It's much different that that, as Alabama isn't a recently acquired former colony of an old empire, that have been enjoying an autonamous status due to that.

The biggest different in metaphor is: -> state/city want something vs -> State/city doesn't want something removed.

The origin of the manifest is due to HK losing some of its autonomy, it was a condition unique to it, it's not someone wanting to be special, it's someone special not wanting to be normal. There is a very huge difference in mental state.