Ron Paul an out of the box Republican? Dude, where have YOU been for the last thirty years? Which leads me to my second point, don't do drugs.

Fact # 1: Ron Paul is a member of the Republican Party. Correct?

Fact #2 : His strong libertarian impulses — and his opposition to the Iraq War — have made him an outsider in the GOP. If you disagree, go back and look at the way his fellow Republican presidential candidates treated him during the 2008 debates.

Fact #3: Either you misunderstood my point, or you're the one who needs to refrain from doing drugs.

"the Red River Rivalry becomes an international competition"

The Oklahoma legislature passed a sovereignty resolution one day after Texas: http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0409/613607.html

Texas might secede and it might not. Most believe independence will improve citizen life. Certainly, driving out illegal aliens would be easier. And we'd no longer be subjected to the incompetence of a fast-talkin' Chicago con-boy. And of course we could rejoin the union if and when it regains a modicum of sanity.

"We all know those "United States people" have shifty eyes and can't be trusted. But will San Antonians tune in to a show called Texan Idol?"

Ignoring your scurrilous reference to "shifty eyes," yes there are indeed large

cultural difference between wide-open-spaces Texans and, for example, crammed-shoulder-to-shoulder Eastern city-dwellers, and these differences frequently lead to a measure of distrust. "Fast talkin' city-slicker" and "hick cowboy" aren't recent addition to the American phrasebook, and they exist for a reason.

And you don't think Texans would tune into "Texan Idol?" I don't know where you're from, boy, but it ain't Texas...

To the point of the article, the Declaration of Independence reads, in part, "That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends [the famous "unalienable rights", of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"] it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government..."

You can make a good argument that the Federal government, if only by mortgaging our children's future in imposing insane amounts of debt on them, /has/ become destructive of the ends for which it was formed. Add to that its perfect willingness to ignore the rights guaranteed "the states respectively, or to the people" by the Tenth Amendment, and it becomes clear that the Federal

government, far from serving the interests of this country and its people has come, more and more, to serve its own interests at the expense of the country and its people.

The US Constitution is, among other things, a "social contract" between the Federal government and the American people and the states that, together, comprise the country. In ignoring the terms of that contract, the Federal government can be perceived as having invalidated it. The states, accordingly, are under no apparent obligation to honor a contract that the other party to it, the Federal government, has repudiated.

It is quite obvious that Texas and Texans could be a country of their own , with a military of civilians strongly beleiving in the 2nd ammendment . Texas has the majority of oil , and natural gas , and the industry to produce and refine it .. Texas also has a majority of the tech industries with in its boundries . Texas also has the ability to produce beef cattle to feed its people , and with the ports at the Gulf , Texans are able to ship and receive products to create its own GNP..... and Texans beleive like the original founding fathers, "IN GOD WE TRUST" .... Just think what the rest of the country would be like with out Texas and Texans

These secessionists. Dill-birds. They think it's going to be easier going it alone. What will they do when the don't have to pay 33% of their income to the Federal government? What will they do when the Federal government isn't there to tell them to wash their hands and cover their mouths during a flu crisis? How will Texan nationalists cope without all the labs creating bio-weapons at their expense? They think change is easy.

Hey, you secessionists, do you think it's going to be easy to create a wealth-destroying, business cycle-creating, friends-only bailout machine like our semi-private central banking cartel? Isn't that going to be tricky to do with the folks you have to see everyday, as opposed to, say, when you get to create it in an isolated rip-off zone half a continent away?

Mr. Garcia, you know what change is like. You haven't completed your pre-op treatment. Tell them changing, whether it's your gender or leaving a fascist central government, is tough. I mean, we believe in the political self-determination of the Ukranians, the Palestinians, the South Ossetians. But political self-determination of Texans? Please. Don't be a big dope.

It's interesting to note that nowhere in this article is the right to self-determination discussed. The principle of individual sovereignty, and the capacity to change the form of governance as in the Declaration of Independence.

In fact, Mr. Garcia tries to conflate the American revolution with topless bars and the genocide of native Americans (perhaps he is unaware of genocide the British empire has committed). This is the nature of discussion about secession. Make it seem anachronistic and conspiratorial, or equate it with "taking your ball", a selfish and petulant act.

This is the sort of guilt that nationalism thrives on. You either support the war or you don't support the troops. You must "do it for the children". Pay your "fair share" (while the Beltway bureaucrats don't even pay taxes). "My country right or wrong" or any other such claptrap.

By the way, Texans won't need a passport to visit Arkansas. Canadians and Americans have crossed a common border for decades without the need for such. Why make a baseless assertion like that? Or that without the bankrupt federal medical and retirement ponzi schemes, Texas could not take care of their own?

The worship of the central state is a discredit to the supposed spirit of Texans.

"The worship of the central state" isn't just "a discredit to the supposed spirit of Texans," it's a discredit as well both to those so weak of will, self respect, and integrity as to embrace it, and to those so far gone into fascism as to endorse it.

What a waste of server space! Not once in this silly article does the author mention any philosophical opinions for or against secession; instead, he compares it to Indian slaughter. This is a high-school level jibe, like secession and everything else that you could call "American" must be accepted or rejected in toto.

No, not in this article will you hear about the rights of the individual, or the right to refuse association in a government which is no longer considerate of said rights. Perhaps you forget, but the US was actually not founded by Romulus on a hill and destined to conquer the known world. The federal government, while we have been forced throughout the years to rely on it more and more, is not a workable framework for respecting rights and increasing prosperity. Some way or another the monster has to be dismembered.

Fundamentally, the Federal government has screwed everyone in the country except a handful of friends it siphons our money to. The banking situation was caused by the Fed and is being "fixed" by bailing them out. Now GM is Obama's personal fief. Oh yeah, and theres a $1.5 TRILLION deficit to pay for all this nonsense- and this author thinks Texas would suffer without Social Security!

What a laugh.

"And of course we could rejoin the union if and when it regains a modicum of sanity."

You are assuming, incorrectly I might add, that we would want you back, now OR later. You know what happens when you assume things...

To Anonymous at 11:04:56 AM:

Better off

"our congressmen go up there and work with Washington, we will have to negotiate who gets what ships, who gets what aircraft, who gets what bases, who gets what personnel,"

Ok, how about this as a starting point for negotiations: the US gets to keep all US ships and aircraft, and the Republic of Texas gets nothing. You would not exactly be negotiating from a position of strength. If the US gives you nothing, just what exactly are you going to do about it? Judging from this entire idea, it seems as though your plan would be to stamp your feet and hold your breath until you get your way. You won't.

"By the way, Texans won't need a passport to visit Arkansas. Canadians and Americans have crossed a common border for decades without the need for such. Why make a baseless assertion like that?"

9/11 changed everything. You do, in fact, need a passport to cross the Canadian border these days.

"And of course we could rejoin the union if and when it regains a modicum of sanity."

Only if we would be willing to take you back, which is doubtful. And speaking of sanity, the moment Texas leaves the union, the average sanity in the US would increase dramatically.

""our congressmen go up there and work with Washington, we will have to negotiate who gets what ships, who gets what aircraft, who gets what bases, who gets what personnel".

let me make this easy for you: Texas would get nothing. Those ships etc were paid for with US taxpayer dollars. Anyone who thinks the remaining 49 states are going to grovel to Texas is nuts.

As anonymous says at 3:23:20, you do need a passport to enter the US from canada. I was in montreal last month, needed my passport to get back home.

Then of course there's the problem of coining your own currency. And the tariffs you'll have to pay to import/export with the US.

You'll lose fort hood and all your NASA funding. and you'll have to raise your own army (which may or may not include US soldiers who desert, which is a questionable assumption). You'll have to raise that army damn quickly, or Mexico's gonna take Texas back.

Well, let's see. About 5 minutes after you boys pass your secession degree, every major corporation in the state will close up and haul ass. Ten minutes later, a large fraction of the US Navy will show up off the gulf coast, thereby making international trade very problematic.

Eventually, mathematics will catch up to you and an Hispanic majority population will either force your glorious nation back into the US fold, or you'll get to become Mexican! Don't you love it?

I feel sorry for the city of Austin in all of this. If Texas leaves the U.S., then good riddance. But poor Austin, stuck in amongst all that crazy.

Hey Texans, do you have any clue what the rest of the United States thinks of you jackasses? Try this one on for size -- you're all hat and no cattle. You guys made that one up, right? Well it sure do fit, y'all! Giddyup now! Don't let the corral gate slap ya on the backside!

The issue of secession was settled in 1863. Let's try to tone down the stupid.

So, if Texas secedes, will it go back to being a slave state?

Watching this from outside Texas is like watching a very strange TV show--kind of a mashup of Bonanza, Birth of a Nation, and anything by Ionesco. Lots of arm flapping by secessionists. Very amusing.

If Texas leaves the Union, it would be overrun by Mexico, drug cartels and Federales and all; if Alaska leaves the Union it would be taken over by Russia in a heartbeat. And so on and so forth.

Or: if ALL the states become independent of the Union, imagine the Balkanizing and petty wars that would ensue.

I am ashamed of all these anti American Texans who believe that Texas should secede. I love this country, faults and all. Why don't all you secessionists just leave the country and leave us real Americans alone. You don't have to secede to be done with America. Go to the nearest foreign embassy- (I recommend Mexico) and turn in your passport. Problem solved. I think the sooner we get the anti American losers out of here, the better. Don't let the door hit you so to speak

Couldn't ya'll have thought to do this 9 years ago? If you leave you get the Iraq War and the deficits of the last 8 years as part of the divorce.

Secession? Let's see...the current national debt stands around 11 trillion dollars. If Texas has about 8% of the US population, it seems to me that a one time cash payment of around $1 trillion should be enough to release Texas from its current debts and obligations to the government of the United States. Payable in United States dollars, of course.

But remember, kids, despite all the talk of secession and comments referring to President Obama as "boy," the Republican party is the "party of Lincoln!" Right?

Speaking of "right," the "right" of secession is one of relatively few constitutional issues that has been settled with utter finality in court, specifically at the little courthouse in Appomattox, VA in 1865. You have about as much right to secede as you have right to stop paying your taxes.

And yes, secession is treason. It's pretty much a textbook example of treason. The Texas Republican Party hates America. Though I guess if you're just dead set on having yet another president from Illinois bring the hammer down on your faces, be my guest.

Apparently the people agitating for this are far too stupid to realize how stupid they are....

If Texas secedes, they immediately become a third world nation. Yes, that would be far superior to being part of the greatest country on earth.

It is almost too bad that the US outlawed slavery - otherwise, after Texas secedes and the US concurs them, we could enslave the Texans. As it stands though, we will have to be content to ship all the enemy combatants to GTMO instead.

Mr. Kilgore, there's already a word for "United States people." We're called "Americans."

And there's word for people who advocate for secession, too: "Un-American."

Mr. Crawford,

Were the American revolutionaries "Un-British?" Very well then, I can live with that.

As to what was and wasn't settled in 1865: What was settled was that a creepy nationalist, someone who shares the same political philosophy as Mr. Garcia, raped the Constitution, suspended habeas corpus with no legal authority, jailed journalist and legislators who criticized him, and instigated the deaths of 650,000 people.

Don't bother with the slavery canard; slavery is reprehensible. Anyone who thinks the Civil War was about slavery, read Lincoln's first inaugural and DiLorenzo's The Real Lincoln.

As for me, I don't want to abolish divorce and I believe in the right of political self-determination as established in the Declaration of Independence, i.e. secession.

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres31.html

RE: "the United States is not going to want folks in their military who are diehard Texans...." Those "folks" already have sworn and oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to obey the orders of the President. If they violate that oath out of loyalty to a "sovereign Texas," they won't be sent to Texas, they'll be sent to jail.

Wow! lots of statists writing at the end here. I guess they glossed over the fact that there is a natural right: freedom of association, which being fundamental to all humans may not be legislated away. This means that no group or individual may be forced to join any group or organization unwillingly. Anything less is slavery, de facto. Call me un-American, but I believe in liberty and all that it entails. Please don't tell me to leave my property, because there is no place on planet earth where some gang of thieves will not try to force my association and demand tribute against my will. I am perfectly fine living right where I am, and my neighbors and I seem to get along just fine, despite whatever political and philosophical differences may exist between us. It is this simple foundation of non-aggression upon which society is built. It is aggression, private or under the guise of the state which reduces our potential and breaks society down. Yours, in Liberty and Peace.

Re: "Those "folks" already have sworn and oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to obey the orders of the President. If they violate that oath out of loyalty to a "sovereign Texas," they won't be sent to Texas, they'll be sent to jail."

Too bad that we can't seem to get any of the congress critters and other Beltway leeches to uphold their own oaths (or affirmations). I am willing to bet that if the constitution were respected, followed, and not treated like, "A goddamn piece of paper," we would have a lot less Federal meddling in all of our lives and a lot less fodder for the secessionist movement.

Despite that fact, the very nature of the state itself is incompatible with freedom. How can one group of people assume the monopoly on arbitration and protection and unilaterally decide what price it will charge for its "services." Furthermore by what judicial principle may this same group of people act as both judge and defendant or plaintiff in disputes involving itself? Even a five year old knows that is a rigged system. Devolution of power is to the betterment of society as a whole, in this the secessionists are right.

How hypocritical are those statists who condemn the fledgling Coast Guard of Somalia. They are only trying to institute a state. They are only trying to exert a Federal power over those passing through territory it has claimed under its protection.

This isn't the 19th Century. Unlike in the 19th Century, the 2nd Amendment now applies to everyone, not just a privileged class. Half of the state doesn't look like the folks who went down at the Alamo, they enjoy being citizens of the United States.Furthermore, about 1/3 of Texans would love to retake the state they believe was taken from their ancestors long ago. I hope these people do try and succeed, it will be a battle yes, but we'll finally be able to rid ourselves of traitors and join modernity like most of the rest of the country. These are the last days of Republican(or whatever they call themselves) rule in Texas anyway, Texas will become a blue state just like every other large diverse state in the country.What more glorious lesson to teach the young generation than allow them to be able to use their 2nd Amendment rights to defend their country from traitors? I think that is just what this country needs to bring it together...getting rid of those that want to tear it apart! God Bless the United States!

"As to what was and wasn't settled in 1865: What was settled was that a creepy nationalist, someone who shares the same political philosophy as Mr. Garcia, raped the Constitution, suspended habeas corpus with no legal authority, jailed journalist and legislators who criticized him, and instigated the deaths of 650,000 people."

When did we start talking about George W. Bush again???? My bad, I guess you meant Abraham Lincoln- that creepy nationalist who died trying to keep this country together. I do think it is a little odd that all the secessionists come out of the woodwork when a black man is elected president. Why didn't we hear any of this stuff when the Republicans were ruining this country? Maybe you could move to Somalia, I hear they don't have a government which is what you all claim to want. Pathetic.

When you think about it, about a third of the population of just about any state is going to be pretty stupid. After all, someone has to occupy the left side of the IQ bell curve. The stupid manifests itself in different ways in different locales. In Texas, the current manifestation is this secessionist nonsense. Thank goodness the rest of the bell curve is there, to keep stupidity from descending into tragedy.

Texas secede? They don't get one square inch of Texas soil. What they get is the option of having their US citizenship revoked and allowed to immigrate to their ancestral country of origin. Let them try all the bravado and macho crap in England, Ireland, Germany, etc. Besides, isn't it time to give North Carolina a break and relocate the 82nd Airborne to just outside the Austin statehouse? That's probably the best "friendly reminder" to the secessionists that Texas in in the union for the long haul. The issue of dissolving the union was settled almost 150 years ago. Get over it.

"When did we start talking about George W. Bush again???? My bad, I guess you meant Abraham Lincoln- that creepy nationalist who died trying to keep this country together. I do think it is a little odd that all the secessionists come out of the woodwork when a black man is elected president. Why didn't we hear any of this stuff when the Republicans were ruining this country? Maybe you could move to Somalia, I hear they don't have a government which is what you all claim to want. Pathetic."

George Bush deserves to be held without bail and tried for treason. Many of us were loud and clear about Mr. Bush during his coup d'etat, I mean presidency. And unlike Lincoln, who no less than 14 times between 1853-1859 said blacks were inferior to whites, I could not care less about Mr. Wonderful, er, Obama's skin color. Racism is the lowest form of small mindedness. But far be it from me to explain small mindedness to you, Anonymous.

For a fair review of Mr. Messiah's, er, Obama's record to date, try,

http://www.humblelibertarian.com/2009/04/first-100-days-list-of-100-of-obamas.html

If he and the gang of thieves in the District of Criminals continues at this rate secession will be a far less academic discussion.

Regarding your Somalia non-sequitur, well, let's just leave it at that.

The idea of dissolving the union was settled 150 years ago? Yeah at the point of a gun. I guess might makes right eh ? Any drooling moron can tell you that force does not a settled issue make, it merely kills the guy you disagree with. Besides do you really think the Unites States will last forever ? How quaint. The ancient Romans thought the same thing, so did the leaders of the Soviet Union. All gone now. So what will become of the US? Its only a matter of time and the right circumstances before regional difference bring secession of at least some areas. Alaska is a far better candidate then Texas, and even California was its own country for a short time, which is of course what Texas was as well. You only need to read Thomas Jefferson to know that secession is a real option when the time comes.

And besides, why shouldn't Texans get to keep their Texas soil ? Does it belong to the blood suckers in DC ? NO. Does it belong to anyone else outside of Texas, No. Even Gorbachev, an avowed Commie, allowed the states to secede from the Soviet Union, to go to war over secession is more Totalitarian then a Commie, historically speaking.

Hmmmm. Looks like the bell curve applies to unbridled hostility just as it does to IQ.

Don't let Oklahoma hit you in the a@@ when you leave.

I want Texas to secede; for years, I was advocating that we trade Texas to Mexico for two warm cases of Dos Equis. But, if Texas will just leave--I'll be happy. After all, Texas holds the distinction of seceding from TWO different countries because they wanted slavery.

You go your way, we'll go ours. How can we miss you if you refuse to go?

My Texas roots run deep. Born and bred. My ancestors fought in the war for Texas Independence. My mom has a DTR marker on her grave. But if Texas secedes, this AMERICAN is leaving and never coming back. One nation indivisible.

"...one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Look who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance. Socialist/Totalitarian Francis Bellamy. The intent of the Declaration, Articles of Confederacy and Constitution was that the states were sovereign and could dissolve their relationship with the Union at will. But it was cretins like Hamilton, Lincoln and Bellamy who worked to undermine this.

BTW, check out the photo of the creepy Nazi salute first used in conjunction with the Pledge. They stopped using this salute and put the hand over the heart when the Nazi's co-opted it from us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

Love it or leave it and don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out bitches. We've had a belly full of Texas and we don't need you.

Texans who want to leave America: There's a border south of you. Walk across it and don't come back.

@ On 4/30/2009 11:04:56 AM, Anonymous,

"Texans beleive like the original founding fathers, "IN GOD WE TRUST""?

You're a moron. None of the founding fathers were alive during the red scare.

"Couldn't ya'll have thought to do this 9 years ago? If you leave you get the Iraq War and the deficits of the last 8 years as part of the divorce."

How about you guys get to own a part of that Connecticut Yankee George W. Bush whose parents refused to let him actually grow up in Texas? He's from YOUR side, you know.