Category Archives: Secession

Oregon Counties Want to Join Idaho

This is an interesting video about how eastern Oregon counties are voting in favor of leaving Oregon and becoming part of Idaho.

People often say that you can’t legislate morality. I think that’s partially true. It’s false in that the only thing you can legislate is morality. The only question is whose morality will be legislated. I think it’s true to some extent, because if the government tries to legislate principles that are contrary to the morality of the people, the people will find ways to disobey and rebel. In truth, there is only one valid morality and biblical laws are the only laws and any laws contrary to God’s law are bound to fail eventually.

This country was founded on local government. It is a valid principle that the more distant the government, the less power it should have. We’ve certainly departed from that principle, and government can only be by the consent of the governed.

Is Secession Biblical?

Here’s what Gordan Runyan has to say about that question in his local newspaper column.

SECESSION: THE BIBLICAL WISDOM OF MOVING ON

Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away. Stop throwing pearls to the swine, as Jesus said. When the arguments have all been had, and everybody’s made their points a million times, maybe a peaceful split is not the worst answer in the world.

That was the thinking of the signers of “The Declaration of Independence”. All efforts at reconciliation had failed. It was time to go. They declared their intention to secede from the authority of King George III. Of course, the tyrant branded that effort as rebellious. It didn’t have to be a war, but he made it one.

They didn’t do anything wrong by trying to secede. In fact, the concept of political secession is seen in the Bible repeatedly. There are times when it’s the only wise option remaining.

I’m defining secession here as the effort to separate from one, earthly authority’s jurisdiction, for the sake of establishing a new authority.

“Let my people go,” was the word of the Lord through Moses to Pharaoh. It didn’t have to get ugly. The wicked ruler turned it into a cosmic showdown between Yahweh and the deities of Egypt. If the tyrant had not repeatedly hardened his heart, the damage could’ve been minimized.

We know how it turned out. The people of God eventually completed their secession from the political authority of Egypt, and were established as a new, sovereign nation.

Generations later, after the reigns of David and Solomon, the next king was a fool named Rehoboam, and history’s worst inaugural speech resulted in a split within Israel, with the ten Northern tribes seceding from his rule to establish their own authority. Now, Rehoboam was no more in favor of secession than Pharaoh had been, and when he tried to put a stop to it by force, Yahweh put a stop to his scheme. At the end of the day, the tribes wound up accomplishing a completely successful secession. The Bible is careful to let us know that God was behind this entire turn of events. (1 Kings 12:1-24)

There are other, smaller secessions that you’ve probably never thought of in that light. Abraham suggested a peaceful split with Lot, and that is what happened. Abraham flourished as a result. Jacob seceded from the authority of his powerful father-in-law, and, again, the patriarch flourished.

Scripturally speaking, secession is a legitimate action that is not the same as rebellion or war, although tyrants can turn it into that, and wreak havoc thereby. Biblical secession, done well, aims at a peaceful split that allows both parties to prosper.

Regarding the Coronavirus situation, in a cloud of chaotic half-truths and misinformation, one thing seems clear: That is, the divisions in this nation are deep, persistent, and most likely irreconcilable apart from great bloodshed. I’m not sure what the harm would be in simply letting the sides in this division separate peacefully and run their worlds in the manner they think best.

Let’s pray for the godly peace of our land.

Doug Casey On the Existence of the State

As I’ve said on this blog before, things like public school will eventually cease to exist, because it is inherently inferior to other systems. We should, however, not take it for granted, but continue to do what we can to hasten the demise of these corrupt, immoral systems.

I the following, Doug Casey argues that nation states will eventually cease to exist, just because they are obsolete and ineffective. Of course, that goes right along with the whole purpose of this blog. Here’s what he had to say:

Science fiction has always offered both a more accurate and more timely look at the future than any think tank. For one thing, a good book is the product of a genius, not a committee of suits trying to reach a consensus. And a format of fiction allows one to speculate in ways that a “serious person” can’t do in nonfiction.

Every educated person should have read the classics by Jules Verne, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke, among others. Add Neal Stephenson to that list. I’ve been a fan of Stephenson’s novel The Diamond Age since it was published in 1995. I strongly recommend you read the book.

There are many themes in The Diamond Age, which refers to a near-term future (I’ll guess around 2050) when nanotechnology has transformed much of life. Although not nearly as radically as I believe will actually be the case. (See my essays on the future here and here.)

But one theme in the book is quite a breakthrough, and spot-on. It posits the creation of “phyles” as the major form of social and political organization. The word comes from the same root as phylum, from the Greek, meaning “tribe” or “clan.” But I think it’s also a pun on the word “filial,” with its connotations of family.

The book posits, I believe correctly, that in the near future most nation states will have broken down. Many will have ceased to exist. It’s quite logical, because they’re a dysfunctional way for people to organize. And it’s happening right before our eyes. None of the countries in the Middle East, Africa, or Central Asia have any coherence. They’re just the result of some ruler’s military prowess, or some politicians drawing lines on a distant map. Nation states themselves have really only been around since the 17th century. Before that, people weren’t loyal to a country; they were loyal to a chief, a king, or an emperor.

Loyalty to a country can make some sense, on at least a primitive atavistic level, as long as the inhabitants of the “country” share a common language, religion, ethnicity, and customs. But it makes no sense when they have little in common. So it’s natural, and salubrious, for the various religious, ethnic, racial, cultural, or economic groups within a country that’s become too big, too “diverse,” and too “inclusive,” to want to get out. Everyone recognizes – even if they don’t say it – that a national government is just a vehicle for theft, benefiting the group that controls it.

As the world becomes more educated, the average man becomes more acutely aware of that fact. And as jet travel and the internet become universal, people start to realize they might have almost nothing in common with their so-called “countrymen.” And a lot more in common with people who may be on the other side of the globe, many of whom will feel the same way about their own countrymen.

I can tell you that I have much more in common with friends in the Congo or China than I do with my fellow Americans living down the road from me in a trailer park. I have nothing in common with them. These people not only aren’t my friends, they’re liabilities. And may turn into active enemies under the right circumstances. I’d rather associate with people with whom I share common values and interests, not just the same government ID.

In any event, almost all the world’s nation states are terminally burdened with debt, taxes, regulations and increasingly, strife between groups fighting for either a teat on the milk cow or political power. The nation state is a dinosaur; it no longer makes sense in a world with today’s technology and demographics.

This explains what we’ve seen in the last generation: the breakup of states. The USSR into 15 components. Yugoslavia into six. Czechoslovakia into two. Sudan into two. This is just the opening round. Most European countries have secessionist movements. Russia should eventually break up into a dozen new states. China into at least a half-dozen. Brazil into at least two. Bolivia into at least two, etc., etc.

Military Violence and Terror

In fact, the primary reason that’s given for the very existence of the nation state is to defend its inhabitants. But, with the changing nature of warfare, that’s one of the things it’s least able to do. Can it defend against a nuclear attack? No. At best it can just threaten to counterattack.

In fact, a country with a big military stationed all over the world, not only can’t defend its citizens, but actually draws in attacks by making enemies among the natives in far off places. In the past, it didn’t matter – the natives were immobile and powerless. Today they can go anywhere and access a wide variety of weapons.

In fact, governments are so united against “terrorism” because it’s not just a very effective tactic against the nation state – it really can only be used against the nation state. Governments couldn’t care less about the few hundreds of people that might be killed in a terror attack. They care because it threatens their existence.

In today’s world, nation states are no longer the big risk to other nation states. Rather, it’s groups like ISIS and al Qaeda that are a much bigger threat. They can’t be destroyed by dropping a nuke on their cities; they don’t have cities. They can be everywhere and anywhere. But they can easily attack the cities of their enemy. And those are just well-known Islamic threats. There will likely be many others of many varieties, on templates as different as the Red Army Faction, Aum Shinrikyo, or FARC.

The safest way to avoid attack in the age of cheap and easily available atomic, biological, and chemical weapons is to be dispersed. At least not to be part of a geographic nation state. From a military point of view a nation is about as viable as cavalry before WW1 or battleships during WW2.

Benefits

Not being part of a nation state ameliorates a lot of problems for a person, but it’s not a total solution. What The Diamond Age posits, and I think is going to happen, is that people will form phyles, joining in an alliance according to what’s most important to them. Or the way they “self-identify,” to use a currently fashionable term. Jews famously stick together relative to the goyim. That’s one reason at least part of Israel (likely excluding the Hasidim and Palestinians) will survive as a nation. One reason Mormons are so successful is that they favor each other, like the Jews. Muslims (although rarely economically successful, for other cultural reasons) definitely do the same. Birds of a feather (all the outraged hysteria about racism notwithstanding) do, in fact, tend to flock together.

So here’s my prediction of what’s going to happen over the next couple of generations. Many nation states will simply collapse or disappear. Incidentally, I don’t think the U.S. will be a survivor. The country used to share a common culture, albeit with quaint regional variations. That’s no longer the case. The election of Trump has crystalized long-simmering, and growing antagonisms. It’s not that Americans just have a political difference of opinion. It now boils down to mutual cultural hatred, and on a visceral level. It’s only been exacerbated by the push for “multiculturalism,” always a stupid and destructive concept, from the usual suspects.

Take California, the Left Coast, for instance. Even now some of them are talking about divorcing themselves from hated Flyover Country. But even California makes no sense as a political entity. What does the Mexican population have in common with Silicon Valley? Nothing. What do the hippies in Humboldt County have in common with the Los Angelenos? Nothing. What do farmers in the Central Valley have in common with anybody else in the state? Nothing.

Incidentally, we can break down Canada and Mexico the same way. Much smaller entities within these (and all other) countries would be much more viable. But still anachronistic. And suboptimal.

So what will happen? Everywhere people will reorganize for mutual support, defense, insurance, companionship, and everything else. But it won’t have much to do with politics as we now know it. They’ll form phyles.

An outrageous concept, I know. Now you see why radical ideas are best presented in the form of novels.

Lessons From the American Revolution They Didn’t Teach You in Government Schools

1. Killing cops is within the realm of possibility.

 

2. Throwing off your government is within the realm of possibility.

 

3. You shouldn’t just always do what the cops say.

 

4. You shouldn’t always go on singing God Save the King and pledging allegiance to the union jack.

 

5. You shouldn’t trust the government to educate your children.

Arbitrariness

Independence Day is just a few days away, and I’d like to think a little bit about how the whole thing came about. There were 13 colonies, and they chose delegates in various ways. There was nothing magical about these guys. There was nothing magical about how they were chosen to imbue them with special powers. There was no magic number of delegates from each state that gave them special rights to speak for their jurisdiction or for a new country.

What if a few states, counties, neighborhoods or households got together and chose a few people and they went off to discuss what to do about the tyranny we face? There would be nothing magical about them. They would have no special powers. There might even be people in their jurisdictions would disagree with what they were saying. But they would have just as much right as the founding fathers.

They could, just as easily as the founding fathers, choose to throw out their government, and institute a new one. That is a right that the founders cited in the Declaration of Independence. We must still possess that same right. Government is a business like any other, and it is immoral for them to provide any service at gunpoint. Might does not make right.

The cause of the founding fathers was blessed by God, because they were underdogs suffering under a “long train of abuses and usurpations”, and they had a righteous desire for self-determination. Well, I know plenty of people like that, and if they had their act together, they can do the same thing.

Is Government Preferrable to Anarchy

I’ve noticed many instances of people of all walks discussing some political issue have said something like, “Obviously we don’t want anarchy; that doesn’t work; it’s crazy.” I’ve yet to hear any of those people actually defend that position. It’s something everyone seems to just accept as true. But, I’m not so sure.

First of all, the Bible says there is a purpose for government, and I’m not an anarchist. Romans 13:4 says that the purpose of government is to carry out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. And Romans 13:6 says that for that purpose, we can be required to pay taxes, because the government is a minister of God. Notice they are to carry out God’s wrath–not their own wrath. Criminal justice being the only purpose of government places biblical government much closer to anarchy than to the U.S. form of government, which meddles in every aspect of life.

The problem in America is that government in any way acknowledging Christ is unconstitutional. Therefore, they are doing a terrible job, and they’re not carrying out their God-given purpose in any way, except maybe accidentally in some rare cases. My list of grievances would be ten times longer than the list of grievances given to King George III on July 4, 1776. Only a fraction of what we pay in taxes is used for the only biblical purpose given in Scripture.

The bottom line is that our government, at every level, is unbiblical if not antichrist. So, for people to say that our government is preferrable to anarchy is to claim that unbiblical system A is better than unbiblical system B. Maybe they’re right, and maybe they’re wrong, but I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion.

The problem is that man is inherently sinful, with a wicked heart (which includes those currently operating our government). But, thankfully, God does limit the amount of evil that takes place. All humans have God’s law written on our hearts, but I think most Americans, even those that are unsaved, still have at least a partially Christian worldview. I think anarchy would be much different if we were predominantly Hindu, Muslim or atheist, so I’m only going to consider what anarchy might be like in America.

Americans seem to generally obey whatever the government tells them to do, even if it creates injustice. Most people seem to do what they’re told. Less than 50 law enforcement officers in this fairly large county keep more than 40,000 people under control. Of course, bad things happen, and bad people are around, but it is generally peaceful and law-abiding. Is that because our government is so great, or because it’s in our nature, or because we’re predominantly Christian or because we’re all brainwashed to respect government in the schools they operate? I don’t really know, but I don’t think the vast majority of people would go around murdering people or driving recklessly if there were no more government tomorrow. There are some who would, just as there are some who do now.

There are some great things that would happen if government ceased to exist tomorrow. Public school would be gone. Taxation, welfare, Social Security, government interference in business would all be gone. Individual theft might go up without government, but the government is by far the biggest thief. Government theft via unjust taxation and currency manipulation dwarf private theft. Even civil asset forfeiture, which is blatant, legalized theft is greater than private theft. So I’d guess that government being gone would cause a huge reduction in overall theft.

Image result for private theft vs civil asset forfeiture

I suppose the worst fear of anarchy is that roving gangs of thugs would crop up causing all kinds of mayhem. I suppose it’s possible, but Americans are a gun-owning people. We’re not exactly defenseless, and who wouldn’t team up with their neighbors to help protect each other? And isn’t that exactly what we have now? Don’t we have roving gangs of thugs making sure everyone has the correct stickers on their license plate at gunpoint? If you’re scared of roving gangs of thugs under anarchy, just do what they tell you to do, and they might even treat you better than the roving gangs of thugs you mindlessly obey now. Maybe you could offer to buy stickers from them annually at exorbitant rates.

And, just because there wouldn’t be anymore forced payouts for substandard, government-provided security services, doesn’t mean there aren’t free market solutions for security. Why couldn’t my neighbors and I voluntarily pay a security guard to drive around the neighborhood at night? And I’m sure security businesses would pop up to compete for people’s business–providing better service at better prices.

Of course, public school being gone might be the greatest benefit of anarchy. Millions of kids are steeped in antichrist religion seven hours per day. Public school has done so much damage to this country. And the whole thing is paid for by property tax, which is collected via threat of confiscation (robbers stealing from you at gunpoint). The whole system is based on socialism, and has done an excellent job of training most of us to be good, little socialists.

Welfare, food stamps, Social Security, etc. being gone would also be a benefit. Christians are commanded to take care of orphans and widows, but government has usurped that job. We would all be better off if charity and churches took care of people on a case-by-case basis. How much greater would the influence of Christianity be if churches had greater involvement in taking care of people’s day-to-day needs rather than people getting a government check?

On the issue of abortion, anarchy would be bad for the preborn, but obviously, our government isn’t helping so it’s a wash. This is definitely one area that government should be involved in as God’s servants to carry out His wrath on murderers.

There are many other issues to be discussed, but I think anarchy would be preferrable to the government we have. How much worse can that unbiblical option be over the unbiblical option of government we have now?

This is an interesting quote from Alexis de Tocqueville, whose observations come from his time in early America, taken from this worthwhile article.

“At the time of Tocqueville’s observations (in the 1830s), “the means available to the authorities for the discovery of crimes and arrest of criminals [were] few,” yet Tocqueville doubted “whether in any other country crime so seldom escapes punishment.” Citizens handled most crimes informally, forming committees to catch criminals and hand them over to the courts. Private mobs in early America dealt with larger threats to public safety and welfare, such as houses of ill fame. Nothing struck a European traveler in America, wrote Tocqueville, more than the absence of government in the streets.”

Of course, mobs are good if they are righteous mobs. Unrighteous mobs are bad. I think the bottom line is that there is no good form of government for wicked people.

Secession

The following is from Bill Evans:

Think an election or a simple act of nullification can change Leviathan? You have no idea of how pervasive and evil the U.S. government is (along with its countless, multi-layered, unelected agencies, departments and bureaus) a fiat currency system run by globalist families, and virtual economic slavery via a tax upon your productivity, reducing us to indentured servitude.

Secession (peaceful separation…if possible) is the biblical response to tyranny; it was the founders response. A national, central government with a messiah complex. is unfixable, precisely because it IS unbiblical.

In the same way that the church, through the ministry of the word of God instructs individuals, families, and ecclesiastical powers, it should be informing civil government and the people, that God’s Law-Word provides the only solutions to our problems. The solution to tyranny presented in God’s word is separation, followed by the establishment of a Christian republic (trinitarian/theonomic,)
aka ‘A shining city on a hill.’

How Great Is America?

Going along with yesterday’s post, here is some anecdotal evidence of the problems America has from the perspective of a Canadian who has been living in Taiwan for years.

It’s hard to compare quality of life and levels of freedom from country to country, but this guy has some interesting things to say.

America Worship

This country abounds with idolatry. We conservatives and Christians take great pride in our country and we stand when the flag passes by in a parade. We say the pledge of allegiance. We shed a tear during a moving rendition of the Star Spangled Banner before every sporting event.

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If you want to get a real reaction out of people, don’t do those things. Stay seated when they stand. Don’t put your hand over your heart, and see what happens. They will act as if you spit on their idol. Because you have, not literally spit, but you have not paid homage to their literal idol. They idolize our country, and once you see that truth, it will make you sick to your stomach.

I’m grateful to live here; we have it pretty comfortable. But I worship Jesus Christ alone–not my comfort and not the country that’s helped provide it. It is definitely not above criticism, and I don’t particularly care whether someone observes the religious ceremonies.

But the standard for America, and how great it is, isn’t other countries. We measure any country by the standard that God provides in His law. We have no idea what justice is apart from His law. We have no idea what good and evil are apart from His law. Does America provide justice? Is America a morally good country? The answer to those questions is a resounding NO. Are we doing better than some other countries. Yes. Are we doing better than every other country? I don’t know.

Many of us have a limited perspective–including myself. My parents wanted to never travel outside of the USA. We drove to every one of the lower 48 states, but just crossed over the Canada and Mexico borders a few miles, and only briefly. I think that the PR they put out is that many other parts of the world are dangerous and backward. I’m sure there are plenty of places that are, but many that aren’t.

Where God’s law is, there is liberty. This list ranks America as the 11th freest country in the world.  11TH! This is supposed to be the land of the free–the greatest nation in the world. We rank behind Estonia. Most Americans couldn’t even find Estonia on a map. Chile ranks ahead of us. Most Americans are too afraid to go to Chile. I’m personally ashamed to be ranked 11th.

And, if you’re an unborn baby, you’re considered sub-human and you can be ripped apart limb from limb. How’s that for justice and freedom? They have no right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The words in the pledge of allegiance are false. I refuse to say them, because I see it as a creepy religious ceremony AND the words are complete BS. As the purpose of this website is to encourage secession, I believe it is definitely not indivisible.

SHAMEFUL:

See Full List of Country Rankings

How About This?

Here’s an idea for peaceful secession.  Someone opens a small office somewhere, and puts a sign up saying, “City Hall”, “County Courthouse”, “State Capitol” and maybe even “Capitol of the United States of America”.

The current government is based on circular logic. The law applies to you, because the law says it applies to you. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me. The law of the new government will apply to me because the new law says it will apply to me. In reality, it should apply, because it will be a government submitted to Christ, and His law applies to everyone.

The beauty of some dinky, cheap little office is that that is what government is supposed to be–dinky and cheap. What we have now is a grandiose, expensive monstrosity. The Pueblo County courthouse is like a cathedral with beautiful paintings, a great rotunda, gold leaf (I don’t know if it’s gold leaf or gold paint). I would guess the clerk and recorder’s office has 25 foot ceilings.

1024px-Colorado_State_Capitol_Building_Third_Floor
The inside of the [state capitol] building is adorned with what is believed to be the entire known supply of Colorado Rose Onyx, a rare rose marble from a quarry near Beulah, Colorado. White Yule Marble from the quarries near Marble, Colorado, was also used throughout the building for the floors.
Fremont County has a beautiful, though slightly less luxurious building. But the Colorado state capitol is an ostentatious building. It dwarfs the Pueblo County Courthouse and it is dwarfed by government buildings in DC. Government ought to be small and plain. Every piece of gold leaf in the state capitol was purchased with stolen money.

So, if this office to be opened would be an alternative government to the existing monstrosity. There would be no taxes. It would not be executive (making laws) but strictly judicial as Romans 13 explains. The only purpose of government is to punish evildoers. Not to issue currency, build roads, educate children, help the poor, etc.

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The Declaration of Independence says it is our right to institute a new government. That is their document. That is what they’ve based their government on. They have no other basis. They’ve abandoned the Lord Jesus Christ as a basis.