Dissolve the Political Bands

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another... they should declare the causes which impel them to separation.

Declaration of Independence

 

In the wake of Trump's victory, some in California are calling for the Calexit.  Here in Texas, there had been calls for a Texit during the Brexit campaign.  These secession movements are a sign of rising tyranny from a central government.  The states believe that the central government is going to impose laws and/or taxes upon them that they do not want.  Secession is a perfectly valid solution and I applauded the Brexit.

 

However, another solution would be to diminish the power of the central government in matters that can be managed by the state.  That is called federalism.  If California wants to have boys in the girls' room, there is no need for the federal government to impose that rule on Montana too.  Let Montana decide.  If Massachusetts wants a mandatory universal healthcare system called Romneycare, fine by me.  But don't impose it on all the other states and call it the Affordable Care Act.  If Texas wants everyone to wear a gun in public, don't force that on New York too.  The federal government is suppose to limit itself to interaction among the states (e.g. prevent a trade war between North and South Dakota) and foreign policy.  Most of the money that the federal government currently spends is not authorized by the Constitution.

 

The United States was formed from a secession movement that we now call the American Revolution.  The British Empire felt that the colonies were not paying their 'fair share' for the recently concluded French & Indian War while the colonials were incensed that they would be taxed by a far off parliament in which they had no representation.  The secession movement was successful and we celebrate it annually.

 

A little over four score years later, some of those colonies - now states in the resulting union - decided to secede.  Some in the North were perfectly happy to let the South and its dreadful institution of slavery be cast off from the nation.  Many were not.  In this case, secession was an effort to redraw city limits so the police didn't have jurisdiction over the crimes being committed.  This secession movement was unsuccessful.  Antonin Scalia held that the Civil War determined the Constitutionality of secession but I disagree.

 

Either events allow people to dissolve political bands or they do not.  In the case of the Revolution, they did.  In the case of the Civil War, they did not.  Secession movements are healthy and send important signals to the central government to hold a loose rein.  As Princess Leia noted, "The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

 

The government which governs least, governs best.  By Thomas Jefferson's standard, we have very bad government, the kind of government from which states would rationally want to secede.  Will the government loosen its grip or will secession movements gain steam?  I far prefer the former but, should that grip tighten, would wholeheartedly support the latter.