Poll: Texas Secession

[drumguy8800]

Argue your stance.

[St-T]

This is retarded.

[Mballar]

I'm sure Mexican Presidente Vicente Fox would love nothing better.

[Tnekster]

Never happen

[RobertB]

Realistically, it's a silly concept. But romantically, it's a terribly appealing concept. Strike out on your own, be your own person, live and die free. Politically, the world would be better off if a certain Texan didn't have the US citizenship required for his current job, but that's neither here nor there.

In any case, we should probably start our research at this link:

http://www.republic-of-texas.net/

I've been meaning to take a road trip to Overton, the "Seat of Government" of the Republic of Texas. It's just a bit past Tyler (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=from%3A%20dallas%2C%20tx%20to%3A%20overton% 2C%20tx&spn=1.609375%2C2.313504&hl=en). Maybe this weekend... I really need to take the new Beetle out for a spin.

[texman]

I bet its possible for us survive on our own. Though it would never happen, Our economy(Texas) can certainly support itself. I'm waiting for Calfornia to seceed.

[X Factor]

If Kinky Friedman wins the state election some weird things might happen, then the US Government would come in and crush us, cause it is illegal to pose a credible threat to the union.

[msutton]

yeah, no way in hell. first i dont think you could get a majority of the state to vote for it, and even if you could, the american military would put us under martial law for a few weeks and all talk of 'secession' would be forever silenced, except for some weirdos or massochists...

[sterling]

For a change, I agree with all of the above. A romantic thought, a practical impossibility.

[gc]

^ My argument = seriously[B]

[drycreek]

Agreed. Romantic, yes. Practically possible, no. I wouldn't be for it. It's kind of fun to think about. But I love America and proud to be an American and I believe this would be impossible my fellow Texans. But if there was a hypothetical war between the US and Texas. Texas all the way! Remember the Alamo bitches! ha ha jk

[warlock55]

yeah, no way in hell. first i dont think you could get a majority of the state to vote for it, and even if you could, the american military would put us under martial law for a few weeks and all talk of 'secession' would be forever silenced, except for some weirdos or massochists...

What does this say about us considering that it already happened once before? ;)

[RobertB]

What does this say about us considering that it already happened once before? ;)
Well, the folks who did it last time were led by an unexpected group of land speculators and men on the run from the law (or their spouses). They found themselves in the wrong place at the right time, and fate turned a bunch of scalawags into heroes and legends. If there's anything that prevents Texas from taking a permanent vacation from its 49 siblings, it's the fact that such a confluence of events and personalities is unlikely to happen again... at least not in the same place.

I think science fiction writer Robert Heinlein presented a more likely possiblity when he wrote The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon_Is_a_Harsh_Mistress), in which lunar colonists (largely prisoners sent from Earth a la Australia) gain their independence through a mix of guts, determination, big rocks, and a smart computer. In other words, the Moon will be independent before Texas. :cool:

"I note one proposal to make this Congress a two-house body. Excellent? the more impediments to legislation the better. But, instead of following tradition, I suggest one house of legislators, another whose single duty is to repeal laws. Let the legislators pass laws only with a two-thirds majority... while the repealers are able to cancel any law through a mere one-third minority. Preposterous? Think about it. If a bill is so poor that it cannot command two-thirds of your consents, is it not likely that it would make a poor law? And if a law is disliked by as many as one-third is it not likely that you would be better off without it?"
- Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

[utgf]

But romantically, it's a terribly appealing concept.

Not for me. I love being part of the USA and love having NY, SF, Seattle, Chicago, Sedona, Santa Fe, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Monument Valley and on and on, part of the same fold.

[RobertB]

Not for me. I love being part of the USA and love having NY, SF, Seattle, Chicago, Sedona, Santa Fe, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Monument Valley and on and on, part of the same fold.
Merle Haggard, I think, sang about this especially handy feature of living in the United States:
"Well I come from down in Tennessee, but the people in California are nice to me, America"
(I can't find a link to the lyrics on Google, for some reason)

A frequent complaint on Slashdot.org, by non-USians, is that we in this country seldom visit other countries, while the Europeans have more experience with other cultures. The response, though, is that you can drive over 3,000 miles and never even leave US Highway 30 (http://www.usends.com/mapguy/MapPgs/mapx30.htm), much less the country. I don't think you can go 3,000 miles across any European country without bouncing off the borders like a ping-pong ball.

[texman]

A frequent complaint on Slashdot.org, by non-USians, is that we in this country seldom visit other countries, while the Europeans have more experience with other cultures. The response, though, is that you can drive over 3,000 miles and never even leave US Highway 30 (http://www.usends.com/mapguy/MapPgs/mapx30.htm), much less the country. I don't think you can go 3,000 miles across any European country without bouncing off the borders like a ping-pong ball.
That is a problem. I always ask my parents why don't we go on vacation to Canada or Europe or something and their response is alway along the lines of 'Theres so much to see here, why would we leave?'

[F4shionablecHa0s]

Hrm. I wonder if we did actually declare independence whether Bush's love for Texas or his love for making things go boom boom would win out?

[rjlevins]

There is a plausability in the idea, but I do think that there is a fatal flaw in the Republic of Texas.net people is their want to establish an army. If Texas were to declare independence, it'd have to declare neutrality so that other nations of the world would recognize and support us.

Will there be a break in the union? I do believe at one point in time, the US will have a president, not unlinke Bush, and will lead the nation into a brutal war that is widely contested, even worse than Iraq...one that affects American daily life. At that point, the nation will split...not like civil war split, but the split will be apparent and the US will not be able to regain relations. Unfortunately, given Texan history...we probably would be on the war side.

[texman]

I don't know how, but I always thought California will break off from the US sooner or later. I mean, they have the worlds 6th largest economy.