# If Russia wanted to buy Alaska back from the United States.... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 14, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821 "2015-01-14T16:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/21 "2015-01-15T02:36:04Z")
related trivia = CA has a bigger economy than Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/22 "2015-01-15T02:50:25Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Alaska GDP is about $60 billion and the state has around $52 billion in the Alaska Permanent Fund, making it the 25th largest sovereign fund in the world. I would think around $500 billion would be the rock bottom price, but once it stops being part of the US and becomes part of Russia it will lose a lot of… goodwill, for want of a better word… and the value would drop quite a bit. > > It would probably make more sense to sell it to the Canadians. But the $52B can’t be spent. Or I should say that any mention of using any of the Permanent Fund money for any reason whatsoever spells the end of the utterer’s political career. There could be a plague that could be cured by spending one dollar of the Fund, and nobody would dare touch it. There is an element there who insists that the fund should be liquidated and an equal share given to each Alaskan, which they may as well do, since it will never get used. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/23 "2015-01-15T03:36:43Z")
Yes, but in a sale of Alaska it could be considered an asset, one that may be transferred to Russia. So while it can’t be spent today, with an Alaska that’s part of the US, the Russians may have different ideas. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/24 "2015-01-15T03:41:13Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > But the $52B can’t be spent. Or I should say that any mention of using any of the Permanent Fund money for any reason whatsoever spells the end of the utterer’s political career. There could be a plague that could be cured by spending one dollar of the Fund, and nobody would dare touch it. There is an element there who insists that the fund should be liquidated and an equal share given to each Alaskan, which they may as well do, since it will never get used. The sovereign fund pays dividends into Alaska’s treasury. Think of it as an endowment; it’s there to earn money, not to be spent. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/25 "2015-01-15T03:44:30Z")
No for two reasons. One of my ancestors is buried there from when Russia had it the first time and secondly I was to shoot a griz. And not just any one but a Kodiak griz. With a flintlock. (Seriously. I used to put in for the permit auction all the time and then they changed things and I lost track. But I still want to.) ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/26 "2015-01-15T04:40:37Z")
Even if the 52 billion fund can’t be given to Russia (it doesn’t make sense that it would : when you move into a house, you don’t get the contents of the bank account associated with the owners of that house, do you? Nor would you get the contents of a trust fund dedicated to the upkeep of that house), the fact that it exists shows just how valuable the natural resources remaining in Alaska must be. And that’s just the oil. There’s probably a huge amount of various metals around there somewhere, not to mention all the wildlife and lumber and so on. There are probably trillions and trillions worth. Selling it, ironically, might “fix” certain encumberances on the property that prevent the place being exploited to the maximum extent. None of the national parks there would be valid anymore. If we lived in a world governed by mega-corporations, a sale of the place might very well be a sensible move. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/27 "2015-01-15T05:19:41Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Are you trying to start a war? Fling her over via trebuchet. Her and Vlad will be the next couple on the cover of People Magazine. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/28 "2015-01-15T05:31:03Z")
One thing is geopolitical; selling Alaska to the Russians would substantially decrease the distance from Russian soil to US population centers (by my estimate, there’s less than 900 miles from the southernmost point of Alaska to the northwestern point of the continental US), which could put the US at greater risk of nuclear annihilation. The likelihood of such an attack is obviously miniscule, but the consequences are quite literally apocalyptic and so this can’t be discounted. In the near future we’re at little risk of nuclear war, but selling Alaska would be permanent and therefore its prudent to look to the longterm. This could make selling Alaska a decision at any price; no amount of money could compensate for the threat to our way of life. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/29 "2015-01-15T09:25:59Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I would send them Sarah Palin and call the matter closed. Then could she see the United States (or at least some part of Canada) from her front door step? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/30 "2015-01-15T10:27:00Z")
Alaska GDP is apparently about 40 billions (I found figures between 37 and 45 billions). So, I would say that 1 trillion (25 years of GDP, a return of 4%) would be a starting price. Untapped (hence not part of GDP) oil reserves are estimated between 1 and 10 billions barrels. Let's say 5. At 50/barrel, that’s $ 250 billions. Let’s double that for other mineral reserves Alaska might have. That’s 1.5 trillion. Let’s round this up to 2 trillions for sentimental value, polar bears and such. At this price, you should agree to the deal, IMO. At 15 or 30 trillions, as proposed by the OP, Alaska is ludicrously overpriced. No one will take it. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/31 "2015-01-15T15:37:25Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I would send them Sarah Palin and call the matter closed. Well, OK, but he has to ride her while shirtless into every diplomatic meeting… > [@running\_coach](#): > > Are you trying to start a war? Or maybe something that rhymes with it? …like… store? Those T-shirts would sell… > [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Fling her over via trebuchet. Her and Vlad will be the next couple on the cover of People Magazine. You’re starting them at the top. Try “Hustler” first & see if the issues sell out. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/32 "2015-01-16T03:11:12Z")
I’d say sell Alaska for a couple trillion, with a reasonable 18.5% apr, and if payments ever fall behind repossess Alaska. Russia may not go for it but oil companies would salivate at all the other resources. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/33 "2015-01-16T04:58:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Alaska used to be quite useful and the people quite pleasant. Now it’s just a useless appendage, sucking up tax dollars at an unprecedented rate and infested with political ideologues. I say sell the bitch before it sucks us dry. > > Chefguy, born and raised Alaskan ::turns to the camera and allows a single tear to trickle slowly down his face:: You do realize that you are every bit the political ideologue as any of them, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/34 "2015-01-16T05:38:02Z")
I’d want the terms to specify that the payments could NOT be in rubles. I suspect USD would be best. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821/35 "2015-01-16T19:46:10Z")
Personally, I’m thrilled when I can double my money on an investment - so sell Alaska for $.04 per acre. Maybe a nickle per acre just to make up for any hidden costs. [sub]No, I’m not serious[/sub] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-russia-wanted-to-buy-alaska-back-from-the-united-states/709821.md?page=1)