Posted on 03/10/2009 12:48:31 PM PDT by Winged Hussar
Could Obama's carbon emission policies re-create the economic conditions that led to Southern secession?
Who Pays for Cap and Trade? (Wall Street Journal, 3/9/09, A18) describes how Barack Obama's proposed carbon taxes and cap-and-trade mandates will affect different regions of the United States. The table shows per capita carbon emissions in tons. Highest are Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska, West Virginia, Montana, Louisiana, Indiana, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Iowa. All are either Red States or conservative Blue States. Lowest are NJ, FL, WA, OR, MA, CT, VT, CA, NY, and RI. All except Florida are reliable Blue States with high populations of latte-sipping liberals who would not touch a machine in a factory (or even set foot in a factory) if they can possibly avoid it. It comes as no surprise that these states probably support carbon taxes, or cap-and-trade, because it would effectively transfer wealth from the industrialized South and Midwest, and from coal-producing states like PA and WV, to New England and CA.
The forcible transfer of wealth from one region of our country to another has happened twice in the past, and each time it led to secession and civil war. Most likely today is the peaceful demotion of the fifty states' "marriage" into a "civil union," perhaps a North American Commonwealth similar to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth or Austro-Hungarian Empire. This is not something we advocate or desire, any more than we want cigarette smokers to get lung cancer. Cigarettes cause cancer despite our wishes to the contrary, and Obama's reckless and irresponsible energy policies might easily wreck the United States despite our wishes to the contrary. Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it, so we remind our readers of the interaction between the basic laws of economics and the driving forces of history.
(Excerpt) Read more at israpundit.com ...
If the government confiscates the Little Red Hen's bread to feed the animals who contributed nothing to its production, she can always make less bread the next time (to avoid steeply progressive taxation rates) or, as some people are now putting it, "go John Galt" (i.e. work fewer hours to stay in lower tax brackets). When all the Little Red Hens who make the bread live in one part of the country while all the pigs who want to eat the bread live in another, though, unpleasant economic and geopolitical driving forces come into play. This was the predominant driving force for both the War of Independence and Southern secession. In each case, one geographical part of the country (Britain and the North respectively) sought to enrich itself at the expense of another part of the country (colonies and South respectively). Perhaps Barry and his cohorts missed this when they studied American history, if they studied it at all.
For yet a third example of how dysfunctional national policies can be divisive in a nation with regional economic differences, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Convention
Wouldn’t it be interesting is all States brought about secession and left Washington DC on its own. How about a new Capital, like Texas?
I hope Florida gets out.
I sure as h—l hope so.
1857 all over again?
Yes. The sooner the better.
I am all for it.
Let California go back to Mexico.
The Texas capital is higher than the Capitol in DC. It’s a good start
Good! Then we could refer to it as “King of the Hill”
More like Idi Mugabe Papa Doc Jim Jones Dada.
I don’t think sooner would be better, because said economic conditions would destroy millions of jobs and wreck the country’s economy. What I hope is that enough Democratic members of Congress, e.g. from PA, WV, and other coal-producing and energy-using states, have enough sense to keep the loose cannon they helped elect from causing an economic catastrophe, let alone the actual disintegration of the country.
The Yankees didn’t have Carrier Battle Groups, mechanized infantry, armored divisions and attack helicopters in 1861. Individual troopers were no better armed than private citizens. In fact, private citizens could buy better stuff than what was issued to the regular troops.
Given this, any armed attempt a secession is going to be short and very messy. Much as I despise what the Federales have become, I’d prefer we didn’t test the loyalties of our nation’s mililtary.
If it happens, I’m going south!
LOL!
In fact, the Union army at Bull Run were mostly raw recruits.
But they sure could run.
great article :^)
Not unless he's planning on bringing back chattel slavery.
Too many northern liberals have already moved down south. Unfortunately.
Too many northern liberals have already moved down south. Unfortunately.
Congratulations - you are the first to mention slavery on this thread.
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