The Secession Plan

       I originally wrote this article back in 2015 and had it published on The Patriot Post’s Grassroots Commentary section.  I feel that it, or at least many parts of it, remain relevant today.  Majorie Taylor Greene spoke about a national divorce and it made me think “Something about this line of thought sounds familiar.”  I’m not so conceited to think she may have gotten the idea from my article.  I’m not what you would call a powerful voice in conservative circles.  I do believe the coincidence highlights the prevalence and persistence of these ideas.  Read below for thoughts from the past.  Please like and comment.  As before, I love debate and am willing to listen and discuss with both sides.

July 9, 2015

With the current agenda-driven lawlessness infecting D.C. politics and the metastasizing liberal PC culture waging war against conservative ideals and religious liberty, why are we trying to save America? The America many of us grew up with is dead and the Washington politicians are doing a “Weekend at Bernie’s” puppetry act with the corpse in hopes of perpetuating their elitist lifestyles. They speak in Rockwell tones, yet push Marxist values, all the while standing in front of an American flag backdrop and wearing their American flag lapel pin. That is what makes a true Patriot, right? American flags and flowery words. The current sociopolitical divide between the Right and Left is so wide that it demands action beyond bipartisan Congressional politics. This fomenting animosity calls for an action so drastic, some may consider it un-American. It calls for a, amicable if possible, divorce from the government that openly mocks conservative values and persecutes those who embrace their constitutional rights. Secession was stopped once by a government who did not respect the wishes of the people. Through violence, it reigned in the “rebels” and held the Union together. Now, 25 percent of the American population views secession as a viable and prudent option. Why can’t we embrace this idea and create a land that espouses conservative values and the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution instead of trying to resuscitate the lifeless husk that was once America?

STEP ONE:

The first step is to find a leader. A public figure of note who truly loves conservative values and advocates true freedom; one who can present the idea for secession in an articulate and professional manner. I would recommend Ted Cruz or Bobby Jindal to take the reins and lead the charge. A clear voice of leadership will be like a beacon to those who are truly ready for change. I read the comments all over the Internet and conservatives are angry and tired. A person who can unite those feelings into a strong movement is the first step.

STEP TWO:

The charter document to define what values and principles the new country (I like the name North American Alliance of Conservative States, or NAACS) would be based upon could be constructed by applying minor modifications to the U.S. Constitution. Clarification of the existing Bill of Rights, especially on the First and Second Amendments, would be paramount. Ensuring no law could be passed to change or modify the responsibilities of the central government beyond those specifically outlined in the Constitution would need to be emphasized. The bulk of legislative power would be the responsibility of the state legislatures. The federal government could not trump a state law. Officials elected to governmental positions, both state and federal, would be limited to two (2) four-year terms. Government service would be a temporary patriotic duty, not a career. Members of Congress would not be allowed to vote to change their benefits, terms of service, or pay. Regulating and restricting government encroachment of the rights of the citizens would be of the greatest importance.

STEP THREE:

Obviously, we couldn’t split the country based on red state/blue state demographics. This would divide the country into too many separate parts with too many boundaries to enforce. A straight line from the northern border of North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona would form the northern border of the NAACS. This would require conservatives to abandon some red states, but to have an amicable divorce, concessions must be made. The NAACS capitol should be centrally located; Dallas and Little Rock are fairly central in the landmass. U.S. federal land in these states would return to the ownership of the state. Any U.S. government assets would be returned to the United States with the exception of National Guard assets, which would be retained by the parent states as part of the state militia.

In the next part of my plan I will go into trade factors, international relations, citizen relocation, and military considerations. The time for fruitless battles in Washington is over. The conservative culture is being stymied beneath the jackboot of political correctness and moral ambiguity. The cancer of corruption has spread too far in the body politic. Please leave comments letting me know your opinions.

In last week’s article, I discussed the need for an amicable secession that would establish a new southern country centered around conservative values. Some of the topics discussed were the necessity of a strong leader and an even stronger founding document; one that severely limits federal responsibility and strictly restricts federal growth. The bureaucratic monstrosity that is the federal government must not be allowed to resurface in the North American Southern Alliance (new proposed name).

STEP FOUR:

One of the hardest parts of the plan will be the relocation of interested citizens from the United States to the NASA. To accomplish this I suggest a one-year grace period during which citizens can relinquish their U.S. citizenship and relocate to the NASA utilizing an abbreviated immigration process. This year would allow people to find new residence and employment in the new country without feeling overly rushed to make a decision. After the 12-month deadline all citizens immigrating from the north would be treated as foreign nationals and be held to a much more stringent immigration process. This plan does not mean that if you are liberal/progressive you have to move out of the NASA. Everyone who loves freedom is welcome. This plan simply means that conservatism will be paramount in the establishing document of the new country.

STEP FIVE:

A recurring comment on the last article was how dangerous splitting America’s military forces would be to the citizenry and the stability of the world. I have to wholly disagree. The feckless leadership in Washington is doing nothing for world stability except making it worse. ISIS and John Kerry in Iran are proof that things can’t get much more dangerous for the citizenry. A large portion of the United States military identify as strongly conservative. I don’t have exact numbers, but I will low-ball and say that around 50 percent would defect. Military personnel would be allowed to transfer to the new military while retaining their time in service and paygrade during the 12-month grace period. If the split were to be amicable, as we all hope it would be, negotiations could be made for military hardware (tanks, planes, ships) assigned to U.S. bases located in the NASA. As long as both sides agreed to a treaty promising assistance and cooperation in maintaining national security, the USA and NASA would be as safe from foreign threats as they are today.

STEP SIX:

The last item for consideration would be trade. The Mississippi River would be a neutral trade route, as it passes through both countries. Goods passing across the NASA northern border would be subject to tariffs. Sales tax would be the only method of income taxation in the NASA. Imported goods would be taxed heavily to help promote consumption of NASA-made goods. Export of goods and resources would be encouraged and supported. The free market would determine what goods would be consumed, not government mandates. The government would be expressly forbidden from establishing any policy or agency that would interfere with free market principles. Sorry corn.

This concludes my secession plan. It is not a perfect or a complete plan. It is merely a rough draft, meant to spark conversation and thought. If this plan were to come to fruition, I truly believe that the American people would be a happier, more prosperous people. The division of public opinion is so wide and filled with animosity that I don’t think we can recover. I don’t harbor any ill will towards liberals; I just think that their view is so skewed from what I believe is right, I don’t want them anywhere near my government. I think that is the common feeling among most conservatives. I also believe that the metropolitan areas are overpowering the rural and suburban conservative community politically, to the point that the conservative viewpoint is not accurately represented in both state and federal governments. With my plan, both views could be represented accurately with minimal resistance from the opposition. Liberal policies would run the U.S. and conservative principles would govern the NASA. I appreciate the responses to the last article. I hope to get the same reader participation to this one.