This week, Republican governors across the country escalated their conflict with the Biden administration over the southern border by invoking the same legal theory that slave states wielded to justify secession before the Civil War.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, joined by 25 other GOP governors, now argues that the Biden administration has violated the federal government’s “compact” with the states—an abdication that justifies state usurpation of federal authority at the border.
This language embraces the Confederacy’s conception of the Constitution as a mere compact that states may exit when they feel it has been broken. It’s dangerous rhetoric that transcends partisan grandstanding. And as before, it’s being used to legitimize both nullification and dehumanization.
I invoke the Sherman Rebuke of Secession.
Speeding towards a 21st century version of American civil war doesn’t seem the smartest thing to do. 🙄
As opposed to a 21st century version of the Jim Crow century? Ceding lawful Federal authority to ultraconservative states is nothing less than a cession of the rights of US society to ultraconservative cretins, and is notoriously hard to reverse.
You’re right. The GOP is bonkers at this point.
Yeah. My thinking is that a forceful response by the US government will end up more “Ruby Bridges” than “Sherman’s March”, but we also must be ready for the latter if the GOP proves insane enough to escalate. I think it was Sherman who once wrote that the wages of tolerating secession would be eternal war, as local powers squabble and quarrel and attempt to oppress one another, and the central government becomes powerless and eventually withers away - or becomes authoritarian as people (foolishly) begin to yearn for a ‘strong man’ to restore order.
The thing is, Republicans here don’t actually want to escalate, or at least the Republican politicians. They want to scream loudly that whatever Biden does is hurting them, their constituents, and the country, whether it’s “weak” inaction or authoritarian action. It is an election year after all.
Will the radicalized, bloodthirsty Republican population escalate though? That’s maybe more likely. I’d be more concerned for violence as a minority in these states than as the National Guard.
The GOP has been blackmailing and gaslighting the public with callbacks to Puritanical values for decades, but now their true bigotry is showing and they should be dismissed for the hypocrites they are.
Civil War in the U.S. is highly unlikely in the current economy. Firstly because big business would never allow that kind of hit to the stock market, but also because you’re not going to get people leaving their families and going to the front lines when everyone is living paycheck-to-paycheck without a draft and good luck with trying to institute a draft.
Also… ya know, a big mismatch in technology. Sure a lot of folks have ARs and shit, some folks have Barret .50 cal sniper rifles. None of them have a fucking AH-64E Apache.
You need an F-15, not an AR-15.
What about an F-150? There’s plenty of those and last time I checked 150 is more than 15.
The usual comeback is “well, look at where the bases are!”
I don’t think it’s a coincidence they are located in the south.
Dude, there’s military bases all over the country…
Ok so, re-reading my comment from 9 hours ago, I can honestly say I don’t know what my train of thought was.
No worries dude… I know I’ve been exactly in that spot
Sure you are. One of the first things every civil war starts out doing is paying soldiery. What better way to lure those living paycheck-to-paycheck than offering them a paycheck AND a cause?
Pay them with what? What money do you think Texas has?
Texas is in the top five states that receive federal aid.
And before you say oil, how are they going to export it with the US Navy blockading them? They don’t have the ships to go up against the US Navy.
Plenty of businessmen who are absolute fucking loons. Just look at the Mypillow guy. Same way the American Revolution got started, and the US Civil War. Rich folk loan the rebel government money either out of idealism or as a bet on the success on the rebels.
My point isn’t that it’s sustainable. My point is that it’s very possible to lure people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck to get involved in a war at the outset. The issue comes if the war drags on, and the rebel government starts to have trouble paying wages.
That’s really just a measure of population. Texas is one of the few red “giver” states
ETA: To answer your question, they could do the same as last time. They would issue confederate promissory notes, which would only have worth if they win. Probably at inflated numbers to appeal to greed and bypass the obvious problems with that idea
Probably some confedcoin crypto sham this time around!
Plus they would have to put down their iphones to go fight and give up their gaming.
Nah, my steam deck comes with me to the front
They’re not smart people.
Yeah it does, time to fight and get it over with.
Start new on the other side.