There's been some joking about Texas' secession...but why not?

freefromself, I used to be a conservative and a Republican so I know the way you people think ;)

Nobody has ever tried or advocated truly free markets. Every industry and country tries to stack the deck in their favor. It is when someone tries to make the market work for ordinary people that the chorus of “oh, but we can’t meddle with the free market” starts. As far as loosening regulations goes, I’ve yet to see it work very well. After Savings & Loans were deregulated many of the people running them became fabulously wealthy running their S&Ls into the ground leaving our government to bail them out. Deregulating the airlines did lower ticket prices but also lead to fewer routes, lax safety, and airlines who can’t make a profit. Deregulating the mortgage industry lead to speculation, over-selling products, and the bubble bursting causing our most recent fiscal crisis.

If you believe that taxes are tantamount to theft than there is probably no level of taxation that you will be happy with. The wealthiest 1% of Americans own more than the bottom 95% combined so it seems rather obvious that they should be paying most of the taxes. If you believe in a flat tax than that is what we effectively have. Income taxes are progressive but nearly every other way the government collects funds is regressive so the net effect is that most people from the poorest to the wealthiest pay about the same percentage of their money to the government.

As far as Rich people always keeping their money this isn’t really true. Prior to Reagan the top tax bracket was 70% and during WWII it peaked at 94%. Reagan lowered the top rate to 28%. George H Bush inheriting the fiscal crisis caused by Reaganomics raised it back to 40% famously breaking his promise of “Read my lips, no new taxes” where it remained throughout the Clinton presidency until George W Bush lowered it to 35%.

freefromself, It depends on how you define fail. If your definition of failure is not allowing greedy people to make obscene profits from the work of others I agree. If you definition is that the top 1% of the population fail to have more wealth than the botom 95% combined they are a failure there too. If you mean fail to have a health care system that squanders 1/3 of their health care dollars on insurance companies that add no value you got me there too. Fail, fail, fail! These countries just make it too hard to make a dishonest living.

England, France, Germany and the Scandinavian countries are already far more Socialized than anything we are talking and they seem to be doing fine economically. The problem here seems to be “conservatives” who’s solution to every problem is tax cuts yet they still spend money like drunken sailors.

phrannie, that is something I’ve heard ever since I moved here but it isn’t true. Texas has the right to divide into multiple states but it doesn’t have the right to succeed. Were Texas to divide into say 5 states that would increase their power in the Senate 5 fold. Surprised nobody has suggested this lately. Were Texas to have 10 senators instead of 2 they could insure that Democrats never got anything done.

Would the US be better off without Texas? Could be; Texas does receive more federal moeny than it pays in (as is true of most red states, they are only against socialism when it helps someone else!). Texas leaving would allow the remaining states to have a solid progressive majority. Of course we’d probably have to build a big fence to keep Texans from coming across the boarder for free health care.

European countries are having to scale back their social programs. I am sure you have heard about this. . .I agree, corporate greed is a huge problem, wall street is a huge problem, The thing Progressives have yet to sell me on, is there Robin hood - steal from the rich and give to the poor theories. Rich people always keep thir money. The only ones who suffer under tax hikes and expanded government is the little guy. Keeping the markets free and loosely regulated at least allows people like me to go out and earn an extra buck through entrepeneurship. I am sure I spelled that wrong, LOL. All my friends are liberals Spam, I know how you people think!

Hmmm. . . I always thought we would be better off without California. It is funny how very differently so-called Progressives think. Which states are having budget problems right now? Should I name them for you Spam?? Two very progressive states, My beautiful state of Oregon, and Caifornia are at the top of the list of states most strapped for Cash. BECAUSE OF LARGE PUBLIC SECTORS AND CONTINUOUSLY SHRINKING PRIVATE SECTORS.

 Socialism (as it is revered by the average liberal), always fails!!! The reason is because it cannot pay for itself. Plain and simple.

Texas is the only state in the Union that can legally succede from the nation…

California is a net paying state because the intellectual property rights of Hollywood and Silicon Valley earns the state gazillions of dollars from the Flyover states.

If you are under the impression that these are commodities and will allow California a self-sustaining autonomy… that these monies aren’t grasped in the hands of a very elite few Californians… or that the income earning potential and standard of living discrepancies are parlayed by a government pittance in the form of farm subsidies and welfare by the net recipient states… California had best start producing something besides bad movies with great special effects… e coli laden produce… cheese… wine and wild fires.

I think it would be AWESOME. The problem is, they’re a “net recipient” of federal tax dollars…in other words, they cost the rest of the states (like mine, California) money.

So…can we give them a good old fashioned send off…? :)