The moocher counties aren’t going anywhere. However much some of their politicians whinge about lack of representation (usually on idiotic culture-war issues), they’re reliant for their civic lifestyles on hand-outs from the rest of the state. Shasta County is not going to trade welfare from the 5th largest economy on the planet for whatever an empty-quarter agricultural state can give them.
Also, if they leave in an orderly way they would likely have to bring their share of the old state’s debt to the new state. Unless the departing region is economically strong and self-sufficient, this is why they usually opt for limited autonomy or sovereignty association over complete separation.
The only people who ultimately benefit from all this idiotic separatist talk, whether it’s a “national divorce” or “Greater Idaho” or “Calexit” or “The State of Jefferson” are Putin and Xi and their puppets in the U.S. (including EmptyG).
The U.S. may see a Syrian-style civil war yet, but there’s no point in helping it along by humouring the right-wing rubes in the delusion that they’ll be able to make a go it on their own.
A Serbian friend who escaped the civil wars of the former Yugoslavia said exactly that: patchwork, sometimes within households. And very importantly: you can’t be “neutral” in a civil war. When it erupts around you, you have to pick a side. Choosing won’t guarantee survival, but not choosing has a much worse guarantee in store.
My only quibble with Beau’s analysis is that he seems to be coming from an assumption that the blue states would keep the federal government. I bet the GOP fools talking about this “divorce” assume they will keep the federal government, the US dollar, and the military. Then just cut the bits they don’t like out of the federal government
Sometimes I think that everyone advocating “splitting” the red and blue should be forced to spend a week playing “This War of Mine” an incredibly well made and incredibly depressing game where you play someone caught in a conflict like this would be with, neighbor against neighbor.
It is a very well made game. It is not a fun, happy, or exciting game. It’s excruciating. It’s meant to be. That is the point
Then I remember that most of them wouldn’t even get it
“Move County Borders” is not a thing. There is not a single news story anywhere in the world with that phrase in it.
Nobody is talking about moving any county borders anywhere.
If somebody did want to move a county border, it’s not hard to do, wouldn’t involve the federal government, and wouldn’t change anything in Washington. Literally nothing. Representatives are not elected by county.
“Greater Idaho” is not about secession. The greatest possible effect would be that a Republican representative from Oregon would become a Republican representative from Idaho, changing nothing at all in the balance of power.
You’re off topic, you’re making shit up, you’re spreading disinformation. That’s bad.
The only good partition I can recall is Czechoslovakia splitting into Czechia and Slovakia, which seemed to be something both sides entered with very calm tempers.
Travel between the Constitutional and Treasonous states’ zones will likely be fraught with peril, like crossing the old Iron Curtain. Expect much bribery.
