There is a very interesting piece over at the Weekend Edition of the Wall Street Journal this morning titled "Divided We Stand." The author, Paul Starobin, sketches out a possible future for the United States as a loosely knit group of republics with even some geographic boundaries obliterated. For example, "Cascadia," would be a new regional republic carved out of the Pacific Northwest cities of Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, Canada (wait till after the Winter Olympics!). "Calibaja" would turn San Diego into the capital of Northwest Mexico, Baja and a large chunck of Southern California.What is interesting about this is the frighteningly real possibility that this could happen. We have an imperial government in Washington D.C. now that in just six months has:
1. Violated all precepts of contractual law invalidating hundreds of years of case law.
2. Unconstitutionally seized control of a large piece of the manufacturing sector.
3. Unconstitutionally seized a large part of the capital market structure.
4. Ignored qualifying norms (like paying taxes) for high level officials.
5. Delved into private property, entrepreneurial capitalism and all aspects of commerce without right.
6. Mortgaged the futures of our children and their children.
7. Is attempting to seize control of our healthcare system.
8. Ignored the counsel of military leaders on what measures (like missile defense) are necessary to keep us safe.
The list goes on and on...we are drowning in debt we cannot pay and this is just the beginning! I know a lot of my friends are reading "Atlas Shrugged," and begining to feel like Galt. I'm increasingly feeling like a colonist in the 1770's - no taxation without representation! Washington has truly become Leviathan and we all (both political stripes) feel powerless. I love my country and desperately want her to succeed and stay together, but increasingly, I feel we have a tyrannical government and that the only way we will bring those idiots on the Potomac to heel is to consider secession and separation into distinct regions.
In the near term, this could bring some peace to the social wars too. If you want to live in a land where gay marriage, infanticide, socialized medicine and euthanasia rock your boat - move to Novacadia or Calivada. If you want religion to be allowed in the public square, low taxation and personal freedom, Texas, Kentennalageorge or Virgicarol will welcome you. Then, in these smaller, more efficient republics we will see which system really does work better for the long haul. We would have to work out some commercial rules for travel and trade between the republics and we would have to have some form of military sharing for mutual defense, but those are details that could be worked out.
My guess is, the period of republican devolution would last about 50 years. It will take two generations of pure socialism and liberal social anarchy in Novacadia and Calivada for them to come to grips with the fact that it doesn't work. Then maybe we could all get along again. Maybe.
If this sounds like fantasy, perhaps it is. But this time, one year ago, if you had told me that a U.S. hating, mixed-race racist with a resume thinner than a communion wafer would be sitting in the Oval Office I would have told you "no way." I think the election of 2010 will be a real windvane for the direction this country wants to go. If we have reached the point where those who pay the taxes are in the minority to those who receive the benefits therefrom, secession could become quite popular.
Rumble on!
Cross posted at Red State Rumblings.
6 comments:
well, whatever... still the whining. your team didnt win, we (the rest of america) are trying something else... and since you dint like it you want to take your marbles and go home. and of course we would love that, but it will never happen. you really think "a U.S. hating, mixed-race racist with a resume thinner than a communion wafer" is our president? or is it maybe a smart guy, who actually considers things before dong them, and has reached conclusions that you just dont understand? nobody is 'siezing control' of healthcare (unless you believe fox news, of course)... but you keep on complaining! (do you work for healthcare industry? NOBODY thinks they are efficient or reasonable. not even lunatics on the right...)
The best part about it is of course that all the value in america's economy would be in those 'lefty' country-things... silican valley, finance, the remains of industry, the research&development corridor... all in the places where the jesus freaks and gun-toting hillfolk WONT be. so, in the end you get to pray in school, but you have nothing on which to base an economy. good thinking! dont let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!
I am speechless at the quality of liberal thought, grammar and spelling. And yes, I do think this "smart guy" is going to "dong them."
interesting that you focus on typos rather than substance... you dont address healthcare... do you really work for the insurance industry? or maybe big pharma? that would certainly explain a lot... but seriously. healthcare in america is the worst in the developed world. you and your 'american exceptionalism' should really be farther left than i am in support of universal healthcare, if you were intellectually consistent.
i am further correct in stating that those people who innovate are not conservatives. the creators of everything from the printing press to the internet and the LHC are those who ignored all the whiners who said it was impossible, or was against religious dogma, or what have you. want your own country? fine. it already exists. move to afghanistan. they are still living in the 13th century... you will feel right at home.
if the lunatics on the right wing secede, you will have nothing but prayer and the past to base an economy on. and since you apparently dont believe in universal healthcare, when all of the industry you wont have stops insuring anyone... you will all die of preventable diseases! what an excellent thought.
seriously. you replace umbrage and rhetoric for thought, and it gets you... noplace. gallup polls notwithstanding. (guess what gallup says is the only group to grow in every single region of the US over the last 2 decades? ATHEISTS. there's a poll i see you didnt seem to get all excited about...)
Well said! I couldn't have made my case better, thank you.
By the way, "atheism" by definition is not a religion. But I will say a prayer for you at your sad demise knowing that even as you drift off to your perceived oblivion, a loving God may just yet give you one last chance.
HAHAHAHAHA... love it. make sure you include the Flying Spaghetti Monster too, and Odin, Ba'al, Asmodeus, the Sun, and all the other stupid crap people have 'worshipped' over the millenia. While you pray, i'll keep right on reading and learning about the ACTUAL world we live in.
I sometimes forget that your opinions include "magic" as a viable policy option... totally adds perspective when you rave nonsense at people. Healthcare a mess? screw it, because you can always pray... let's see how that works. (Not great thus far... maybe your magic sky-man is just waiting for the Superbowl. you know, to make the appearance more memorable. riiiight....)
HA! That's just adorable. Thx for the reminder that in one form or another, the Dark Ages are still with us ;-)
Want to come over to my place and slaughter a goat as an ofrenda for Chango later? maybe that will get the South to read a book or 2 and stop watching FauxNews...
as an aside, nowhere do i contend that atheism is a religion. "By the way, "atheism" by definition is not a religion." - yet another strawman. you get 'em!
we are growing. everywhere. fear us if you must... but we are the only hope for a sane future, completely bereft of "magic as policy" thinking. I will 'pray' that your brain sheds its archaic conditioning before you die (and rot in the ground. no clouds and feathers. same decaying organic material as everything else. self-delusion is not a basis for government OR for life, old man...)
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