# What would you do if your state seceded? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636 "2011-09-26T06:27:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/41 "2011-09-26T19:02:47Z")
I live in New York and I _already_ have that awful New Yorker’s view of the world, so what would be different, really? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/42 "2011-09-26T19:18:28Z")
I’m from MA and pretty tied to the area. I’d stay and advocate for taking the rest of New England with us. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/43 "2011-09-26T19:48:34Z")
I wouldn’t move from California. But then I have relatives in other states and could relocate later if necessary. Considering how many people retire from California and then move somewhere else with a lower cost of living, spending their retirement money there, I have a hard time imagining that the US would be beating Californians away with a stick. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/44 "2011-09-26T19:57:56Z")
I would move to Texas. (from California) Or maybe Florida. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/45 "2011-09-26T20:40:02Z")
I think I would stay in Michigan and try to become president. I think we have a good defense with all the lakes. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/46 "2011-09-26T20:45:28Z")
I’m in Texas. I’d move before it even became ratified. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/47 "2011-09-26T20:52:26Z")
I’m torn on this one. On the one hand I am not to thrilled with the way the US is going at the moment and I love NY so I would be _thrilled_ to stick around but on the other hand I have no idea how NY would govern themselves as a country and I would be leery of that sort of thing. I might take the opportunity to try and immigrate to another country that seemed like a better fit for myself and my family but otherwise I think I’d have to stick it out in NY. At least then I wouldn’t need to worry about the threat of _shudder_ President Perry. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/48 "2011-09-26T23:15:10Z")
Bye bye Minnesota. Hello South Dakota. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/49 "2011-09-26T23:44:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’d stay here in California. My home and few surviving relatives are here, and I have no great fondness for the US. And California seems like it would make a perfectly viable separate county; large, fairly diverse economy, access to the coast. I find this amusing since you’re the one who’s compared the CSA to Nazi Germany. But anyways I would seek to rouse the US for total war to crush the rebellion much as has been to the Rebs a century and a half ago. Stars & Stripes forever! ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/50 "2011-09-27T00:22:03Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I find this amusing since you’re the one who’s compared the CSA to Nazi Germany. > > But anyways I would seek to rouse the US for total war to crush the rebellion much as has been to the Rebs a century and a half ago. Stars & Stripes forever! Wait, is California treating human beings as property in this exercise? Are they placing people in labor camps, mistreating gays and jews? Why is that amusing? California has a huge economy; it could easily be a nation on its own given its tremendous resources. Do you disagree with that? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/51 "2011-09-27T00:26:26Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Wait, is California treating human beings as property in this exercise? Are they placing people in labor camps, mistreating gays and jews? Why is that amusing? > > California has a huge economy; it could easily be a nation on its own given its tremendous resources. Do you disagree with that? See, to Qin, the defining charactetistic of the CSA which really damns it isn’t the fact that it denied autonomy to humans and treated them merely as means; it’s the fact that, by seceding, it wasn’t patriotic. That’s why Qin thinks the analogy between the CSA and a seceding California works and why he thinks Der Trihs is contradicting himself. It doesn’t occur to Qin that the seceding element is far, far behind the slavery element. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/52 "2011-09-27T00:26:54Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Wait, is California treating human beings as property in this exercise? Are they placing people in labor camps, mistreating gays and jews? Why is that amusing? I was talking about the CSA really not the Nazis (after all the CSA secretary of State was Jewish) and I found it amusing because he seems to support secession in this case. > [@](#): > > California has a huge economy; it could easily be a nation on its own given its tremendous resources. Do you disagree with that? It can survive as a country, but whether it is good is another question-for one it will severely weaken American power especially in the Pacific and thus proportionally benefit the enemies of freedom especially China. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/53 "2011-09-27T00:28:28Z")
I’d have to leave; Oregon simply isn’t a very big player in my industry, and I’d be sharply limiting my future employment options by staying. If I stayed, then I might be stuck on the low rungs of my company (by far the best one in the state) for a very long time, rather than being able to bounce around a little. Option 2: I’m in a long-distance relationship with a Californian. Can people get dual-citizenship by marriage in this hypothetical? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/54 "2011-09-27T00:30:13Z")
I skewing your resultses! 😃 Alberta is the best part of Canada; I’ll be sticking. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/55 "2011-09-27T00:30:33Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > See, to Qin, the defining charactetistic of the CSA which really damns it isn’t the fact that it denied autonomy to humans and treated them merely as means; it’s the fact that, by seceding, it wasn’t patriotic. > > That’s why Qin thinks the analogy between the CSA and a seceding California works and why he thinks Der Trihs is contradicting himself. It doesn’t occur to Qin that the seceding element is far, far behind the slavery element. It was not as if the US was fanatically abolitionist anyways. Slavery died so early thanks to the war. Without it, slavery would have been abolished somewhat later albeit peacefully. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/56 "2011-09-27T00:57:20Z")
Much as I enjoy living in Tennessee, I’d book. In the event of secession, the current politics in Tennessee would economically crush most of us who work for a living. We already have had nutjobs in state legislature who’ve proposed printing our own currency. :rolleyes: A good share of our government would go totally Tea Party and abolish minimum wage, safety regulations and other safeguards to workers. State religion (Evangelical Christianity) would ensue. No thanks. I’d head for warmer, saner climes. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky_the_Wonder_Spirit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/57 "2011-09-27T01:01:29Z")
I have no confidence in California’s state or local governments, and I have no family in this state. I’d bug out. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/58 "2011-09-27T01:07:29Z")
> [@missred](#): > > Much as I enjoy living in Tennessee, I’d book. > > In the event of secession, the current politics in Tennessee would economically crush most of us who work for a living. We already have had nutjobs in state legislature who’ve proposed printing our own currency. :rolleyes: A good share of our government would go totally Tea Party and abolish minimum wage, safety regulations and other safeguards to workers. State religion (Evangelical Christianity) would ensue. Unlikely even in Tenessee such groups would get outvoted-it is the state of ultra-environmentalist Al Gore after all. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/59 "2011-09-27T01:43:38Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I was talking about the CSA really not the Nazis (after all the CSA secretary of State was Jewish) and I found it amusing because he seems to support secession in this case. I still don’t understand how you can compare a (hypothetical) Californian secession to the CSA. I also didn’t see where **Der Trihs** seemed to support secession. Was it because he correctly noted California’s particular economic strengths? Or was it the part where he noted no great love for the U.S.? Is it possible to have more appreciation for your own state than your federal government? Most people on the right seem to. Frankly, your comment appears to be nothing more than a lousy potshot. > [@](#): > > It can survive as a country, but whether it is good is another question-for one it will severely weaken American power especially in the Pacific and thus proportionally benefit the enemies of freedom especially China. The OP wasn’t asking if we thought our state \*should \*succeed, only if we would stay if it did. California is probably the only, or at least one of the very few, that could survive independent of the rest of the U.S. I think that’s what **Der Trihs** was simply noting. For most other states, independent secession would be suicide and a punchline for the rest of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636/60 "2011-09-27T01:53:09Z")
> [@kjckjc](#): > > I assume we can get our ambassadors to negotiate to let us into your NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB. With the Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots (yes, we are taking the Pats, sorry rest of New England, we all know they are really ours anyway), our country will be pretty competitive sportswise. Ambassadors? Negotiation? Those are all privately held commercial entities. They can let in whomever they want. There would be no reason for any diplomatic negotiations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-your-state-seceded/597636.md?page=4)