What if...

[Meeker]

The union must be preserved!

[Lunar]

The people who are most apathetically nationalist are ironically liberals.

[2952-0-0]

No.


Build a Berlin-like wall around the state and require tough Visa requirements for anyone wanting to cross the border. A 500% tariff is imposed on any Texas imports, and the US Navy is sent to confront any cargo ship delivering goods to and from the ports. Find a way to coerce Mexico to cooperate. Perhaps work out an agreement to make Austin like West Berlin.

They're still free to secede, right?

[tik 🪀✨]

Fight to gain back America's greatest dingleberry? Of course not. Let them go!

[dead0man]

It would depend.  Oddly (or not), I'd support whatever decision the current CINC made on the subject....whether it be an Obama, or a W making the call.

[Lief 🗽]

Well, as long as we don't bomb Austin, I suppose.

[justfollowingtheelections]

No.  If they want to secede let them secede.  I don't think most Texans want to though.  It's probably only Perry and his teabaggin' pals. 

[bgwah]

I voted no. Though I suppose it may be necessary to free Austin and SE Texas.

[The Mikado]

Secede?   Who gave you the crazy idea that that is an even faintly mainstream movement?  A couple of nuts do not equal enough pressure to get supermajorities in the Texas Legislature, even (especially?) if those couple of nuts include the governor.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Secession is illegal, so yes.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Yes.

Gov Perry is embarrassing me.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

This kind of talk is very dangerous.  It could quickly spread to other states.

I never thought I would be voting for KBH, but it looks like I might.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Ok, some unique perspective here...


I am from Connecticut. I work in the Texas legislature for one of the most conservative members.


This is the thing. Texas in one of those states with unique patriotism, not saying if it's good or bad, but both conservatives and liberals alike seem to reserve a special place for the Texan part of their heritage (something I have little of being a Connectican Connecticutite being from Connecticut. The main feeling many people have who utter the word secession are either:

1. Insane Libertarians who care nothing for this place called reality.

2. People who realize Texas is uniquely positioned to be much better off separate from the US.


Before you go off the wall with ideas of blockade, blah blah blah, just remember any new Republic of Texas would have a corporate tax much less than the US. In a poor economic climate, the Texas economy (already still in great condition with a government easily in the black financially) would instantly be very robust.

I OF COURSE don't condone any idea of the sort, but there is the feeling down here of confusion. As the news comes in from all over the country of the horrible shape the economy is in, how miserable people are, people in Texas, from Mexican immigrants to the rich say "misery? where?" And people ask themselves why they should be included in government expansion and tax rises that we (Texans) don't need.


Any of that make sense? I'd really like to discuss this without crazy talk from either perspective.

[Dan the Roman]

It would depend on how it was done. If it went through the legislature with two-thirds majorities and was put to a popular referendum I would be inclined to tolerate it.

If on the other hand the sort of shenanigans went on that went on in 1861 in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where things were pushed through without quorums, and put to referendums so questionable that Louisiana did not bother even releasing the "results" until 1980, well then I believe that the people of Texas need to have their constitutional rights protected from a group of authoritarian fascists. Really, the Constitution guarantees each state a Republican form of government, and that would be my major concern, especially once the ruling crazies realized they lacked majority support.

There is also an argument that refusing to go easy on people makes them less likely to vote for secession. Canada, by threatening to veto the admission of an independent Quebec to NAFTA crimped the sails of the independence movement. If the US threatened to put tariff's on Texas goods, and made it clear that it would not let them into NAFTA or the UN it would cause doubt, not least because it would force pro-independence Texans to line themselves up with people like Hugo Chavez.

[Lunar]

part of their heritage (something I have little of being a Connectican Connecticutite being from Connecticut.

Connecticutian

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Ok, some unique perspective here...


I am from Connecticut. I work in the Texas legislature for one of the most conservative members.


This is the thing. Texas in one of those states with unique patriotism, not saying if it's good or bad, but both conservatives and liberals alike seem to reserve a special place for the Texan part of their heritage (something I have little of being a Connectican Connecticutite being from Connecticut. The main feeling many people have who utter the word secession are either:

1. Insane Libertarians who care nothing for this place called reality.

2. People who realize Texas is uniquely positioned to be much better off separate from the US.


Before you go off the wall with ideas of blockade, blah blah blah, just remember any new Republic of Texas would have a corporate tax much less than the US. In a poor economic climate, the Texas economy (already still in great condition with a government easily in the black financially) would instantly be very robust.

I OF COURSE don't condone any idea of the sort, but there is the feeling down here of confusionAs the news comes in from all over the country of the horrible shape the economy is in, how miserable people are, people in Texas, from Mexican immigrants to the rich say "misery? where?".  And people ask themselves why they should be included in government expansion and tax rises that we (Texans) don't need.


Any of that make sense? I'd really like to discuss this without crazy talk from either perspective.

dude, there is no confusion in Texas.  We've been through our own minidepression back in 1986, and no one I have spoken to this afternoon is in favor of secession.  They are just as shocked at Perry's comments as I am.  We are Americans before we are Texans.  And I should know, I am a native Texan.

Perry just lost my vote.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Ok, some unique perspective here...


I am from Connecticut. I work in the Texas legislature for one of the most conservative members.


This is the thing. Texas in one of those states with unique patriotism, not saying if it's good or bad, but both conservatives and liberals alike seem to reserve a special place for the Texan part of their heritage (something I have little of being a Connectican Connecticutite being from Connecticut. The main feeling many people have who utter the word secession are either:

1. Insane Libertarians who care nothing for this place called reality.

2. People who realize Texas is uniquely positioned to be much better off separate from the US.


Before you go off the wall with ideas of blockade, blah blah blah, just remember any new Republic of Texas would have a corporate tax much less than the US. In a poor economic climate, the Texas economy (already still in great condition with a government easily in the black financially) would instantly be very robust.

I OF COURSE don't condone any idea of the sort, but there is the feeling down here of confusionAs the news comes in from all over the country of the horrible shape the economy is in, how miserable people are, people in Texas, from Mexican immigrants to the rich say "misery? where?".  And people ask themselves why they should be included in government expansion and tax rises that we (Texans) don't need.


Any of that make sense? I'd really like to discuss this without crazy talk from either perspective.

dude, there is no confusion in Texas.  We've been through our own minidepression back in 1986, and no one I have spoken to this afternoon is in favor of secession.  They are just as shocked at Perry's comments as I am.  We are Americans before we are Texans.  And I should know, I am a native Texan.

Perry just lost my vote.

You didn't talk to a lot of people today.


If Perry lost your vote, I'm sorry to inform you right now your other two Republican choices are a pro-choicer and an open secessionist. Perry is whipping up far right support to try and cut KBH off at the knees, but the FEELING of "why does Texas have to put up with this?" is very real (again, valid or nuts does not matter) and if you haven't discovered that yet then you're far astray from the pulse of many people.

[Eraserhead]

Tough call. Too bad there is a 0% chance of it ever happening. It would make for an interesting news cycle.

[Eraserhead]

This kind of talk is very dangerous.  It could quickly spread to other states.

I never thought I would be voting for KBH, but it looks like I might.

Uhh... wow. Good for you, jmfcst.

[nclib]

No, unless it were necessary to protect the citizens of Texas.

[Earth]

I have no objection to secession.

[justfollowingtheelections]

It would depend on how it was done. If it went through the legislature with two-thirds majorities and was put to a popular referendum I would be inclined to tolerate it.

If on the other hand the short of shenanigans went on that went on in 1861 in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where things were pushed through without quorums, and put to referendums so questionable that Louisiana did not bother even releasing the "results" until 1980, well then I believe that the people of Texas need to have their constitutional rights protected from a group of authoritarian fascists. Really, the Constitution guarantees each state a Republican form of government, and that would be my major concern, especially once the ruling crazies realized they lacked majority support.

There is also an argument that refusing to go easy on people makes them less likely to vote for secession. Canada, by threatening to veto the admission of an independent Quebec to NAFTA crimped the sails of the independence movement. If the US threatened to put tariff's on Texas goods, and made it clear that it would not let them into NAFTA or the UN it would cause doubt, not least because it would force pro-independence Texans to line themselves up with people like Hugo Chavez.

I agree.  If they really want to secede let them have a referendum.  There's no reason to go to war.  I don't believe they do though.

[A18]

Texas will not come anywhere close to seceding. Which is a shame; the union must be destroyed.

[Meeker]

To clarify: I have no doubt that this will never occur. I was just throwing it out there as a hypothetical.

[Ban my account ffs!]

My message to Mr. Perry:

The only thing oppressive in Texas is the heat and your ego.