Thursday, December 10, 2009

Lessons from the Soviet breakup

Those who insist that secession will necessarily result in another war between the states should review the history of the Soviet breakup, as Russell D. Longcore has in his dumpDC blog. In it, he describes how the liberalizations promoted by Mikhail Gorbachev accelerated secessionist impulses throughout the Soviet Union, despite the presence of a large and potent Red Army.

Mr. Longcore compares the Soviet experience to the current American situation and finds the parallels remarkable -- right down to fighting an unwinnable war in Afghanistan. And the Red Army was spread out much less thinly than that of the United States is today.

The key to a breakup, however, is the willingness of state officials to stand up to the Feds, something which he finds lacking in most states today. While we in Ohio have a few courageous state representatives (Kyle Jordan and Jarrod Martin come to mind), and at least one state senator (Timothy Grendell), the outlook is not encouraging, considering the current lineup of state officials (starting with House Speaker Armond Budish). A breakup will not occur until nullification measures are taken by a number of states. However, that might just take place. Stay tuned.

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