Succession, a Time Past…
… Or how to do it without really trying.
One troubling sign of our deteriorating civic mood is the shocking breadth of support for secession in the United States. At a time of widespread polarization—where people are arguing over a supposedly stolen election, vaccine mandates, mask-wearing, and the reality of climate change—a September 2020 Hofstra University poll found that “nearly 40 percent of likely voters would support state secession if their candidate loses.” This was followed by a YouGov and Bright Line Watch survey last June that revealed that 37% of Americans supported a “willingness to secede” when asked: “Would you support or oppose [your state] seceding from the United States to join a new union with [list of states in new union]?” Support for doing this was highest in the South and among Republicans.
Splitting up the union has increased in acceptance over the years. No denying that. But it is doomed to failure. Could it be pulled off? Sure. Much of the Grand Sorting has already been accomplished. Small business owners have left CA in droves. Major companies have re-quartered to places like Texas and Tennessee. NY financial institutions have relocated operations to Florida. It is still ongoing and not a shot has been fired yet. Fact the CoVid epidemic has accelerated this trend. Companies have discovered that much of their G&A operations can be successfully executed by teleworking. They are saving money as a result. So that is the plus side that suggests that Succession is likely.
There is also the situation that nobody is happy, conservative or liberal. Liberals want compliance for the ‘good of the community’ which usually means the politicians. Conservatives say they just want to be left alone. You do what you do but leave me out of it. Problem with that strategy is that conservatives lose as a consequence even though that might in fact be the more harmonious result for everyone. As a result that is why Succession looks to be ‘The Solution’. But there is are a series of problems that faces that choice:
- The US infrastructure is national. Its that way because of economies of scale. Consider, how long would California survive if Nevada and Arizona decided to cut off the water supply that feeds LA? How well would Michigan and Ohio do if New York closed the Welland locks on the St. Laurence seaway? Or Texas fare if Louisiana decided to shutdown the Colonial Pipeline?
- Defense is national. Which States get to own the ICBM installations. Or the SAC command bases? The Dakotas become instant nuclear powers?
- US economics are national. Two of the largest truck plants by Ford and GM are in Texas. A truck is the State vehicle of Texas but Texas alone could not absorb the entire production of those facilities. That output is sold throughout the mid-South and Southwest regions. Corn is raised in the Midwest region yet sold nationally either in raw form or byproducts.
Then there is the largest reason of all; the consequences of failure. Assume a peaceful split. One can reasonably assume States like California and New York will jerk further leftward in their politics. As history has proven time and again, socialist economics are a long term failure. It can be inferred that at some point a leftist State in economic decline will cast about in envy at a Red State neighbor and blame the failure on them, not the leftist policies. Border skirmishes will ensue till at some point it is Blue vs Red.
Some will ask, “Can we be that stupid?” Well the answer is right before your eyes, now in real time. Just look at the politics surrounding the CoVid pandemic. Officials are vested in the outcome. People are driving in their own cars with masks on. NY is on the road to interment camps. Sad to say, yes we can be that stupid. Its not a lack of intelligence but a matter of its easier to comply for many people than think for themselves. A generation taught to think a certain way after succession will fall happily in line that The Other is the problem not the current solutions. To think otherwise requires bravery.
The end game is one side or the other must win. Not just in pockets or a number of States but the entire country. The conflict will only end when the last blue city stronghold or Red State has been seized. And it won’t be over even then. Reeducation will be instituted to stamp out the vestiges of what ever thoughts the victor considered intolerable. Fun times indeed.
So is there a way out of this trap? I suggest there is. The first thing to recognize is that at the Founding the individual States were at odds with each over then just as now. Probably more so in some respects. To overcome that divisive attitude the Union then was constructed as a coalition of sovereign States. Any other scheme was a non-starter. Over time the whole concept has been mucked up to the point that Washington holds all the cards and the States are left being dealers of the Federal dole.
The way out is to deFederalize. Essentially shrink the Federal government. There are concrete steps that would need to be executed to get there:
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Abolish Roe v Wade. Its up for grabs right now with a decision to be handed down soon. Its only critical for one aspect – it shows that deFederalizing is possible. It will not eliminate abortion, it will devolve back to the respective States as to their options in the matter. As a society we have come to accept that all ideas originate in Washington. That a successful alternative is possible will show a path forward.
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Eliminate the Dept of Education. The individual States and Counties are still the critical infrastructure in the education game. Eliminating DoEd would have little if any impact to the overall scheme of things. It reverts back to its norm of 1975. This is critical to indicate that cabinet potions can be eliminated as well. It also frees the States to consider mixes of alternatives for the delivery of educational opportunities. It would hopefully get the Feds out of the funding game in higher education.
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A successful challenge and overturning of the Wickard decision. A reverse here would in nearly a single stroke wipe out much of the administrative state in various economic affairs. Wickard decision held to the belief that even if a product never crossed State lines, the fact that it is a fungible product it meant it was justifiably regulated as interstate commerce. That is the fiction that the administrative state in this country is built.
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Eliminate the 16th Amendment. A rather large step that probably would not be executed till long after many other deFederalizing steps have proven successful. It is provided last as it will require an amendment to revoke it. That requires a change in mindset to achieve the reversal. But it is an essential one. Having the Senate return to its natural role as the defender of the States is the proper course.
Accomplish those four as a beginning. It might take twenty years and another generation to see it through. After that other measures could be taken. Eliminate the Fed. Do that and I could be persuaded to use a bitcoin backed with gold. Get rid of several other cabinet positions. (FDR only had 10 at the height of WWII and one has been privatized since.)
In the end States like California and New York can get as socialist as they want barring a few exceptions. Other States would have the leisure to tell such States to go pound sand. The influence balance between the States is achieved via the census/electoral college. The irony is that balance will be achieved anyway based on the populations leaving some States at the current time.
So the choice is a war to exhaustion or cooler heads backing off and accepting changes. I desire the latter but am preparing for the former.
![](http://www.parentalrights.org/vertical/Sites/%7BC49108C5-0630-467E-9B9B-B1FA31A72320%7D/uploads/%7B3EA8D754-D841-4FF4-882C-32895D89991D%7D.PNG")
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drdog – like your idea BUT there is one major problem.
You can not live with those people. They wont let you. They wont let you go, as they need the producers, since they produce very little outside of hot air. Add in parts of Commiefornia, New York and Illinois (rural parts of blue states) don’t want any part of them and don’t want to be behind the wire (Iron Curtain) as it goes up.
The only real solution is the Final Solution. One side has to go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yid-CW-O9Qw
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GN,
Probably true. I just wanted to point out that there is another path if we are wise enough to accept it, on both sides.
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Haven’t watched it yet…I will in a few minutes.
https://townhall.com/columnists/chrissalcedo/2021/12/27/welcome-to-the-woketrix-and-the-war-to-destroy-everything-you-love-n2601083
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We CAN shut this place down, again — http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=62764 — MTA can’t run without pure bloods on the job.
That admission puts one in the position to wonder, are pure bloods that ‘few’ or are we the majority of Americans? And now previously fired nurses are being hired back — https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1475189121102405632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1475189121102405632%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.informationliberation.com%2F%3Fid%3D62764
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Great post Dr. I hope for a peaceful solution but I have my doubts. Those that want to control every aspect of our life will never go away. Part of my decision to move from So Cal to TX was the freedoom ans seccsion mind set. No regrets.
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Agree that there is evidence tho not certainty that the vaxxed category is over counted.
Plus, plenty got the first round but are digging in heels over The Boost.
There’s a fellow (physics guy) in the comments at TheNewNeo.com who follows Covid stats for a bunch of states and posts highlights. Glad to see the “serious” and “dead” categories staying low.
“Tuesday Covid update.
As expected yesterday’s data was a bit wonky as the state workers returned from a 4 day holiday. Nationally, the new cases/day blew through any previous high and came in at 395k which is 100% higher than any previous day since February 2020. Huge caveat on this number: National reporting dumped 4 days of cases into one day. For example, nationally it was reported CT had over 14k cases but this is a 4 day total. You may have seen scare reports about Florida at over 125k cases, but that is a 7 day total. As is now the norm for omicron, serious cases refuse to move and still stuck at 0.10%.
State level: notable is Georgia which in less than a week reached 70% of its delta wave, YET deaths continue to go down with 7 day average at 8 compared to 112 at delta peak. Other states similar. BTW over 70% of the cases in Florida come from Dade and Broward counties.”
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Video of the spread and lethality of Omicron — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Su878hS_wg — 40min.
“… at 0.027% lethality rate, FDA ought to approve Omicron for distribution …”
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fight on,
I could be all wrong and we go full on ‘Lord of the Flies’ but I am hoping that eventually enough people say ‘to hell with this’.
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Well Duh — https://michelletandler.substack.com/p/here-is-what-confuses-me-about-san — Paradise on earth was not delivered? Golly Gee Gomer.
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Uh, Oh — https://doctors4covidethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/end-covax.pdf
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It would be hillarious if it wasn’t tragic.
These same Democrat lunatics (redundant) claim parents are unqualified to teach their children…but Ralph Kramden is?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/12/wretched_whitmer_signs_law_allowing_cafeteria_workers_and_school_bus_drivers_to_teach_school_due_to_staffing_shortages.html
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Gee, next thing you know they will be using robots. Oh snap, that is redundant. But it is a plus the guv has indicated anyone is qualified to teach.
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RIP John Madden. If you did not get an opportunity to watch the Madden special on Christmas, Fox is going to replay it tommorrow night. It is excellent, a great tribute.
In other news good riddence to dingy Harry who bit the Nevada dust last night.
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Nurses in Canaduh province, unvaxxed, being called back (Alberta).
Also, one nurse (location not given) called back for the holidays.
https://mobile.twitter.com/eileendove910/status/1474251288338706455
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Tim Pool:
imagine taking medical advice from the people who
believed jussie smollett
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GN #2 –
The problem is the woke who spend their days looking for something – anything – that will trigger them (hence the term microaggressions). Common sense never prevails with then. Even when facts demonstrate that women swimmers cannot compete against a biological male, they insist that emotionally disturbed men must be catered to and become incensed when anyone dares to disagree.
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Internet at this campsite has been spotty at best…so no chance to check BJG or post anything
We’re near San Diego now, and will be going into town tomorrow. SD used to be patriotic…I’ll let ya know.
Happy New Year in advance, in case the internet dies again here.
Cheers all!
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1&5: damn that’s good lol
op: lots of thoughts, short of it comes down to kinda what gnq said…they will not be satisfied with letting people go their own way/separation.
Happy new years back at you JR in advance.
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…AND … It’s gone…. pcr testing that is, and along with it lots of the inflated “case” numbers starting for 2022, how convenient. Should have been ditched in summer of 2020- but you know had to keep the fear porn going till it was no longer see as overwhelmingly to their advantage to do so. Also I’ll bet those offering other types of ‘tests’ are pleased competitors are yanked.
https://www.conservativebusinessjournal.com/2021/12/and-just-like-that-the-cdc-divorces-the-pcr-test/
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The Stupid…IT BURNS!
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/victoria-taft/2021/12/29/washington-state-democrats-want-decreased-penalties-for-drive-by-shooters-because-aw-you-guessed-n1545145
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CNN does not need a paywall — https://www.zerohedge.com/political/cnn-lost-another-38-viewers-2021 — just keep doing what they are doing.
Posting shall be spotty here on out. In Hawaii visiting the daughter. Roughing it in the ‘backwoods’ of Kona.
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Enjoy Kona, drdog. My favorite place to snorkel is there: Kailua-Kona. I can almost fall asleep drifting along snorkeling…which would not be safe, I know. 🙂
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DR my wife and I used to go to Kona village. Sadly it was wiped in a hurricane and never reopened.
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Pretty place. Way laid back compared to Oahu.
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One of the best articles I’ve read in quite a while…and spot on.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/12/platos_cave_20.html
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btw, shouldn’t the title be “secession” not “succession”?