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That's the way *violent extremists* talk. Besides,
Declare the causes, 4cc.Quote:
a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
Natural rights chime with human dignity but in fact depend on power. Rights are always granted and protected by the political power. Once power ceases to defend your rights -- or the people fail to assert them -- for all practical purposes they cease to exist.
The Mexican assimilation is almost complete anyways... :lol
Reconquista?
From a practical standpoint, talk of secession is idiotic right now. There is no mechanism for it to happen, and even if there were, it would accomplish the opposite of what these morons think it would: Texas would be poorer, not richer. But since stupidity has become a prerequisite to remain a Republican, I'm not surprised that so many of them are talking about it. I read a letter to the editor on Sunday from some allegedly educated redneck in Sour Lake alluding to minor Civil War battles as solid evidence that Texas could whip the U.S. Armed Forces in a war. Give me a freaking break.
From a philosophical standpoint, I don't believe anything unites the subjects of the United States anymore, except the power of the state. The marriage is merely financial at this point. Once the money dries up, we'll go Balkan. I know I personally don't feel any ties of brotherhood to New Englanders or Californians, at least not any more so than I do to the average Mexican.
You're not taking into account the mobility of Americans. The regional differences were much greater in the past.Quote:
Originally Posted by Extra Stout
Stupidity a prerequisite? Americants have two choices dude. If they don't like what the left has to offer....they are forced to vote rep.Quote:
Originally Posted by Extra Stout
I agree 111110% with that second paragraph.
Not really. You can refrain from voting entirely.Quote:
Originally Posted by FaithInOne
Thus my frustration. At heart, I am not a leftist. I think all things being equal, the public sector is less efficient than the private sector because you have so many fewer people with so much narrower a perspective making decisions in the former than the latter. The leftist's persistent faith in the perfectability of humanity if only it can be properly enlightened, despite the countervailing evidence of the entirety of history makes me sigh. The inevitability of our bankruptcy and descent into chaos given the spending priorities of the left leaves me numb. I believe our basic notions of family, self-reliance, and responsibility are being dissolved into nihilistic oblivion.Quote:
Originally Posted by FaithInOne
And yet... when I hear liberals and conservatives talk about the issues... it's as though conservatives are talking about some other planet. I think a lot of liberal ideas are wrong, but at least they can demonstrate conversance with the issues. In the Obama-McCain debates, it was sad to watch McCain have absolutely zero idea what was going in with the financial crisis while Obama could summarize it with concise aplomb.
Sarah Palin was the last straw for me. She knows less about national and international issues than the average college-educated American, yet she is held up as some kind of female Ronald Reagan. I don't need Newt Gingrich or Daniel Patrick freaking Moynihan up there, but the Alaskan Peggy Hill? Seriously?
And now this... secession talk. Serious things are going on in the world, and the best the conservative ethos in the country can muster up is 19th-century nonsense. Once upon a time, Bob Dole destroyed his own Presidential campaign by offering America a bridge back to the 1950's. Now that doesn't seem to be enough -- people are looking for a bridge back to the 1850's. I guess in their worldview that was the last time the world made sense.
So in America, as I see it, the choices are between one group that has what I think are a lot of wrong answers, and another group that has no idea what the questions are. I have made a dark descent into hopeless cynicism. America is finished.
blistering.
I agree with the public vs private sector conundrum. I rather have it in private hands. That said, I also think that has gone to an extreme, without proper checks and balances, and has caused the current outcry for the public sector taking over. Issues like student loans have become such a fraud to the government, that you don't know what else to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Extra Stout
Hey, at least you're the Run N' Gun Football champion. Some of us don't have it that nice. :lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Extra Stout
The powers that be in the GOP are counting way too much on that. As if we weren't paying attention when an allegedly conservative Republican president essentially took part in a blackmail of the Congress to pass a $700 billion increase in the national debt to pass the losses of large financial services firms on to middle class taxpayers? Am I really supposed to believe that this was merely a creation of the current administration and forget everything that occurred prior to Jan. 20, 2009? Am I supposed to be agitated about 'socialism' when the prior, allegedly conservative Republican administration rammed through the largest expansion of an entitlement program since the 1960s?Quote:
Originally Posted by FaithInOne
Another thing the GOP leadership needs to wrap their minds around is that the social conservatives are a spent political force. Stop kissing Dobson's ass. They haven't delivered in the last two federal elections. That is not how you get back to being a majority party. Actually offer an alternative to greater government expansion instead of merely offering a more intrusive federal government with a social conservative cultural bent. Tax cutting isn't enough. End the fing spending.
Republicans need to take God out of the platform and kick the shit out of the Democrats.
I'm not sure why it's so preferable for the state to take over the free areas of social life. Why do I want to replace my liberty with the option to vote every two years on an ever increasing array of state intrusion into private life? It's not as if this has been that effective an option as it stands, especially given that our system generally ends up favoring incumbents. Why must the state continue to grow at the expense of the individual?Quote:
Originally Posted by Extra Stout
shouldn't it be considered foreign aid?Quote:
Originally Posted by Aggie Hoopsfan
Actually, it'd jive pretty well. Most places have a roughly 35-35-30 split (Republican-Democrat-Other), so half of that would be 17.5% of all Texans.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spurminator
Of course, Texas is probably a bit higher Republican than most places, but I saw some polls putting it at about 40-45% of republicans wanting to secede, so it'd probably come out to about the same.
Of course, that's reliant on ONLY Republicans wanting to secede.
Does this mean I'm going to have to take up arms? Because I don't have a gun. Will one be issued?
You should request for a subsidy to buy one...Quote:
Originally Posted by Steven
That's not true anymore, Democrats currently enjoy between 9 and 14% advantage in partisanship identification, with republicans representing just 25.7 % of the populationQuote:
Originally Posted by fyatuk
If Texas said, "we are going to secede", and the rest of the U.S. said "no", then even without any military fighting, Texas would not last very long at all on it's own.
the amount of money spent on border security and drug wars would be an overwhelming financial burden on it's own......among many other things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobinsontoDuncan
Exactly. And given there are probably a good number of Libertarians in the "Other" group, you can see why I'm skeptical.Quote:
Originally Posted by fyatuk
I could see it happening...I mean does anyone give a shit if any other state wants to secede?
I couldn't careless if some state seceded and I imagine the rest of the country would feel likewise about Texas. In fact I could imagine Texas would have the overwhelming support of the citizenry of states like Cali and NY who probably view the big red state of Texas as somewhat of a thorn in their side. Furthermore I think if Texas were to get serious about this they might not be making the move alone.
But I mean really...if you guys heard tomorrow that New York wants to secede, what would be your attitude about it? War? Or fuck it...let em' go. I don't think Texas would be any different. I do not see the population of America supporting any sort of military action against a seceding state and it would be tough sell for the Government.
Oh yeah and let me just add this...I think it would probably suck. Our Government is crappier than the National one(including the Bush Admin)...I just have these visions of douchebags like Tom Hicks, Rick Perry and god help us the University of Texas running the state...
The stratification of Saudi Arabia would seem tame in comparison to what the likely ruling class of Texas would create.
Oh yeah and you'd have to pay to park in your own driveway.
I'm still in shock that I didn't see any toll booths while driving around in Texas... Here in Jersey we have them everywhere... and we have crappier roads too...Quote:
Originally Posted by whottt