If France today witnessed it's government with a 30% or less approval rating, hence it's people would call a general strike and that government would grind to a halt and be headed for ouster rather quickly. But that is an example of "a government controlled by it's people". Ironically, the USA who's founding principles set out to do even more than that, has crashed and burned, with it's leader now having only a 24% approval and it's Congress at 11%. As for it's people, they have no control of the situation, rather the situation keeps gaining more control over them.
American democracy now being dismantled from it's citizenry is left with only one alternative; "secession". For a "regional example", eventually the peoples of the States of let's say, "New York" and the "New England States" for instance, will find that their only hopes of securing their borders, reducing their federal budgets, cutting their property taxes and remedying their immigration, medical and socials ills, will be to secede from the Union of the United States and to form their own neighboring country. It is America's inevitable fate in the end. All it needs is the first shining example and all it's war machinery needs is to be brought under a more sane control by "a flight of funds"!
Paul Casson
Minnesota, USA
...to place the concept of secession in the mainstream of political thought. Our intent is to proclaim that secession is a viable and legal right and a practical solution to contemporary problems. Secondly, we desire to build a coalition of groups seeking autonomy and independence within the current United States. Mutual support for the concept of self-determination and secession will eventually benefit all groups seeking freedom.How exactly has the project measured up in achieving this goal you might ask. Certainly much has been accomplished over all in terms of placing secession closer to mainstream thought and certainly coalitions have begun to form with the notion of mutual support. These are wonderful events, two national Secessionist Conventions have occurred since the formation of the ASP. It would be dishonest, and narcissistic, to believe that the ASP actually had much or anything to do with this progress. Our great allies in this struggle accomplished these feats, we owe much to The Middlebury Institute, The Vermont Commons, The League of The South and the Second Vermont Republic. One cannot mention the current secession movement in America without thinking of Kirkpatrick Sale, he has been the most vocal advocate for secession as a legitimate and legal resource of the people and states over the last three years. There are of course many others that have championed this cause and forced the issue into the national media. Cory Burnell was the driving force and face and voice of Christian Exodus - this forced the issue of secession into the news media. The League of The South published the Grey Book, a manifesto for Southern Independence, and groups in Hawaii and other states expanded their membership base.
Still you ask, what exactly has the ASP done to further the cause and accomplish our charter? Our accomplishments have been small compared to our allies - this much is certain. We are not ashamed of this, in fact we rejoice that we are not a lone voice in the wilderness. We take great pride in being part of something that will ultimately, we believe, change the very nature of human liberty and government on the American continent.
Our meager accomplishment:
- 44, 315 unique visitors to our main site - this is of course a small number of hits considering the time frame but we do receive a lot of email, much from students doing research for school. A visit to our site is often the first honest treatment of secession these young minds have ever experienced.
- Published The Secessionist Papers, a collection of 20 essays dealing with numerous aspects of secession. The list of contributors that have agreed to participate includes notable authors such as Dr. Walter Brock, Dr, Thomas E. Woods, Kirkpatrick Sale and Thomas J. DiLorenzo.
- Created the States' Rights Bloggers' Alliance, a coalition of 30 blogs dealing with the issue of States' Rights specifically and secession occasionally.
- Published the Declaration of States' Rights, with 235 signatures collected thus far.
- Started an ASP Google Mail list Group with 31 members, small but growing.
- Operated four blogs with a total of 53,342 unique visitors during the period. (visit The League of The Scarlet Pimpernel for our 'freshest' content)
- Participated in two doctoral research projects concerning secession issues.
What do we hope to accomplish over the next three years (and how you can help)
- Gather 10,000 signatures for the Declaration of States' Rights. How? See below.
- Get some governmental body - state legislature or even county council - to pass a resolution supporting the Declaration of States' Rights. Why? A resolution of support would of course not make this law but it certainly would make news and it would be a step in the right direction to have a local government stand up and say that enough is enough.
- Breath life into this particular blog with regular updates on secession issues in America and around the world.
- Expand the States' Rights Bloggers' Alliance by actively engaging like minded bloggers across the blogsphere and encouraging them to join with us in this important discussion.
- Create Volume II of the Secessionist Papers , written and published for the common man.
- We need a blogger, someone familiar with the blogsphere that has the time, energy and commitment to dedicate to this blog and the States' Rights Bloggers' Alliance (or a team of bloggers). This person or people must be willing to update regularly to the blogs with fresh content and be willing and able to tactfully engage others on their blogs via comments and trackbacks. Interested? Please email.
- State organizations already exist in many states, The Declaration of States' Rights is an easy tool to build consensus in states where organizations do not already exist. We need people that love their states to stand up and engage their neighbors. Encourage them to sign the declaration, encourage your county council to pass a resolution supporting the Declaration. All politics are local, stand up and act locally, realizing that others will support you by acting locally in their homes and states. Real freedom in our time will not be achieve without such overt acts.
- Encourage like-minded writers, academics, and even lawyers to submit new essays for Volume II of the Secessionist Papers. Our message must cover the entire spectrum of the issue, current political troubles, historical precedence as well and legal and Constitutional interpretations. A movement like this cannot move forward without such a philosophical underpinning.
- Bottom line ---- Get Involved!
¶ 7:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
I would not lose any sleep if the Scots voted to repeal the 1707 act. Independence need not end the United Kingdom: Scotland and England shared a monarch before 1707, as Britain and Canada do today. Separation need be no more radical than the partial autonomy of a dozen European countries from their neighbours. Borders were not sealed or passports cancelled under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. If eastern Europe can handle partition, so can Britain.
The phased withdrawal of the subvention would be traumatic, but it would do Scotland nothing but good to learn that public money does not grow on English trees. If economic history teaches anything, it is that huge inflows of aid rot an economy, while "unearned" wealth, as from oil, is usually wasted. The phased end of the subsidy would be thoroughly good for Scotland, not bad.
Partition is the new politics, despite being the hobgoblin of centralism. It is through partition that Ireland is booming, Slovakia reviving and the Baltic states prospering. The British government is in favour of it for everyone else, even forcing it on the former Yugoslavia and Iraq/Kurdistan. This year it welcomed Montenegro to Europe's community. By what hypocrisy do Westminster grandees ridicule Scotland's ambition?
Big federal states were fine when governments were small and unobtrusive. Today's governments are elephantine and unresponsive to local sentiment. That is why Spain, France and Italy have all opted for constitutional devolution in the past two decades, fending off separatist pressure. Anti-federalism is why European public opinion revolted against Brussels last year, and why there is no more talk of a Scandinavian union. As for size being crucial to viability, this is corporatist rubbish. If Denmark is viable, why not Scotland?
All such considerations must anyway bow before self-determination. If the Scots want to repeal the 1707 act (as some Britons want to repeal the European Union's treaties), the British cannot deny it. The story of the past quarter-century is that states enjoy no legitimacy without the consent of their territorial minorities. Britain went to war for this principle in Kosovo.
¶ 10:25 AM 0 comments links to this post
The first North American Secessionist Convention was held in Vermont last week-end [November 3-5, 2006] and attracted more than three dozen people from groups actively working for secession from the United States.
The gathering, sponsored by the Middlebury Institute (http://www.middleburyinstitute.net - "for the study of separatism, secession, and self-determination"), drew 43 people, with delegatesfrom 16 secessionist organizations in 18 states, including Hawaii, Alaska, Cascadia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, andNew Hampshire.
The convention issued a document outlining its basic points of agreement at the end of the meeting. The Burlington Declaration stated:
We, the participants in the First North American Secessionist Convention, though representing many different and diverse groups and constituencies, agree on the following principles as representing the truths of natural law and historical experience:
1. Any political entity has the right to separate itself from a larger body of which it is a part and peaceably to establish its independence as a free and legitimate state in the eyes of the world.
2. Governments are instituted among peoples, deriving their just powers from the consent of their citizens, and whenever any form of government becomes destructive of the legitimate goals of life, liberty, prosperity, and self-determination, it is the right of the people in democratic fashion to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
3. Any government formed by and dependent upon a constitution to regulate its actions and affairs has certain legitimate powers delegated to it, but any powers not so delegated are reserved to the people of that state and their democratically chosen political bodies.
4. Nations once independent should engage in peace, commerce, good will, and honest friendship with all nations, and observe good faith, justice, and harmony toward all, but establish entangling relationships with none, nor engage in colonial dominance, political or economic, over any.
5. Direct democracy, with one vote for each and every citizen (as the polity shall designate citizenship), has proven to be a desirable form of governance among people, but it can operate with justice and equality only when at a small enough scale that each person may be known to every other person; when representative forms of government are undertaken, they should likewise best be established at a scale small enough so that each representative can be informed of the opinions and beliefs of the general run of the people in the constituency or community which that person is chosen to represent.
It is within this body of principles that we ask all governments to operate and it is by them that we ourselves, individually and the organizations we represent, intend to be guided.
Burlington, Vermont
November 4, 2006
Peoples who have in the past been forced into submission and denied their right of self-determination are increasiingly re-asserting their identity and fundamental right to preserve their culture.¶ 12:27 AM 0 comments links to this post
North American Secessionist Convention
Kirkpatrick Sale, Founder of the Middlebury Institute, wrote an excellent article in Counter Punch discussing the upcoming Secessionist Convention and Secession in general. (link via Dru)
Carol Moore discusses the convention here.
Lara DeLuz argues for Cascadian secession.
One thing you can do to support this effort is sign the Declaration of States' Rights petition. Not all secessionist agree that the concept of nation-states has any role in modern secession talk (primarily libertarian theorist) however a significant number of others do believe states have a role and retain sovereignty.
Regardless of which side of that philosophical fence you find yourself on one thing is clear - the nation-state does exist and our home states are agents of our will. A resurgence in states' rights would be a key step toward achieving a more decentralized form of government and would very possibly open the door to peaceful secession. Once that is accomplished those that advocate a nation-state model or the libertarian community based model can figure out how and if decentralization should continue in their home.
The American Secession Project plans to present the petition with signatures to the Middlebury Institute prior to the convention - as a measure of support for the cause, our small contribution.
Pass the word around, sign the petition, there are still a few days remaining.
¶ 11:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
South Carolina could never forcefully demand independence with military use - that would be "insane."
¶ 10:29 AM 0 comments links to this post
Iraq IS a multicultural nation, which is why the Neocons have resisted partition for so long, just as the US resisted partition as a solution in that unfortunate multicultural experiment in the Balkans called Bosnia—even to this day, UN troops are the only thing preventing a resumption of inter-ethnic conflict.¶ 8:45 AM 0 comments links to this post
An independent commission set up by Congress with the approval of President George W Bush may recommend carving up Iraq into three highly autonomous regions, according to well informed sources.
Amazing, smart folks have said for three years that this is the only viable solution - just now the clowns in charge are beginning to consider this option.
Well if regional autonomy is found to be good for Iraq why not here in the US too?
¶ 11:14 PM 0 comments links to this post
"We pay our military to fight Islamofacism, and we pay the Middle East to
fund terrorism. How we can stop terrorism and dictatorships: stop buying oil."
This is in response to an OP/ED by Thomas Friedman. He makes a good argument that libertarians and paleoconservatives understand - tariffs are a BAD thing. ¶ 6:26 AM 0 comments links to this post
"Who knows? Maybe when my children are grown up and posting articles on¶ 6:12 AM 0 comments links to this post
their own blogs, secession will be a major issue and a realistic possibility.
Maybe not, but we can hope."
-Albert Taylor Bledson "
Kudos to a young lass from GA with the right stuff. ¶ 2:50 AM 0 comments links to this post
Here is an interesting article that describes yet another way that states' rights are violated and federal power increased, in this case by folks that give lip service to reducing the size and scope of the Federal government. ¶ 8:34 AM 0 comments links to this post
Is the document below correct? Someone please post corrections if this is not.
"The Kingdom of Hawaii Nou Ke Akua Ke Aupuni O Hawaii
Announces Secession From the United States of America
Declaration of Independence - Kanaka eleu, Imua!
The Kanaka Maolis, Hawaiis stout-hearted, honorable indigenous people, have never recognized the jurisdiction of the United States over our lives, lands, seas, customs, and our fortunes. Many Kanaka Maolis have been destroyed attempting to free themselves from the cruelty and the injustices of an American government that cares nothing for the rights of the indigenous people of Hawaii, but only for the richness of the lands and seas and Hawaiis strategic military potential. Many Kanaka Maolis have been molested, raped, beaten, imprisoned, and murdered in the furtherance of American imperialism. Yet we live.
We, as with the many Peoples of Oceania with whom we share a common heritage, feel it is eminently indisputable, based upon all evidences extant, that the unlawful overthrow of the kingdom of Hawaii and the forcing of the Kanaka Maolis into servitude cannot be denied.
Historical records, particularly those concerning biography and genealogy, document a general consensus affirming Hawaiis independence. Tradition, history, literary analysis, and, above all of these, the test of prayerful research and truth-seeking investigation unite to demonstrate the authenticity of the facts proving that the kingdom of Hawaii was destroyed by the United States government.
The culture of the United States is inimical to our ancestral traditions and customs. For nearly 2,000 years we determined our lives under the laws of our kingdom and by the sanctity of our lands, but the United States imposed its will on us through deceit, fraud, theft, conspiracy, and military force.
We, the indigenous peoples of Hawaii, emphatically reject incorporation into the United States of America, and hereby announce secession. We do this with clarity of mind, good conscience, and a determined will. We are ready to sacrifice our worldly assets and our very lives to see the kingdom of Hawaii restored. So say we all.
May Almighty Gods will be done. Aeia Ke Akua Mano Loa Kauoha hana, hooko." ¶ 11:32 AM 0 comments links to this post
This occurs all over.... ¶ 5:30 AM 0 comments links to this post
Interesting piece that describes yet another Federal government tactic to usurp power. ¶ 5:07 AM 0 comments links to this post
Mr Hain said the Government of Wales Act would now 'endure for a generation or more'.
'It will enable the Assembly to deliver tailor-made policies for the people of Wales,' he added.
Mr Morgan said the new Act heralded a 'new dawn for devolution'. " Read More... ¶ 7:45 AM 0 comments links to this post
David Barton, usually a soldier for correct historical representation, recently attacked the sovereignty of the States and the right of Americans to change their form of government. Although his column correctly praised some valiant men who fought courageously, it began with terrible falsehoods about American history. I wrote him a letter to set the record straight and am making it available to our website readers so that the truth may stand in opposition to lies. The letter follows.
Dear Mr. Barton,
I recently read your column entitled "The Civil War: Honoring Courageous Soldiers." I've long been a believer in the work of Wallbuilders, but that column began as an offensive piece of propaganda.
First let me say I am adamantly opposed to racism and consider slavery to be the second greatest of all American evils; abortion being our greatest national sin. Also, I'm inspired by the courage of Christian black men on both sides of the War Between the States (you chose only to highlight those of the aggressor nation). But I'm upset by your irresponsible statement that "Numerous Founding Fathers – including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, and others – had previously rejected any so-called 'right' of secession." Are you ignorant on this subject or are you purposely promoting a centralist agenda? You know historical quotes better than I, but here are several acknowledging the "right" of secession:
- "If any State in the Union will declare that it prefers separation with the first alternative to a continuance in union without it, I have no hesitation in saying 'let us separate.' I would rather the States should withdraw which are for unlimited commerce and war, and confederate with those alone which are for peace and agriculture." --Thomas Jefferson to William H. Crawford, 1816
- "Can any reasonable man be well disposed towards a government which makes war and carnage the only means of supporting itself -- a government that can exist only by the sword?" Alexander Hamilton, 1788
- "Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable - a most sacred right - a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world." Abraham Lincoln, in Congress January 12, 1848
- "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." Declaration of Independence, 1776
So let's review. Thomas Jefferson specifically acknowledged the right of secession as late as 1816. Alexander Hamilton, the ardent centralist that he was, rebuked any government that would wield the sword in order to maintain its existence; and yet that’s exactly what the Lincoln administration did in 1861, and you praised them for it. Yet in 1848, Congressman Abraham Lincoln himself blatantly defended this "right" of secession. But to top it all off we need look no further than our nation’s birth certificate, America’s creation document, the Declaration of Independence, which unequivocally establishes the right of any people to secede. Indeed, the American colonies seceded from the British Empire.
To add insult to injury you stated, "[Daniel] Webster eloquently proved that there was no such right under the Constitution and that to secede would be an act of treason." I've seen Webster's so-called "proof" and it's nothing but retarded fiction. The entire basis for his argument was the absurd claim that the Union created the States. What alternative universe was he living in? A public school sophomore, or 3rd grade homeschooler, can identify the plain historical and undeniable fact that the States voluntarily created the Union.
Furthermore, the accusation of treason is too frequently and lightly levied today and does not pertain to an act of secession. The U.S. Constitution defines treason as, "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." Treason must involve "levying war," "adhering to enemies," or "giving aid and comfort" to said enemies. You said that "to secede would be an act of treason." Secession is a peaceful change in government by vote of the governed people. It does not involve "war" or "enemies" of any sort. As proof, seven States peacefully seceded by February of 1861 and formed another union, a separate sovereign nation. They were independent in this union for two months before attempting to expel a belligerent foreign nation from their soil (sounds very similar to some of the reasons the U.S. went to war with Britain in 1812) at Fort Sumter. This foreign nation, the United States, then chose to raise an army and invade the C.S.A. in an attempt to conquer and subjugate it. It was the U.S. that sought a war of aggression against an otherwise peaceful and independent nation to the South. The point being that secession itself is peaceful and therefore cannot possibly be treasonous. Force is never used to secede, but is always used to conquer (prevent secession) after the people seceding have peacefully spoken. In other words, force is always initiated by the opponents of self-determination, not the secessionists.
Lastly, I'll give you the exact texts that declare the rights of States to leave the union:
- "The People of Virginia declare and make known that the powers granted under the Constitution being derived from the People of the United States may be resumed by them whensoever the same shall be perverted to their injury or oppression and that every power not granted thereby remains with them and at their will;" Virginia ratification of the U.S. Constitution, June 26, 1788, accepted as lawful ratification
- "That the Powers of Government may be resumed by the People [of New York], whensoever it shall become necessary to their Happiness;" New York ratification of the U.S. Constitution, July 26, 1788, accepted as lawful ratification
- "That the powers of government may be resumed by the people [of Rhode Island], whensoever it shall become necessary to their happiness:" Rhode Island ratification of the U.S. Constitution, May 29, 1790, accepted as lawful ratification
- "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Again, let's review. Virginia, New York and Rhode Island (two northern States by the way) all reserved the right to leave the union when they ratified the U.S. Constitution. Their ratifications were accepted in entirety. And to further solidify the right of a State to leave the union we can point directly to text in the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution does not delegate power to the general government to coerce a member of the union with force of arms. Furthermore, the Constitution does not prohibit a State from leaving the union. Therefore, the right to leave the union is reserved to the States, and the federal government cannot invade it with troops to prevent such exercise of sovereignty.
There are a number of debatable subjects regarding American government. However, the right of a State to leave this voluntary union is not one of them. The existence of this "right" is indisputable. Every historical event in our nation's founding points to this truth.
Sincerely,
Cory R. Burnell, MBA
"The Quebec government is demanding that Ottawa give it more room to operate on foreign policy, and officials say the federal government is preventing the province from taking a more prominent role.¶ 6:49 PM links to this post
'We're going to have quite the debate with Ottawa,' said Benoit Pelletier, Quebec's intergovernmental affairs minister, in an interview with Canadian Press."
"More than one-third of western Canadians surveyed this summer thought it was time to consider separation from Canada, a poll suggests.¶ 7:18 PM 1 comments links to this post
In the survey, 35.6 per cent of respondents from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia agreed with the statement: Western Canadians should begin to explore the idea of forming their own country.
Albertans, at 42 per cent, were most apt to consider independence, followed by Saskatchewan at 31.9 per cent. Residents of B.C. and Manitoba were the least likely to consider separation, at 30.8 and 27.5 per cent respectively."
"At present they are English, but outside sport they have no way of showing it. That's wrong. But if they got their own parliament again, then they could point to it knowing it was originally founded in 1153 and existed as the very Mother of Parliaments and the seed bed of modern democracy, and proudly say, that's part of what we've achieved as the English nation."And it makes total sense. ¶ 7:25 AM 1 comments links to this post
The move from pubescence to maturity will take place in a very simple, unromantic, practical, straighforward location: a plain, black, metal, cubic container with a slot - the ballot box - the most powerful authority in Scotland. Remember the Claim of Right?
The Scots rule Scotland, no-one else. The fact that we currently choose, every few years, to delegate that responsibility to a trans-national Union (sic) is a sign of the tragic depths of the Scottish Cringe gleefully propagated by The Establishment, eg. the British Broadcasting Corporation, and the British Labour Party (Scotlandshire Parish Cooncil Branch). (The Scottish Cultural Cringe.)" ¶ 11:23 PM 0 comments links to this post
"Foreigners" would include all you vacationeers from the "mainland". Hawaii has a solid case for independence. Seccession seems the only remedy for so many of our ills, let it begin in Hawaii. ¶ 4:47 PM 3 comments links to this post
Read the entire piece: ¶ 8:23 PM 0 comments links to this post
It's not quite the Hartford Convention, but it's certainly newsworthy. ¶ 5:14 PM 1 comments links to this post
Robust set of links to various worldwide movements ¶ 5:12 PM 0 comments links to this post
excellent read ¶ 5:07 PM 0 comments links to this post
A group for those that support NE Secession (we support your efforts) ¶ 4:58 PM 0 comments links to this post
A more honest comment on Dr Woods' new book. ¶ 12:26 PM 0 comments links to this post
Dr. Thomas E. Woods is a frequent contributor on Lew Rockwell and of course he is the author of Seccesionist No. 10.
His latest work, The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History is described as: "Almost everything you know about American history is wrong, because most textbooks and popular history books are written by left-wing academic historians who treat their biases as fact. But fear not, Professor Thomas Woods has written the perfect antidote. This delightful book funny and inviting, but factually sound-shatters the myths about American history and separates fact from fiction."
There is a whole lot of chatter on the blogsphere about this, check it out here or here.
Go out and buy the book, especially before you bash the man as most seem to be doing.
Recedite, plebes! Gero rem imperialem
El Cid ¶ 7:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
Intersting article on Salon ¶ 4:31 PM 0 comments links to this post
People from all walks of life, conservative and liberal like the idea of secession ¶ 10:09 AM 0 comments links to this post
It is encouraging that some the left as well as the right see the value in local and individual freedom ¶ 4:13 PM 0 comments links to this post
from the Union. (Reference the Texas-American Annexation Treaty of 1848.) "
We would not dispute the Texas right to secede, we would dispute that it is the only state with such a right. (there were 13 original Colonies that were independent nation States according to the Treaty of Paris and all the remaining state joined of their own free will). There are many justifications for the right of secession in each state. ¶ 10:01 AM 1 comments links to this post
It is time to seek a new relationship with Canada- Western Canadian secession thoughts
Republic of Alberta
Western Canada Concept
¶ 11:04 AM 0 comments links to this post
