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Sunday, June 26, 2016

Independence Movements



The successful vote for Britain to leave the EU, Brexit, has given new life to other independence movements. It's no surprise that Scotland is putting independence from Britain back on the table. They wanted to stay in the EU. Same goes for Northern Ireland. Those two movements look likely to succeed.

Of course, Texas independence movements are not new, but they do have a catchy new name, Texit. Now I don't want to mess with Texas, but didn't they push really hard to get into the US the last time they were their own nation? Maybe they should get back to their roots . . . as Northern Mexico.

Okay, I'm just having a little fun here, but then I came across this movement, NH Independence. I'm a citizen of NH and this is the first I've ever heard about them. We do have the Free State Movement but they pretty much are working within the system to change it from within. It's difficult to make any broad sweeping statements about what the Free Staters as they are a bunch of independent thinkers who often disagree amongst themselves.

So where does this all end? At some point do we want to split my town apart because we are in two different river valleys? Do we spit across religious lines? Throw out the French Canadian immigrants who've been coming over the border?

I'm trying to put all this into some sort of historical perspective. We've been in a long period where smaller groups have been clumping together to form larger and larger nations. The US was a bunch of young states that ended up forming a powerful Federal system. The EU was a bunch of older countries that formed a different sort of unit, strong in some areas and weak in others.

In more recent years we've had a breaking apart of big collective units. The USSR is no more, broken apart into many states. Even smaller countries have split apart, North and South Sudan, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Canada almost lost Quebec. There are a lot of little independence movements in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa that hardly anyone has heard about but some of them could be successful. In general, we seem to see a trend where people want to form smaller groups.

I can't even start to figure out the situation in China. They've been going against recent trends with the addition of Hong Kong. However, China is in a state of flux and anything can happen there.

The US could stay a nation but with the individual states once again running their own affairs. Federal powers could be severely limited like they were in the early days of the republic.

Things could turn ugly with a bunch of little squabbling nations continually at odds with each other -like the way Europe used to be. The trick is to get the benefits of a close knit group but without the wars.

I'm also a big fan of freedom of movement. In the US people don't even think about it when they drive across state lines. It was getting that way in Europe, until the refugees swarmed over the borders. Now borders are tightening up.

On a personal level I love freedom. That's one reason I still call NH, the “Live Free or Die” state home. I get that people want to go their own way. If we can do it in so that we can avoid the mistakes of the past, I'm all for it. Just how that's to be done, I'm not sure. Maybe we can replace the United Nations with a system that actually works. Little nations in constant war was bad enough. Now that many of them have access to nukes, chemical and biological weapons, it's unacceptable. The human race has got to get its act together.

-Sixbears



14 comments:

  1. I have been reading your blog for a while but never commented. As a Texan, I take exception to your remarks about my great State. If BHO has his way, Texas will soon become part of Mexico again, considering all the illegals he is allowing to come across our border. I am not in favor of succession from the U. S. but I am also tired of remarks made about Texas by Yankees. Consider Sixbears, the fact that my state has one of the most stable economies of all the states in the union. Large numbers of people are moving to Texas because they can find jobs here. Maybe it would serve you well to appreciate what we stand for down here instead of putting us down.

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    1. I did point out I was just having some fun. I've relatives in TX so it's not like I don't have any skin the game.

      But to be serious for a moment, I don't think either of our states will benefit from leaving the union. However, just about all state would gain if they could manage more of their own affairs.

      I do joke with my relatives that you "don't mess with Texas" because they are so sensitive. You kinda prove my point.

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    2. You can call it sensitive, but I don't think anyone would take kindly to an outsider making deragatory remarks about their state,family,etc. As a 60+ year old native Texan, I have grown weary over the years, of hearing Northeastern folks make fun of Texas and other southern states. We have been regarded as being dumb rednecks. So, yes-I do take exception when you said maybe we should go back to our roots as Norhern Mexico. I am sure that you are proud of your state, and if an outsider put down New Hampshire, you would readily come to her defense. At least, that's how we do things in Texas.

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  2. The problem isn't with the sovereignty of the States. The biggest problem is Washington, DC dictating and bribing what each can and cannot do.

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    1. I did call for dialing back the power of the Feds.

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  3. Hey you might joke about it, but Congressman Rogers of Alabama has introduced a bill to get the US out of the UN, and presumably the UN out of the US. Yea, I don't have much hope of success on that one. But imagine how much revenue that piece of real-estate in Manhattan would generate for the US if it was rented out to the highest bidder. It is about time we stopped subsidizing the country club for tin-pot dictators and gigolos. Perhaps they could take over the EU headquarters in Brussels once that falls apart. At least it would be one way to rid ourselves of O-bumer once he replaces Bonky-monkey as top gigolo.

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    1. I absoulutely, totally agree with you.

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    2. The UN has turned into a mess. The world needs some sort of body to sort out differences without resorting to war, but this ain't it.

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    3. I vote leaders climb into a ring to settle differences . Men did that at one time. I guess the worlds limp wrist P.C. candy asses could entertain us and settle disputes!!!!!

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  4. Ain't gonna happen 'til the Lord comes back.

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    1. I suspect the good Lord will want to know what I did to make the world a better place.

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  5. After eight years of Obama, and now another 8 year of Hillary looming, I'd think you'd be ready to come down here and help us secede from the Union. With Obama and Hillary leading the North, this time we would be successful!

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  6. m silvius,
    have thought for decades that if the
    u.n. could be moved to europe, we would be free of a huge, cancerous tumor attached to the east coast. not to mention the $$$ savings.

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