Thursday, November 15, 2007

Why secession makes sense

Kirkpatrick Sale, of the Middlebury Institute, has just published one of the most persuasive papers in support of secessionism that I have read to date. "The Logic of Secession: Three Tines to a Trident" makes, as the title suggests, three major points:

1. There is really no workable alternative that will replace a corrupt system with one accountable to the people. We could look for a better candidate for President or Congress, but the best people have proven incapable of raising the money. Why? Because they were good enough not to be corrupted by the money machine. We could try a reformist lobby, but again, many environmentalist and liberal groups (and conservatives, for that matter) have tried to influence Congress in this fashion, and, again, it hasn't worked. Finally, we could have tried a third party, but -- as effective as Ross Perot and Ralph Nader seemed at the time -- it is obvious that the system is stacked against them. This, by the way, is why Ron Paul's candidacy will fail. Revolution might be an answer, but who could stand up to the full array of military might that Washington now commands? So, finally, there is secession, a peaceful alternative that matches our American ethos and can be supported morally and diplomatically.

2. Secondly, the secession movement is rapidly growing. Mr. Sale's article will give you the statistics, and they are impressive!

3. Finally, it should be clear by now that peak oil, climate change, and a collapsing dollar will culminate in events that will force us to buy our products and live our lives locally -- conditions that favor separation into multiple nations.

I encourage you to read the entire piece, and to record your comments on it here.

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