Western secession is all the rage. How would an independent West fare economically?

An independent Alberta seems unlikely - I suspect our neighbours to the south would quickly intervene to "liberate" an oil rich region at the first possible excuse. At that point, it would end up as a US territory, like the article suggests.

Smith's fuckery seems like poorly considered pandering at the best of times, but with Trump at the head of the US military it's gonna have nasty consequences.