywhere  (perhaps just flashing lights on emergency vehicles, and any alarm systems in premises had to be silent & linked to the local police station /private security firm) There could be clubs with those silent discos, where everyone wears headphones.

  • I think it would be no different to any other society, people will form groups, there will be dominant people and those who aren't that bothered. Some people will think that making others do group things will be good for them whilst others just want to be left in peace. Some pople are competitive and others aren't, some are artistic and others aren't. Food could be a big issue with some wanting a beige diet and others wanting colour and spice.

    How will this proposed state fund itself?

    Who will decide the rules?

    WIll everybody be equal?

    Who would police it?

    Are there enough autistic people to keep the nuts and bolts of this society running, medical doctors, engineers, builders, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, midwives, psychotherapists, dentists etc?

    Where is this uninhabited land?

    How big would it need to be?

    How would it's natural resourses be managed? If it had any to begin with of course.

    'Taking land with the consent of the people living there', sounds a bit like a colonial takeover to me or a situation like the formation of Israel, peaceful to start with and then at war with it's neighbours. I'm not about to get into the rights and wrong of Israel, but I think its a good example of how a planned utopia can quickly become something rather different as more people join with different agenda's, trauma's and politics.

    How would this new society defend itself? Would we all have to learn to fight and be a militia, or would we have some sort of standing military?

    What about any NT partners, children, friends and other relatives? Would they be welcome?

  • Given that there's a group of autistic people who viciously hate me, I think being amongst them is the last thing I need. Smiley

  • I don’t think a State of Autopia would work, we are all  too different, the spectrum is massive and individuals needs are too varied.

  • I've only been on this board a few months or so, but I have witnessed some major fall outs.

    I really don't think this would work. And if it did, I probably wouldn't want to live there. To copy that famously racist phrase, "Some of my best friends are allistic" Joy

  • State of mind, perhaps? Maybe to be called 'bewilxhausted', a combination of bewildered and exhausted.

  • A large number of Autistic people can't work due to incapacity.

    It would thus be ideal to help these people.

    Where would the taxes come from to support all those people? You'd have a small number of workers paying tax to support a much larger group of people.  That would create conflict.

    Maybe in an NT society, but I'd imagine in an autistic society it would be different. We won't know until we try, though.

    My ideal world is like the movie 28 days Later. I would want to wander free and unimpeded by any other human being. My soul finally free and unburdened by having to deal with others.

    I want that too, but NTs will always want us to be a part of their society unless we defend ourselves.

    Edit: I accidentally replied to the wrong person and can't delete my reply :agony:

  • I don't think it would be the utopia you imagine, due to the variation in the autistic population.

    It certainly wouldn't be a utopia, I just think it would be more ideal than the current situation. Of course, it would be a difficult task, but I think it would be worthwhile if the movement was strong enough.

    I don't think exclusion, voluntary or selective, is ever a good thing.

    The state would likely be in uninhabited territory, either that or it would be in a territory where the people who live there remain there and consent to being in an autistic society - for example, I have seen the Pitcairn Islands as a proposed location for the nation. I do believe that some level of self-exclusion if it betters our lives is a good thing.

    A community flourishes when it accepts the diversity and variety of skills and people and thoughts and creativity of everyone.

    I would imagine an autistic community would do that, considering its natural diversity.

    Eugenics hasn't worked well in the past, let's learn from that.

    Eugenics is directly contrary to our movement. Eugenics wants to eliminate us out of a false sense of superiority, we want to not be eliminated and live as our natural selves rather than being forced to conform to a society that hasn't accepted us in the past and isn't in the present.

  • I guess I do have my own state (of mind), I can escape there whenever I want.

    State, as in physical location? I don't think it would be the utopia you imagine, due to the variation in the autistic population.

    I don't think exclusion, voluntary or selective, is ever a good thing. A community flourishes when it accepts the diversity and variety of skills and people and thoughts and creativity of everyone. Eugenics hasn't worked well in the past, let's learn from that.

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