Federal obstacles to secession

The right of secession is one of the most important checks and balances on the power of big governments. The right to secede from the federal government should be permitted to the states. The right to secede from a state should be allowed a county. The right to secede from a county should be allowed a city. The right to secede from a city should be allowed a neighborhood. And lastly, any individual should be allowed to secede from any government and set up her own government.

Customers have a right to secede from a big business and go to another business. This form of competition should be allowed to the consumer in choosing their government. This competition will force governments to try to provide better services to its citizens at the least expense.

There are many federal obstacles to states ability to secede. The obstacles should be addressed now while the members of congress are supposed to represent the states, instead of the federal government. After a state secedes it has no voting power in congress.

The states should have their representatives in congress pass a law that says all federal property inside a state's border will revert to the state if that state secedes. This law would go a long way towards resolving any conflict if a state secedes and federal property is inside that state.

It would be very difficult for a state like Wyoming to declare its independence and claim Yellowstone National Park without a prewritten law that would allow this. If Wyoming declares its independence without the law there is no way the rest of the country will give up Yellowstone Park.

If many states declare their independence without the provision to turn federal property inside those states to the states, the remaining states in the union will see a windfall in value as the roads, parks, forest, grazing lands, and military bases all belong to a few remaining states.

And what if all 50 states declare their independence with the federal property remaining under the control of the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. They will be wealthy just by the amount of property they own.

If all 50 states secede, the mob in Washington D.C. will also own nuclear weapons with which they can blackmail the rest of the world.

Another impediment to secession is the number of people who are dependent on the federal government for Medicare, Social Security, farm aid, etc.

There are also many retired federal employees who would be reluctant to declare their independence and risk losing their pension.

For those who collect Social Security a law should be passed that will refund Social Security taxes paid to anyone who declares their independence.

These issues should be addressed now by the states' representatives in congress.

"To me, it seems a dreadful indignity to have a soul controlled by geography." George Santayana

Charles Tolleson