Posted on 02/07/2009 5:48:27 AM PST by BobL
At this point it’s clear that any pretense of fiscal responsibility by our government is over. Not only is spending and debt going through the roof, the long-term goals of this administration (i.e., global warming, locking up land from development, arms reduction/elimination, etc.) almost assure us that we will be Third-World within a decade, and the rest of the world will simply bypass us as our major goals will seeking food and clean water, and hoping that China, Russia, Mexico, and other countries don’t choose to exact revenge on us.
So, that brings us to the S-word, especially here in Texas. I won’t spell out the S-word, since that would probably bring in the soon-to-be formed Internet Goon Squad, so we’ll work around it. But I do think that a serious discussion of the S-word will begin to leave these web pages and move more mainstream, probably within a year , as the effects of the debt start to really to strangle people. After all, the main reason to hold together is that a larger country is generally able to project more power on the world stage and look after common interests. Since we seem to be walking away from having any military power, don’t seem to have any common interests anymore (i.e., red state, blue state divide), and are putting in place measures to assure that we never recover (i.e., Global Warming, National Health Care), the main drawbacks of breaking apart start to go away, and the benefits of breaking apart start to make more and more sense.
So, how would we here in Texas structure things without the “help” of Washington, DC? Note, I’ve already been promised by two people that Oklahoma will join us. I also think that we have a good shot at Arkansas and Louisiana, and if we get them, then Mississippi and Alabama, and, maybe, finally, North Florida would fall into place. In other words, we’d be pretty a big country, able to take care of ourselves.
My first thoughts are cultural…but then much more:
1) We could seal off our southern border, once and for all.
2) We can real employee verification for legal status.
3) English as the Official Language
4) Real welfare reform (or elimination…go to a church if you need help)
5) We could by trucks, light bulbs, toilets that flush, washing machines that clean, and SUVs again (yes, they will still be built for China).
6) We could buy those vehicles without air bags and with a much less costly (but still very effective) emission control system.
7) We could build and expand refineries, and burn coal…as much as necessary
8) We could finally reform public schools, by getting rid of tenure, teachers unions, calculators, and most computers. In other words do what has worked in the past (and hopefully have Dr. Sowell as the Education Secretary…if we have one)
9) Children could have a moment of silence without some ACLU guy screaming
10) We could handle abortion as we wish (rather than having 9 dead [or almost dead] judges dictate to us). 11) We could drill off-shore.
12) We could build as many nukes as we need or want, simply by going to France and either having them manage the task or license their (flawless) technology to us. We could then export our excess power (particularly wind power) either north or south.
13) We could eliminate labor unions and become competitive with the rest of the world. Sounds drastic, but their time has passed, and labor will have plenty of means of redress.
14) We could straighten our legal system, both criminal and civil. No more last minute appeals to federal court to stop executions, no more predatory lawsuits.
15) Needless to say, endangered species would be on their own…we are not going to sink our economy or destroy people’s lives to save something that doesn’t deserve to survive in the first place.
16) No more drawn out processes to block economic growth. There will be some processes, like streamlined environmental reviews, but those the permitting process will have to be done in something like a year (at most) – with no room for judicial interference.
17) No more threats from Washington to force seat belts or rebrand social drinkers as drunk drivers, due to a bunch of guilt-ridden loud-mouthed women (and no, I’ve ALWAYS worn my seat belt, long before it was required, and yes, we do need drunk driving laws…but not at 2 beers – and no, I never had a DUI).
18) End (to the extent possible) the intrusion of Big Brother into our society. One way is to pay for roads with the gas tax. If the tax is not high enough, then raise it. But don’t stick someone in a database every time they drive out to get milk. Same for “Smart (electric) Meters”…you’ll be hearing about just what they are capable of soon enough.
19) No more anchor babies.
20) Free market for health care (or at least much less restricted – such as the ability to buy insurance that doesn’t cover substance abuse…for those of us who don’t plan to abuse substances)
These are a few. Essentially, we could go back to where we were just several decades ago. We will still have environmental laws…cars will have to be clean, but not spotless, and definitely not electric. We will be able to raise kids as we wish and say Merry Christmas again. We will be able to tell a women they look good at work and not be sued. Jesse Jackson’s (and soon Eric Holder’s) extortion tactics will not work here. Same to ACORN and the Hispanic revolutionary bunch.
The drawbacks…just about everyone can be countered. I’ll list a few:
1. The benefit of common defense doesn’t help when we don’t have a defense in the first place and have withdrawn as a superpower – due to being broke, if no other reason.
2. The benefit of a large, open, market doesn’t help when the rest of the market is a total basket case, more interested in looking like Zimbabwe and saving the world from Global Warming.
3. The idea of trying to fix the system from within, which would be ideal, is not possible when you have a Supreme Court making law…cannot be done. The Constitution is non-functional.
4. The possibility that Washington will resist…only legitimate drawback.
Finally, how would the rest of the country react? Hard to tell. At first they will not believe we are serious, since it’s been a long time before there was this type of move. Next, there will be a large faction that will be thrilled to have us bible-thumpers (and the Bush’s) out of their country, so that they can finish their work in making their territory some type of “workers’ paradise”. Finally, there will be a segment that will figure out that we will have quite a stranglehold of the remaining territory, given our chemical, oil, and refining capability, and then especially if we hold the mouth of the Mississippi River, and may actually want to fight. Which faction wins…hard to tell, only one way to find out.
As to our share of the debt (which will be about $1.5T by then), easy – we forego our share of the Social Security Trust Fund and take care of our seniors without Washington’s help. It should be about a wash. If they don’t like that idea, then maybe we take the debt, and simply default on it – not a great way to start, but certainly better than trying to pay it down.
So, what do you guys think? I’m not really interested in the feasibility of the idea, but more the mechanics of it and what outcome could be. Since, if the outcome can be made to work, the feasibility will improve as Washington realizes we mean business. And keep in mind, I’m just trying to get ahead of the curve here…this discussion will begin soon, because of our debt, if nothing else.
“Hey, if it happens, I’m coming down there.”
Please do...automatic citizenship for anyone who’s been a FReeper since 2005 (that way I’m covered).
Yea - I do think it will be a lonely world. There will be a very hostile US, but I trust the liberals up there to make sure that they never become a military threat. To the south, it could get ugly...we need to be strong, and may need to project our strength to protect our interests.
Now would be a good time to start thinking about relocating to Texas. I know a lot of us already have.
We’ll be the Israel of North America.
When Texas becomes an independent republic again, maybe I can get one of my cousins to sponsor me so I cam be a legal immigrant to the ‘new’ Republic of Texas.
“Now would be a good time to start thinking about relocating to Texas. I know a lot of us already have.”
Me included. Refugee from California a long time ago. Never regretted it. The two rules for basically free immigration are: (1) Fluency in English; (2) Having been a net payer of US income tax for the past 4 out of 5 years (i.e., paying income tax and then getting twice the amount back because of credits doesn’t count). If you don’t meet (1) or (2) then you have to prove yourself worthy, through a much longer process.
“We’ll be the Israel of North America.”
Maybe...maybe not. We still won’t have the religious hatred aimed against us (unless the old USA goes Muslim). It may not be the end of the world...and we will have the jugular regarding resources (i.e., they’d be lucky to get a fishing pier approved, given the bunch they’d be left with in charge).
“When Texas becomes an independent republic again, maybe I can get one of my cousins to sponsor me so I cam be a legal immigrant to the ‘new’ Republic of Texas.”
See earlier post...if you speak English fluently and actually paid income taxes (i.e., not a welfare case), you’ll be welcome almost without question.
Well people can be brought in, of course (provided they actually pay taxes and speak English). As far as Nebraska, it would be great to have them for the agriculture they bring us (and yes, they can use pesticides again), but they may have to jettison their football team...as a gesture of good will.
I think it would be a good idea to start having conventions/meetings with people from all of those states, and others (like me) who would move to one of those states if necessary. We have seen the enemy and there's no point in waiting to see how much further they can destroy America before we take action.
That's just what I said. lol... I'm sure there will be hundreds of thousands of people who would join us. The feds may not have many people left in "their country." Of course, they won't have the revenue either. ;o)
That first paragraph nicely sums it all up.
With CA now shutting down, TX (and all other states) should begin contingency plans for total federal failure.
States won’t secede from a viable USA. Regions will peel away when Washington is just a toothless impotent joke. Regional independence will just be ratifying the facts on the ground.
“That first paragraph nicely sums it all up.
With CA now shutting down, TX (and all other states) should begin contingency plans for total federal failure.”
Thanks...we all have to watch out for complacency. It is nearly impossible to imagine this country being TOTALLY BROKE (and I mean where the middle class is fighting for food and water), yet it is just as impossible to imagine how this country will get out of this debt mess without a meltdown.
Yesterday, I read an article about Russia, as they try to deal with similar problems. Despite public demands for spending, Putin said that a spending spree (i.e., stimulus) is STUPID to do when you are trying to deflate a debt bubble. He then said that government spending would be chopped, but the military would be the top priority. Want to guess which country pulls out first and which of the two is a world power in a decade?
In my several decades of following politics, I NEVER thought that I would look to Russia for guidance on how to run a country when there are problems...but I guess things have changed.
“States won’t secede from a viable USA. Regions will peel away when Washington is just a toothless impotent joke. Regional independence will just be ratifying the facts on the ground.”
Definitely. If the USA were viable, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But given the shackles that Obama is about this put this country in, and the debt that we are being loaded up with, that toothless impotent joke status is (to me) just around the corner.
The straw that broke the Soviet Union’s back was the inability to pay employees. California is now starting to do the same.
Yep...
What about Arizona?
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