There’s buzz about secession. Ronald Holland shows some strategic pitfalls in an excellent column. Asking the White House to comment on the secession of one or more states won’t move the President, Congress, the courts, or the military. But it is symbolic of the exhaustion many people feel as they watch the crony political class squander their treasure and their liberty.
Secession can be seen as a last resort form of “interposition of the lower magistrate.” The interposition concept comes from early Calvinists, including John Calvin. It had a huge influence on the American Revolution.
Interposition means that the chosen leader of a group, a magistrate, has moved to block the bad actions of a higher authority. Such a leader can…
* Speak against bad policies
* Organize his constituents
* Work to defeat current officeholders
* Sue
* Launch recalls
* Stall or incompletely implement bad laws
* Refuse to enforce bad policies
And when all else fails, the lower magistrate can even lead a secession movement.
“When all else fails” is a crucial phrase. Thomas Jefferson put it deftly, “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”
These were not idle words. America’s Founder acted as Jefferson preached. They followed a policy of incremental interposition.
INTERPOSITION IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Our Founders began with the existing legal framework. They asked the King to redress grievances.
The King’s ministers responded with further taxes and regulations. They even charged John Hancock with smuggling. Hancock interposed with a retaliatory boycott. The King escalated again. He taxed colonial tea to favor an English cartel — an early example of the cronyism that afflicts us now.
The King then spurned more appeals, so Boston’s Sons of Liberty turned aggressive with their “tea party.” But even this step was incremental. They broke only a lock and ruined some tea. They harmed no other person or property. Ben Franklin even suggested that the protestors should pay for the tea, and some colonial merchants offered to do so! The British refused.
Instead, the King imposed the “Intolerable Acts.” This removed Massachusetts’ right to self-government. It also quartered troops in colonial homes and gave these soldiers immunity from any crimes they might commit.
This “train of abuses” was evidence that grievances would not be redressed. Tensions heightened. The King then ordered his men to seize the colonist’s guns in the spring of 1775 – something no free people can tolerate. Even then, the colonial response was moderate and incremental. They defended themselves, but they did not initiate violence.
The Continental Congress sent an “Olive Branch Petition” to King George. He refused it, and declared the colonists to be in an “open state of rebellion.” In other words, the King declared the rebellion, not the colonists.
The Continental Congress responded by listing the King’s abuses to justify their acts of self-defense. This was the “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of taking up Arms.” It came a full year before the Declaration of Independence. It was another incremental step before the final break. Please notice…
The magistrates in this story were patient to the point of plodding; they appealed to authority openly and often. This narrative doesn’t justify everything the Colonials’ did during this time. But it does show that the King declared the rebellion, not the colonial magistrates.
This history should guide us now.
CARTS AND HORSES
I’m frustrated. You’re frustrated. Secession seems appealing.
Keep in mind, the last secession attempt was established on dubious grounds and led to destruction. It left a long-lasting legacy of political division and cultural mistrust. Let’s not rush to a similar end.
Don’t put the cart before the horse. Skip no steps. First you must Deny Consent, just as the Founders did.
The Founders provide a good model; so too, do Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. They showed the power of non-violent tactics. They were also incremental. They began small and slowly escalated, as needed.
This requires patience. You will likely lose at each step. But this does not mean you can skip the steps.
Suffering will expand in the short term. The political class may use brute force if it feels threatened. Some will be injured. But you will lose if you respond with violence. Please understand — violence is The State’s strength and your weakness. You must not oppose strength with weakness.
You must learn the power of turning your cheek. It must be clear who the victims are, and who has done wrong. This will cause the wrong-doers to lose support, even from within their own ranks.
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This will take time. It may even exhaust your options. But the exhaustion must come first.
We must reach the point the Founders reached, before a resort to secession can work, or even be justified. But when that point comes, public support will follow; since no steps have been skipped, the case will be evident.
Denying Consent is the first of those steps. This is no minor matter. Thomas Jefferson wrote that all government rests on the consent of the governed. Deny that consent and what does government rest upon then? The answer is “mere violence.”
Our highest priority now is to awaken our neighbors, our families, our co-workers and our friends to the issue of consent. Awful things are being done in their name and with their money. Do they really consent to this?
We must unmask all pretenses. The State is nothing more than a corrupt cartel whose policies benefit only a handful of well-connected cronies.
When enough people understand that, things will change. Maybe it will come to secession, maybe not. But other steps come first, and they cannot be skipped.
I actually felt truly patriotic at the idea of leaving. I found myself whistling the star spangled banner without even knowing it. It was also the first time in my life I really did have a true feeling of patriotism and pride running through me. It made me realize how much I unknowingly hate being in this country. Isn’t that sad? The greatest country in the world for freedom has been ruined to the point where no one likes being here anymore.
@onetenther
It is not strange at all onetenther. It is indeed quite natural, we as Americans over the last 200 years have often confabulated the ideas of liberty, free-markets and limited government with that of America. That is America to us, that is the idea that America was built to be.
The trouble is the Federal Government has also taken on this banner as perhaps it should have in the past in rallying people to defend it from foreign threats. But theses ideas that are America are not necessarily connected to any government at all. Indeed thou-out most of Human history this idea which we call “America” has always been diametrically apposed by governments.
That we should wish to separate from the present Government in the name of what we call America is by no means a surprising thing. It is indeed the very essence of the ideas & values we have imbued into the concepts we have labeled America that resist the athoirty that is a lawless Government.
Washington nearly needs to cross that line before the American thing to do is to rid ourselves of it. We of course know in our hearts that it has crossed that line. Thus from all that we have learned about American ideas & tradition Washington is no more an American Government, than it is a Constitutionally limited Government.
Your Reaction is as such as logical as it is predictable for an American.
Disagreement; This will take time. It may even exhaust your options. But the exhaustion must come first.
We must reach the point the Founders reached, before a resort to secession can work, or even be justified. But when that point comes, public support will follow; since no steps have been skipped, the case will be evident.
There is no set of standard instructions for rogue Governments, simply there are their actions and the results that stand before us.
All actions should be done in non violence and it will be shown that those in Government that are corrupt will in turn start the destructive path. If we were truly only dealing with a corrupt Federal Government would we make good headway but most of us are very aware this corruption has reached our state Governments. Making good choices based on these facts would be the good choices.
Secession even sounds all good and fine but is it, why are some attempting to secede? In reaction to some event or for the the purpose of a Republic? Intent is cause and we should be aware of such causes. Texas actually had one at one time but they gave that up when?
Also revolution is very miss understood and actually means making good choices to start over or to start from a new beginning as in all revolutions of this Universe. Let us stop using the abuses of our Language, dictionaries and start using what we are made of.
Today we need a good mark for decision, we need to know why we decide such acts as secession or to nullify for that reason. We who have looked know it is a Liberty cause to limit poor authority, we know we need Liberty to live a Republic way of life and for this reason we can see the reason at all. Again what set of perfect instructions is there? What assures us these evil doers with nothing to loose will not provoke war? Most of us stand ready because we expect it don’t we?
In truth our Declaration of Independence holds many keys to this effort. The first is to recognize the Government you have, does it support a Republic way of life with Liberty all inclusive or is it Corporate, bought and sold and corrupt beyond all questioning? This included state Government which so few recognize.
When we see crimes and these are any acts that share false authority and do not do the actions of supporting Liberty or a Republic way of life we recognize. Then to list these openly to a just public (just being those who are honest with themselves) to discuss openly as in a Republic and to make good determinations, good choices in a clear like direction so it is clear for the viewing, understanding and accomplishment possibility. Then comes the decision by all those participating to decide to move forward. I know how it was done before, have we not learned anything since then?
Have you not produced any products in your life time to completion? How did that work, what was the mechanics of these choices and activities?
Personally it is time for us who have achieved anything in this life to step up with each other and realize we know how. It sure in the heck was not done through Government because that has been a stop for most of us when dealing with idiocy.
In order to have a cart you have to know you have animal that can pull one, you have to visualize it and plan and decide and act upon such a concept. You even need the know the direction and the why you are going to use one or the purpose will fall apart.
I know this without question, democracies, socialism, and Rule have never produced anything constructive over time and all have destroyed their own empires. I also know and understand the real Republic way of life is where public allow each other participate with each other for resolve and not to dominate each other or they turn to Democracies.
I also recognize me as LIFE (defined as all things with nothing left out) and in order for me to operate in my own capacity I need to constantly create Liberty, this is without question and the evidence resides in our own time as well as times before us. These two basis, or reasonings are good for me as LIFE as well for you as LIFE is it not?
We should question each others intent, we should challenge each other by what we have truly learned in our life times. We should apply the things we are SURE of that support LIFE (defined as all things) without any form of authority over another but that which we have over ourselves and then we should apply what we share with each other the things that accomplish any concept and every producer in this nation should be cognizant of such acts or no ideas would exist before you.
I refuse to sit here and pretend I know nothing and to share myself with those I believe truly want what I want in this life. I understand my connection with all things, LIFE. Truly I know it is our responsibility to do the corrections and to recognize lessons well shared before us. It is truly time to start living for the first day of your real life in support of all things you are connected to.
Which Life was it that Thomas Jefferson spoke to you about? Have you ever asked yourself that question and then answered it? Is it even in a dictionary on this rock that you know of? Have you ever answered something that was not written before you? When is it you recognize your ability to carry such knowledge of you anyway?
To secede is only a start of the acts needed here in unison with nullification, in unison with reason and common sense which is a study of what is actually common agreement amongst which life? And definitely not the agreement of the Aliens to life (those who have no such support by all actions).
I will tell you what if I cannot help you find you and make such choices we are screwed because I am simple and I am as basic as they come. I am only sharing exactly what I am a part of and the lessons of such experiences. Sometimes we have to learn to stand upon our own two feet as we are and be ourselves as we are and by our actions.
If we cannot create and achieve a Republic that is able to sustain itself with Liberty and justice for all, what does this say about us really? What example are we if we cannot simply make a clear concept and get there and hold it in existence?
I hope I made some very clear points of the real issues and actions that need to be done.
3 reasons why secession won’t work
I can see why so many are upset after the elections. There is the sense that government is not responsive to our real needs and desires.
But there are 3 reasons why secession won’t work.
1. The first is because it will NOT resolve the problem.
2. The second reason is the fact that a state is not a nation.
3. The third reason is that most people do not identify with a state as they do with the nation.
Like it or not, we Americans identify with America because it is our native land with a common history and culture. We are proud to be American.
Secession is a superficial, knee-jerk, dead-end reaction that masks the real problem. The real solution is to identify and address the root cause and deeper solution to our problems, which is done by the author John Horvat II in his article A Case Against Secession at http://www.ReturnToOrder.org
@RobertRitchie
1. No it wont, it will only separate from it and possibly allow a coming together to actually do something about it, YTD.
2. Is this written in stone and only defined by this one concept, or is it possible we are capable of other concepts.
3. I actually encourage and become a part of where I live, why move to a state I do not wish to support? Or be a part of communities I belong to?
Which dream America are you living in, mine has been corrupt and coercive for years. I have been consistently lied to since I was two, trained to be a good boy which has nothing to do with learning and got involved with financiers only to find myself a slave to their nonsense and theft ring.
To secede is to separate from the corrupt but part of the problem is the corrupt have infiltrated our states. Personally I am all for rewriting the Declaration of Independence and separating from all government federal and state and beginning a new and actually have. But so few do not understand this document at all and even more don’t have that ambition or honesty to sign it themselves.
But please don’t tell me America is the land of the free, we are the land of the largest theft on its population in the history of the globe, we will be the laughing stock shortly unless we secede, separate or do what ever takes to put in place Liberty inside a Republic way of life and we the producing of this nation are the only capable around making this possible because we know what it means to draw a plan, accumulate ideas to perform the task at hand and accomplish such an objective. But thats going well today isn’t it?
By making these 3 statements you tell you and the rest of us this is your choice and you are not capable of such a task. Well how about looking at this way, these joker, these criminals are actually aliens, not a part of the Life you and I are, they are outside this life and do nothing to support Life in America, their acts, their results all verify this fact, this reality and this effect and we allow it by not opposing their ignorant asses by being independent of their poor limited thinking. As a group they are supposed to be limited, but they are not and it is my and any other who values life to step up or its a lie isn’t it?
When our enemy criminals are more focused than the life around them, when they are more organized than the citizen surrounding them then they shall prevail and the only stop is US unless we do not then they will continue.
In the grand scheme of things I see little harm in asking for permission to part as friends. (Except perhaps to tip a hand that should be no secret.)
While I agree with the author in excusing all other options, such a path to independence will leave us broken & weak. We would have little choice but to make great bargains with foreigners (like china, Russia, & Europe) for support in what would at that point be a very desperate bid in war.
Your right force is the State’s strength, and trying to fight that strength seems foolish. But is a question violent force? Sure the answer is all but certainty, but is not having that answer established in modern record a critical element in setting the stage for future resistance to tyranny? Is this not a possible step towards fully unmasking the true nature of their pretenses?