[Perry] really stirred some of the liberal media, where they started screaming about: 'What is going on here, this is un-American.' I heard one individual say 'this is treasonous to even talk about it.' Well, they don't know their history very well, because if they think about it...it is very American to talk about secession. That's how we came in being. Thirteen colonies seceded from the British and established a new country. So secession is a very much American principle.
OK, so I fully understand that I may need to prepare myself for a sh--storm of righteous indignation directed my way for unrepentant Paultards. Bring it on, yo....
The idea of Texas seceding has to be one of the silliest, most juvenile ideas to be seriously discussed in quite some time. Independent of whether or not you believe that Texas has the right to secede (a question I'll leave for intellects nimbler than my own), it's hard to be convinced that anyone has actually thought this through. Yet idjits like Ron Paul and Rick Perry discuss secession as if it's the next logical step for Texas. It's easy to hate the oppressive hand of the federal government...until you need a hand. Then stand back and watch Texans fall all over themselves demanding that FEMA and other federal agencies DO SOMETHING....
The reason you probably haven't heard much in the way of discussion of the idea of Texas seceding from the Union is that I'm not sure most Americans would even miss Texas. Hey, if Texas became an independent nation, then they'd be responsible for taking care of themselves after the next hurricane struck the Texas Gulf Coast. We'd no longer have to expend scarce resources for hurricane relief, education, federal troops patrolling the Mexican border, Medicare, Social Security...and Texans would be free to deal with the lack of those resources as they see fit. AND Homeland Insecurity would have a lot more real estate over which to extend their border fence. While we're at it, how about topping that fence with some razor wire...and digging a moat to separate Texas from the US?
Yes, there's little chance that Texas will secede from the Union. Attempting to discuss this as if it's a legitimate policy option gives lightweights like Paul and Perry an opportunity to feel as if they're doing something serious. Fanning the flames of outrage in Texas (of which there's seldom any lack) is a great way to direct the focus of Texans in a way that reflects more positively on leaders who have little in the way of real leadership to offer.
Neither Ron Paul or Rick Perry would recognize inspired, principled leadership if it bit them on the ass. By tweaking and feeding the passion and anger of Texans, they manage to keep the focus on that anger, instead of on their incompetence and lack of ideas. Then again, Texans have exactly the quality of leadership they deserve. Who knew their standards were so abysmally low?
