Even if it doesn’t stay free from the clutches of government, we could just build another internet.
The futility of the states petitioning the federal government is astounding. States either secede or they don’t; there is no permission granted. Petitioning someone is to gain enough people to support a movement in hopes of receiving a response, specifically a response of permission. Essentially, what is happening is this:
The states say, “We do not like how you are treating us. Will you let us leave?” Does an abusive husband allow his wife to leave? The point is to simply leave. Did Lincoln allow the Confederate States of America to form? Absolutely not.
And as for the individuals who believe that there would be a mass resistance to martial law, you’re likely mistaken. It’s poetic to think of the Revolutionary War and how the new American citizens fought against the British tyranny, but the number (from what I recall) of people who supported the war was roughly 40%, those who opposed it were 20% and those who were indifferent were 40%. Compared to today…there are a lot of people who are sick of federal tyranny, but given that only about 1/3 of the American population voted, the other people are either taking a stand against voting or they don’t care. I’m willing to bet the vast majority of non-voters simply don’t care. So to have any fruitful resistance to downright tyranny (martial law), there would need to be a significant portion of the population that not only wants to secede but thwart central government altogether. Remember, these major parties are both central government parties: the Republicans by stemming from the Whigs and Federalists, and the Democrats since FDR’s time when he hijacked the party.
Regardless of these statistics, I believe, as I mentioned before, that Milgram’s Experiment proves a lot about people. It shows how willing they are to go with the collective despite what their morality is telling them about a situation. More than anything, that’s the scariest thing of all.
You’re right in that the petitions are futile. As I said earlier, it just gives the media fodder to create a false depiction of the average would-be secessionist. Get one redneck saying something about the Confederacy rising again–Cue Jon Stewart making dumb faces.
The difference between now and the CSA is that the CSA seceded legally. After the Civil War, if I’m not mistaken, Lincoln and his goons forced the states to change their constitutions to do away with any severance clauses. Of course the Fed wouldn’t let states secede. People in this country care way too much about the legality of their actions, so if the states could establish a strong legal grounds to secede it would at least give them more legitimacy.
south carolina attacks fort sumter, yet the usa started it?
if a state wants to leave and negotiate peace, i support that more than leaving and demanding surrender of the usa and attacking the usa if there is no surrender
The states would be wise to delcare eminent domain seizures of these properties as part of any secessionary declaration.
a state cannot claim eminent domain on the territory of another state, only land the is owned by citizens of the state. otherwise we might as well declare eminent domain on china if we can claim land claimed by foreign governments.
No Internet or radio regulation?
Yes, a single attack does not mean the Confederacy started the war. There were many very minor skirmishes between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. That didn’t entail war. A good statesman would say, “Oh, the boys just got a little drunk last and decided to have some fun.” This is ignoring the fact that they were tricked into attacking in the first place. The Confederacy left. They did not try to oveertake the U.S. and its lands and people. The “Union” did that against the Confederacy. They started the war. A single shot or attack doth not a war make.
a single shot does not a make a murder then.
a single attack on your home could be all you get, so i say a single shot starts a war.
so i say a single shot starts a war.
A war of who with whom? How a shot fired by one person commits millions to mindless bloodbath?
the conferate army attacked the union army.
either of them can surrender or negotiate to prevent further blood.
I think it was Clayton that has written eloquently about individual secession as the best path forward.
Ghandi developed the plan of peaceful non-cooperation with the British overlords. But to withdraw, or secede, from the legitimacy of the State means a material loss and/or personal risk that most Americans won’t embrace.
Has Clayton? Hmm, I’ve written a bit about that.
It’s one of the premises of, for instance, counter-economics.
But counter-economics and a replacement currency are only a piece of the equation. You also need a parallel legal system and dispute resolution, and it has to be broadly extensible. Perhaps an online legal system of some sort…
“a single attack on your home … the conferate army attacked the union army.”
Surely there is room in this for extenuating circumstances such as the Union Army occupying a piece of South Carolina.
IF the Union recognized CSA sovereignty then they needed to remove their troops from a sovereign foreign nation. IF the Union refused to recognize CSA sovereignty then they were in effect waging war on a fellow State, which is a clear violation of the general, and voluntary, Constitutional pact that binds all States in mutual defense, and specifically Art 4 Sec 4 “The United States shall … protect each (State) against invasion,” which would include invasion by other States or States United.
My apologies Anenome. Sometimes memory fails me. The compliment is still extended, that it was eloquently written.
I see the idea simplistically in that one must first secede and then he is free to form new voluntary associations. Otherwise it is a kind of infidelity to existing agreements/relations.
Then why didn’t the Cold War heat up to a “hot” war?
negotiations can stop hot war. physical violence is not a required response.
it was war nontheless. south carolina demanded the surrender of the fort before attacking it, so that can be a cold example turning into hot from a lack of negotiations