Walter Williams: It's Time to Part Company

EricM

New member
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams.html

ONE POLITICAL QUESTION we have to answer is whether George W. Bush or Albert Gore shall be president, and just which party will control the House of Representatives and the Senate. But I'd suggest that there's a far more important long-run question we must answer: If one group of people prefers government control and management of people's lives, and another prefers liberty and a desire to be left alone, should they be required to fight, antagonize one another, and risk bloodshed and loss of life in order to impose their preferences, or should they be able to peaceably part company and go their separate ways?

Like a marriage that has gone bad, I believe there are enough irreconcilable differences between those who want to control and those want to be left alone that divorce is the only peaceable alternative. Just as in a marriage, where vows are broken, our human rights protections guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution have been grossly violated by a government instituted to protect them. Americans who are responsible for and support constitutional abrogation have no intention of mending their ways.

Let's look at just some of the magnitude of the violations. Article 1, Section 8 of our Constitution enumerates the activities for which Congress is authorized to tax and spend. James Madison, the acknowledged father of the Constitution, explained it in The Federalist Papers: "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation and foreign commerce. ... The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives and liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement and prosperity of the State."

Nowhere among the enumerated powers of Congress is there authority to tax and spend for: Social Security, public education, farm subsidies, bank bailouts, food stamps and other activities that represent roughly two-thirds of the federal budget. Neither is there authority for Congress' mandates to the states and people about how they may use their land, the speed at which they can drive, whether a library has wheelchair ramps and the gallons of water used per toilet flush. A list of congressional violations of the letter and spirit of the Constitution is virtually without end.

Americans who wish to live free have two options: We can resist, fight and risk bloodshed to force America's tyrants to respect our liberties and human rights, or we can seek a peaceful resolution of our irreconcilable differences by separating. That can be done by peopling several states, say Texas and Louisiana, controlling their legislatures and then issuing a unilateral declaration of independence just as the Founders did in 1776.

You say, "Williams, nobody has to go that far, just get involved in the political process and vote for the right person." That's nonsense. Liberty shouldn't require a vote. It's a God-given or natural right.

Some independence or secessionists movements, such as our 1776 war with England and our 1861 War Between the States, have been violent, but they need not be. In 1905, Norway seceded from Sweden, Panama seceded from Columbia (1903), and West Virginia from Virginia (1863). Nonetheless, violent secession can lead to great friendships. England is probably our greatest ally and we have fought three major wars together. There is no reason why Texiana (Texas and Louisiana) couldn't peaceably secede, be an ally and have strong economic ties with United States.

The bottom line question for all of us is should we part company or continue trying to forcibly impose our wills on one another?
 
There's a big difference between the two ideologies that is not mentioned here.

One wants to be left alone, that was correct. The other, while believing in govt. leeching, etc., NEEDS THOSE WHO WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE TO LEECH OFF OF!

A tax/mooching-free haven will suck the productive middle class - a welfare state (a SERIOUS welfare state beyond that which is here now as the productive are holding it back) will attract the unproductive.

That the free haven will prosper while the un-free declines (relative to eachother) is obvious.

Even if modern technology kept them from becoming Calcutta, the difference would still be an embarassment.

Also, those in the free state, their shackles removed, would be stronger than the un-free. Remember too that the un-free is based on the ideology of subjugation of others; they would not militariliy be able to impose their will again.

Of course, they could through slow subversion install communism in the free state and it could all begin again. . . .

Seriously, though, this plan is impossible anyway. Even those for "freedom" are being made dependent on things like socialist security, etc.

Pipe dream.


Battler.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>That can be done by peopling several states, say Texas and Louisiana, controlling their legislatures and then issuing a unilateral declaration of independence just as the Founders did in 1776.[/quote]

And just as the Confederate States once tried to do ... but that was a long time ago, and surely the federal government has become more reasonable with the passage of time and would allow the rogue states to separate without any ruckus at all.

Does Williams really think his proposed course of action would be any less bloody than the original (un)Civil War?

If he does believe that, he is a fool. If he does not really believe it, he is a manipulative liar or worse and his disingenuous writing could lure innocents to their deaths.

Is there another option?

pax

(And yeah, I caught the one glossed-over sentence which entirely discounted the horror of violent secession. So which category do you think his writing falls into?)
 
I say Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell for the Presidency, I don't care which takes the lead. For Walter to come out with this is astounding. He is syndicated in a lot of papers and maybe, just maybe, someone sitting on the fence watching the scenery go by will wake up. Wow! Erik, thanks for posting this one. I am looking forward to seeing it in my local paper!
 
For a ling time I have thought AZ, NM, TX would make a viable country. Never thought bout Lousiana, they would contribute a lot. We would need cropland, minerals, manufacturing, seaports etc....could work. Others would probably want to join.

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Sam I am, grn egs n packin

Nikita Khrushchev predicted confidently in a speech in Bucharest, Rumania on June 19, 1962 that: " The United States will eventually fly the Communist Red Flag...the American people will hoist it themselves."
 
Walter Williams is no one's fool.

I read his stuff every now and then when I see it on the 'net, or (as I recall) in the Washington Times. I take this as a thought provoking piece, and an indication of his frustration with our state of affairs.

I do hope Arizona could hitch up with the Texiana train ... ;)

Regards from AZ
 
AZ, NM, TX, OK, UT, NV, LA, AK, HI, most of the midwest, and the northwest. What a concept! I like it. The reason Williams couldn't speak of violence is the prohibition against the advocacy of violent overthrow thing. Although, I hardly think that the war would be too long. With most of the nuclear missle fleet, and many of the military bases [read equipment and soldiers] I doubt there would be more than grumbling comming out of Washington. I don't even think you'd have to kill anyone. Just bring billions of gallons of seawater to several thousand times boiling temperature, and do it in less than .005 seconds in full view of the eastern seaboard, and I think you'd have all the peace you could stand. Just theoretical mind you. I was thinking about writing a book with a secession as its base, but its been done many times and never very good.
 
This article is awesome! It articulates many of the thoughts that have been running through my head for some time. I'm going to pass it on to everyone I know, and soon they'll see what a "nut" I truly am because I love freedom.

You guys who are pooh-poohing Williams article remind me of those who tried to dissuade the Founding Fathers from throwing off the chains of British bondage - "Oh, we can't do this, it will be the end of us all, we can't succeed"! Yes, let's sit on our collective asses and watch our futures as FREE men and women quickly get relegated to the trash heap of history.

Can separation be accomplished? ABSOLUTELY!! Can it be down without bloodshed? Possibly. Don't underestimate the resolve of those with strong convictions to risk death for what they believe, and don't overestimate the affinity of the weak for the painless compromise.

If you consider debate on this proposal worth pursuing in the public forum, help out by forwarding the article to everyone you can think of. Bring it up on radio talk shows, in other words, let's get the word out! I am convinced there are tens of millions that share Williams' views, but have not voiced them because of cynicism or apathy, or they have simply given up.
 
Jeff,

I live here in Texas. Arizona would be welcome with open arms. I have always thought about a midwest corridor, running up to the north. Any truly free nation would have to of course include Idaho and Montana, and maybe Nevada and Colorado (I personally don't care if the white racists are there, just as long as they don't try to force their garbage down my throat, a-la the liberal elite). Besides, I don't think the racists would feel like hanging around knowing that ALL citizens (read black, asian, hispanic, etc.) would be heavily armed - they only like intimidating the defenseless. Anyway, what do you think? We could probably consolidate a lot in industry in the free states and build up a good job base.
 
Total waste of time and a fantasy.

You can't even get gun owners to vote enough
to influence the election and people blather about secession.

CMOS had it right in another thread.

It seems that RKBA folks cannot make cogent argument that can win normal elections, so then we go off into the teenage equivalent of a wet-dream about our own happy gun country.

Give me a break.

Secession would destroy the financial community for years and toast every 401K when your GSA (Gun States of America) dollars are worth crap.

In fact, then everyone with a retirement plan would be an AR-15 and shoot the secessionsists.
 
How about just having a state like Texas refuse ALL federal money and federal intrusion on its rights and the rights of its citizens as the Constitution requires? Forget even calling it secession. Just have one state attempt to implement the form of government envisioned in the Constitution. I don't think even this would be allowed to happen today without bloodshed, but if one state, like Texas, started to indicate that it was going to assert its rights in these United States, I would be moving there.

Battler,
Your 100% right on target. The one group is entirely dependant on the other. Liberals are very generous, but they need someone elses money to be generous with.

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Brady
(No relation to that $%#$ bill)
 
KJM, Hence the LGM 118A IN my signature line :)

Rock Jock, I can hear you loud and clear. I can see those who would be wearing the red coats a bit over 200 years ago.

This country couldnt agree on the time, what make you think that 80 million or three million will vote as one block, if you think that can happen I got a bridge and some beach front in AZ to sell.
Its always been a SMALL minority of people who will go the distance for liberty and that is readily apparent here on TFL.

[This message has been edited by oberkommando (edited September 21, 2000).]
 
Unless Texiana (or whatever collection of states you would like to imagine) has a nuclear arsenal and is willing to use it, quitting the Union is impossible.

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We have never been modern.
 
I don't think nukes, or lack of, would be a factor. U.S.S.R. had nukes all over the place and fell apart nicely. Nuking your own land mass is self eliminating, even with tacticles.

When it comes down to my 401k and Communism, vs a free Constitutional Republic: I will glady barter and be free.

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Sam I am, grn egs n packin

Nikita Khrushchev predicted confidently in a speech in Bucharest, Rumania on June 19, 1962 that: " The United States will eventually fly the Communist Red Flag...the American people will hoist it themselves."
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>You guys who are pooh-poohing Williams article remind me of those who tried to dissuade the Founding Fathers from throwing off the chains of British bondage - "Oh, we can't do this, it will be the end of us all, we can't succeed"! Yes, let's sit on our collective asses and watch our futures as FREE men and women quickly get relegated to the trash heap of history.

Can separation be accomplished? ABSOLUTELY!! Can it be down without bloodshed? Possibly. Don't underestimate the resolve of those with strong convictions to risk death for what they believe, and don't overestimate the affinity of the weak for the painless compromise.[/quote]

I was going to leave this one alone after I said my piece, but what the heck.

RockJock, my complaint with this article isn't that I am anti-freedom and a coward. My complaint was and is that his writing is dishonest and dangerous.

Starting a new nation, separating from these United States, would work only if the leaders and the great mass of those who wanted to separate had faced facts and were willing both to kill and to die in order to achieve that freedom.

But Williams glossed over that. "Not necessarily bloody" is a helluva way to sell what would be another Civil War. "Not necessarily bloody" means that innocents who don't know what they're signing up for could get themselves killed, or would run away or turn traitor at the moment of truth, causing more bloodshed and grief than if they'd counted the cost from the very first.

You guys want to do this thing, go ahead. I'll cheer you on and maybe even join you. But don't try to sell it as a bloodless revolution, because it simply couldn't be -- not when promoted as such. If your revolutionists aren't willing to risk everything, your revolution simply won't succeed and would end up nothing but a bloody mess.

pax

"I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant." -- H. L. Mencken
 
Mr. Williams has been wrestling these issues for years in public and in a much more exposed position than most of us. He is an avowed conservative black male writer in the mainstream media for one. A very intelligent and thoughtful person, he undoubtedly gets as frustrated as any of the rest of us here.
 
Professor Williams has one of the sharpest wits in journalism. That article was laced with his brand of sarcasm. He does not seriously think it possible to divorce Liberals from Conservatives, any more than it's possible a state to, in reality, secceed from the union. It would simply never be allowed to happen.
 
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