Report on the Third North American Secessionist Convention

The Free State Observer in New Hampshire has provided a detailed account of the proceedings of the Third North American Secessionist Convention, held in Manchester, NH, November 14-15, 2008. The reports from the various secessionist movements were interesting; unfortunately, several appear to be more like micronations or assemblages of the politically clueless (in contrast to the more serious movements, such as the Parti Québécois, League of the South, the Second Vermont Republic and a few others). This fact is becoming a source of frustration for those who can show that secessionism is a viable answer to the problems of liberty, economy, and peace facing North America today. (The Middlebury Institute, which sponsored the convention, has provided YouTube videos of the proceedings).

With this in mind, I am repeating my disclaimer that The Ohio Republic is a blog, not a movement. While I strongly favor the creation of a movement in Ohio, it will come only when enough people are frustrated enough with the existing system to hear the call to action which The Ohio Republic provides. In the meantime, I am prepared to remain the voice in the wilderness for as long as it takes.

Back to the Convention. As with the previous conventions, held in 2006 in Burlington, VT, and in 2007 in Chattanooga, TN, this convention issued a Manchester Declaration, which is reproduced below. (The text of all three declarations may be accessed from the Middlebury Institute's home page).

The Manchester Declaration
Adopted at the Third North American Secessionist Convention, '
November 15, 2008, Manchester, New Hampshire

We, the delegates to the Third North American Secessionist Convention, meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire, do declare the following:

· The recent election in the United States, far from signaling a change in the imperial system or a restructuring of the essential political order, unfortunately perpetuates the two-party system and its old familiar politicians that for decades have promoted the interests of the corporate/financial elite whose willing servants they remain.

· The recent financial flailing and machinations in the U.S., including the trillion-dollar bailout of the institutions that created the economic meltdown in the first place, provide ample and blatant evidence of Wall Street’s control over U.S. politics in the interest of trying to see that the rich get richer and the rest get nowhere.

· Together these two processes, along with a long string of abuses and usurpations over the past decades, unmistakably indicate that the U.S. is bankrupt in every way—financially, economically, politically, socially, academically, militarily, spiritually, and morally.

· This fact should demonstrate to the North American public, and the world, that it is the very scale and complexity of the various interlocking political and economic systems that is the fundamental cause of their failure—as well as the reason that no one on the scene has any idea whatsoever of how to fix it.

· That being the case, it is necessary, for the restoration of democracy—not to mention sanity, prosperity, sustainability, governance, and peace—that the imperial system be dismantled, and various states, regions, and elements of North America exert their right to secede into independent regimes laying their foundations on such principles and organizing their powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. It is to this end that the secessionist movement will dedicate its energy, time, talents, moneys, and sacred honor, and we invite, indeed implore, the participation of our fellow citizens.

Passed this day, the fifteenth of November, 2008.