I wonder what would happen if Texas did secede? It would set a precedent,

[raccoon]

and, I believe, other states/groups of states would secede as well.

I guess it would put an end to the Empire, but would have other attendant problems, undoubtedly.

[atreides1]

1. They tried this once

It resulted in over half million casualties. Want to try again and maybe doulbe the number?

[Tesha]

51. This time, we'd be happy to let them go.

We learned our lesson the last time.

Tesha

[trof]

52. Everybody wants us to leave too. Alabama.

:-(

[DemoTex]

2. Does anyone remember the west Texas county that tried to secede a few years back?

It was in the late 1990s, IIRC. Lotsa hype, no action.

[elocs]

3. So, how did secession ever work out for the South before? n/t

[FudaFuda]

4. Would the response be the same this time?

If a state or states decided to 'secede' from the USA, would a military response to force them back in happen now? That was the north's choice 150 years ago, but would the same thing happen now? I'm not so sure that's how it'd go down.

[LanternWaste]

36. What precisely leads you to that conclusion?

"I'm not so sure that's how it'd go down."

What precisely leads you to that conclusion?

[Egalitariat]

39. That's not exactly a conclusion***

nm

[FudaFuda]

40. Yeah it wasn't exactly a conclusion, but ...

the reason I said it is I don't really think Americans as a society would support WAR to prevent a state from seceding. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, if Texas wants out then let 'em go. It may be stupid and objectionable, but I wouldn't support killing them over it. Just let those Texans who disagree out so they can find new homes in the USA, and keep the borders open for five years so all the rightwing kooks who think alike can move to Texas and we can be rid of them.

Ultimately though, the odds of this EVER occurring as simple as that are about as nil as it gets. Sure, a few morons in Texas say they want to secede from the USA when they put absolutely zero thought into it. Inform them they'll be forfeiting their accrued social security benefits and ask them again.

[cliffordu]

5. I'd say Buh-Bye!!

[trueblue2007]

58. Yeah. Make that ASS HOLE George Bush your president

hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahah

hhhahaaahahahahahahahhhahahahahahaahahahhahahahahahahahhah

[elocs]

6. Eight rebellious U.S. regions and secessionist efforts:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/12/02/mf.secessionist.movements/index.html

[WeDidIt]

7. The leaders would be seized or killed within 24 hours.

The entire uprising wouldn't last that full 24 hours.

[Aristus]

8. It would only be a bad precedent if you are a state-sized toxic waste dump like Texas.

Washington, Oregon, and Canada's British Columbia could secede, and form the Republic of Cascadia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_(independence_movement)

We've got water, timber, seafood, information technology, fertile farmland. We'll be fine. Texas will be screaming for foreign (read U.S. Federal) aid within a year.

BTW, the Eastern half of Washington, including radioactive Hanford, would go to the new White Supremacist Theocracy of Idaho/Spokanistan.

[stubtoe]

13. Hmmmm....

We would have all the water, too, thanks to global climate change. But then we'd have to keep out illegal immigrants from Texas and the WST of Idaho/Spokanistan.

[Arugula Latte]

47. We'll take Northern California, too.

I want San Francisco and Berkeley. :loveya:

[get the red out]

9. Big athletics mess

It would mess up national BCS rankings and the NCAA tournament. If other traditionally southern states followed Texas that would probably lead to the destruction of the Southeastern Conference. I really don't look forward to the destruction of the SEC with basketball team my old college may well have next year. I am afraid my state, Kentucky, would vote for secession this time over that; which would piss Louisville fans off because they play in the Big East. And I don't even know what would happen with our teams that play in the OVC, or Western in the Sunbelt. Oh such a damn mess!

Considering the things we all value this day and age, won't happen. ;)

[Ishoutandscream2]

10. Christ, will this ever end?

Our dipshit governor makes an asinine comment to appease the incredibly loony fringe element. I'm telling you, most Texans are treating these comments by Goodhair as ridiculous. I know most of you want us to leave, no matter what, but it ain't gonna happen. Stop buying into the stereotypes.

[BlooInBloo]

11. It's funny how both sides are soooo eager to get their race-war on.

[Aristus]

16. I know of a nearly fool-proof way to counter all of those stereotypes:

Vote him out!

[tammywammy]

19. He won the last election with only 39% of the vote

We're trying to vote him out! More people voted against Gov. Goodhair than voted for him!

[Aristus]

26. How many candidates were there in the election?

n/t

[tammywammy]

27. 6 n/t

[Aristus]

28. That's a pretty effective vote-splitter.

Sorry...

[tammywammy]

30. Actually

If Kinky had kept his ego in check we'd have a democratic governor. Or if we had a run-off then we'd have a democratic governor.

And two of the candidates got less than 1% of the vote.

Try reading up or try helping the good democrats down here. Noreiga had an excellent shot at taking out Cornyn in 2008 yet got practically NO help.

We're up against Delay's redistricting and still making gains in Texas.

[tammywammy]

17. Thank you

I have yet to hear from one person in real life that thinks Texas should leave the union.

[Javaman]

32. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3835260&mesg_id=3836300

[rcrush]

12. Did anyone ask the people of Texas?

I dont want to leave. You think I really want Rick Perry as dictator of Texas? I dont want federal troops to come kill everyone.

[Paladin]

20. Yeah, As A Matter Of Fact, They Did

There's another thread floating around DU, reporting that 75% of Texans surveyed are against detaching from the Union. Imagine that.....

[rcrush]

24. The thought of being under the rule of El Presidente Perry or Chuck Norris is too frightening

For most people.

[threshold]

43. Texas Secession Polls..........

...I don't know where that poll was taken, but check out the local polling numbers, if it was left to native Texans, we would have been out long ago

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

44. It's a shame they don't do albedo checks for polling, huh? -nt

[EstimatedProphet]

45. Native Texans?

You mean the Comanche? The Apache? The Kiowa? Those native Texans?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

46. Maybe he means those who came after these...

...you know, the Spaniards.

[EstimatedProphet]

48. Or maybe the Mexicans.

After all, they had Texas before Sam Houston came along.

[LanternWaste]

54. Can you point us towards these "local polling numbers"?

Can you point us towards these "local polling numbers"? Being a born and bred Texan myself, I (and every Texan I personally know) think leaving the Union would be a waste of time, energy, money, purpose, and manpower-- a concept favored only by the sub-literate, the under-educated, and the extreme.

But, as mine is merely anecdotal evidence, and yours is actual polling data, I'd love to see the independent polling data... :shrug:

ed: typo

[Romulox]

14. The US will not dissolve by choice. It will dissolve because of the central gov't's impotence

We saw shades of this during the Katrina disaster...

[cobalt1999]

15. The average person doesn't want this.

Just like the average Southern farmer in the 1860's didn't want to secede.

[krabigirl]

18. I think it could only benefit this country. As long as the people who don't want to be there can (ro

leave (ie blue Texans!)

[rcrush]

25. Only if they pay for my relocation.

They must find me a job, an apartment, and pay for my moving expenses. Fuck any forced relocation otherwise.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tammywammy]

23. It must be so easy living in your nice blue state

Not actually having to fight to take your state back.

[Paladin]

37. And Fuck The 3.5 Million Texans Who Voted For Obama?

Those electoral votes are going Democratic in the not-too-distant future, according to present trends. Not that it matters to people like you.....

[Ishoutandscream2]

38. Give it up. Even if we went totally blue

They would still hate us. They buy into the negative stereotypes of Texans. Their bigotry will never be resolved.

[Tesha]

53. You can move to the blue zone. But Texas is a loss. (NT)

[asjr]

22. I like Texas. I used to live there. I believe

what happened to them was a space ship landed from another planet and certain aliens debarked and married into real families and thus produced Gov. Goodhair, and other assholes. They can secede right back to that other galaxy. I have seen ads on t.v. about Texas being " a whole other country" and now I believe it.

[Jack Rabbit]

29. I believe that if Texas seceded

. . . federal troops would be all over Texas in a heartbeat.

[Javaman]

31. Austin would then secede from Texas. nt

[kestrel91316]

33. There is already precedent, and it was pretty ugly. In the end, the Union

was preserved, and treason was defeated.

Don't they teach US history anymore?

[Tesha]

55. The problem is that the treason *WASN'T* defated, it was just occupied.

But it shows itself with every pick-up truck flying a damned
Confederate flag.

Tesha

[TexasObserver]

34. 1. It ain't gonna happen 2. If it did, the US forces would end it quickly.

It has no chance of happening, but if it did, federal and National Guard troops would lead the way as the FBI arrested Governor Goodhair and removed him to a federal facility in another state.

The whole notion is ludricous beyond words. Texas has no military. Do you really think the two sitting GOP senators from Texas would allow Texas to secede? Or the several dozen congressmen? Or what about all the Social Security and Medicare recipients? Texas can't pay for them.

It's a "I'm going to run off and be a circus worker" fantasy.

[Contrary1]

35. Texas would want to rejoin as soon as the first hurricane was spotted...

I say let them go, if the majority vote for it.

[Warren DeMontague]

41. I'd miss the Butthole Surfers and Steve Earle.

Most of the rest of it? Not so much.

[hunter]

42. Hmmm... Maybe Mexico would annex it.

Anybody who wanted to leave could move to Oklahoma.

[abq e streeter]

49. The Democratic leadership would issue a cautiously worded statement followed by an apology

for the statement

[watercolors]

50. Talked to my brother-in-law in Texas

He laughs about all the politcal fluff, as he calls it. Said no one has the balls or appetite for it. Just like in the 70's during oil problems, never happen!! He thinks Perry is trying to manuver politically for leadership role in Repug party.

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LanternWaste]

57. Texas secession is in the realm of the absurd and fantasy...

Texas secession is in the realm of the absurd and fantasy... and it's a bit tough for me to base any valid conjecture off of an absurd premise.

Worst case scenario-- TX elects to secede. TX announces secession. TX Guard and TANG reaffirm their oaths to the Constitution and emphatically state-- "nope-- not gonna happen, guys." Gov. Perry pees on his new blue slacks. Local, gun-toting rednecks in pick-up trucks meet for a constitutional convention. U.S. Army air-transports one regiment to the locale. Gun-toting red-necks run away, spilling their beers, and crying. The rest of TX wakes up the next morning and reads about the red-neck, gun-toting wackadoodles on Good Morning Texas. Then we say, "oops-- some of David Koresh's loonies got away some years ago-- probably hiding out with at the FDLS compound, but we finally got 'em all now. Pick one and send him to California to be elected Governor..."

:P