this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2024
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[–] [email protected] 114 points 10 months ago (13 children)

As someone who is trapped down here with these lunatics... please send help...

[–] [email protected] 70 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I'm trapped here, too! While I'm not happy about the situation, I'm incredibly excited to see all of my old history teachers get shit on when Texans find out that:

  • While we CAN split into 5 states, we CANNOT form our own country without repercussions. The concept of Texas returning to its own country is not in any constitution nor agreement. While there is an agreement that we can become multiple states, it's redundant when compared to Article IV, Section 3 of the US freaking Constitution.

  • We're not the only state that was once it's own country. Hell, Hawaii was not only its own sovereign nation, it was a fucking kingdom. Other than being the biggest, dumbest, and drunkest, no part of our previous classification before joining the Union is special considering that Vermont was its own country 40% longer than we were.

  • As long as we're dispelling ignorant Texas myths, no we're not the only state who can fly their flag at the same height as the US flag. Literally any state can. They're called flag codes and they're insanely easy to find and read. You'll find that most self-avowed "patriots" tend to breach the most flag codes.

There's no such thing as "Texas pride" anymore. It's all been replaced with ignorance and disrespect. The last time we got drunk and punched our landlord in the face, we spent 10 years boisterously bragging about how cool it is to be dirty and homeless while quietly crying to our northern neighbor and begging them to bring us in off the streets. And while we told everyone that one of things that made us so cool was how hard we shit our pants when we ~~defeated Mexico~~ got abandoned by Mexico like a parent too disappointed in their child to even argue anymore, we got so desperate for a new mommy or daddy that we considered going home with anyone who made the mistake of looking at us while walking by:

But even while coming to prize independence, Texas found itself weak and bankrupt, newly menaced by a Mexico that never recognized her right to exist. With historical repercussions that can only be guessed at today, the country’s leaders seriously considered taking Texas into the British Empire.

So, to our future Piss Baby in Chief, I dare you to try. My city alone has a shocking number of military bases and I'm sure any one of them can easily get foreign-leader-killing drones in the air within seconds of having a new enemy holding US troops hostage.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I’m excited for the wannabe domestic terrorists in West Texas to realize that sparsely vegetated and habituated scrubland is a drone operator’s ISR wet dream to thwack pickup convoys, and have a public come-to-Jesus moment before decrying this pointless dick measuring contest. Any kind armed rebellion without near total collapse of the federal government, is a fantasy

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

You don't even need drones. Insurgents aren't particularly technical, and tend to use unsecured communications that are easily pinpointed for a precision HIMARS or smart artillery strike. Ask the Russians how it went for them. They lost thousands in Ukraine because soldiers used cellphones to call home to Mama - calls processed through Ukrainian cellular towers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (3 children)

You don't think if the government started sending drones after pickups that they wouldn't gain more popular support?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

I’m also trapped. We should group up.

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[–] [email protected] 74 points 10 months ago (17 children)

A non-amicably seceded Texas is doomed as a country. No food, drugs, or medical supplies from the rest of the country. No parts to repair their oil wells or vehicles (made by businesses in other states). Companies like John Deere would be forced to brick all equipment in Texas. Then the US government imposes sanctions on any country doing business with Texas, and businesses outside Texas are restricted from doing business in Texas. Nobody comes to their rescue when the power grid fails in an ice storm or a hurricane blows through the state.

Face it. States are too interdependent to cut ties with the rest of the country.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

Brexit showed us that situation like this the 'bigger person' in the conflict will try not to starve millions of people to death and will not simply cut them off. We as individualise would surely like to see Brits/Texans suffer all the consequences but politicians are usually more pragmatic than this and have to think long term. Turning Texas into 3rd world country wouldn't do any good to anyone. Blocking supplies as some sort of collective punishment would simply be immoral.

Of course they are not going to secede but if they did they would still get all the supplies they need. Their economy would suffer greatly but they would just blame US and keep going.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I mean, we've also seen a lot of cases of the exact opposite. It's entirely a question of which position is held to be long term better not just to the parties in question, but to the actual politicians as well.

The UK is more valuable to the EU as a less favorable trading partner than as a pariah, and there was no plausible way for the EU to convince it's members that there was any course to take other than letting them leave exactly as fast as the treaties said they could.
They made it about as painful as they could while fulfilling their treaty obligations.

There is no defined legal mechanism for a state to leave the union. There's no long term incentive for politicians to create one. There's no individual incentive for one either, at the national level.

Punishing secessionists to maintain precedent would be the only viable move for any politician.
Of course you don't let them starve, but you also don't let ships into your territorial waters near areas with violent insurgents, and you warn your neighbors that trade will suffer if they're found to be supplying said insurgents.

It's literally the position of the US government that secession is not possible, not just "not permitted".
States didn't seceed during the civil war, they were never their own country, and any treaties or legal actions taken by their supposed governments have no weight.

Don't look at it through the lens of "how would the US treat the new nation of Texas", but "how would the US treat the armed rebels in the state of Texas".

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I would absolutely expect Texas to throw a fit that they would be treated like a foreign country that now has to do trade deals and visas and shit rather than just a cool super state that can do whatever they want.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Nothing would make me happier than to see those braindead republicans catch the car, so to speak. They have absolutely no foresight whatsoever, they just think they can pray for a viable government into existence. Texas is such a joke and they think all the other states are just jealous they aren't Texas, lol embarrassing.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Texan here. The vast majority of us don’t want to secede and think this is crazy. Please don’t curse us along with the monsters that are ruining our lives.

And before the “just move” train starts, a lot of us would like to, but we need access to our current support systems to survive, and can’t detangle our lives from our area at the drop of a hat.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The vast majority of us don’t want to secede and think this is crazy.

Maybe they don't want to secede exactly, but I'm not so sure they think this is crazy. Although the demographics in Texas have shifted some in recent years, Abbott was still elected with more than a 10% margin, and polls seem to indicate that a majority of Texans support him on this issue. I don't doubt that most of the people you know agree with you but Texas is a big state with a very large rural population, and most of them very much believe Texas has the right to defend its own border with Mexico.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I understand what you're saying, and it's nothing personal against you. But, can I ask what are you doing to help? If being cursed with the consequences of personal comfort and complacency is what it takes to create actual change for the people that Texas so be it. I'm sure the majority don't like it, it's embarrassing, but what are they doing? Are they calling/emailing/writing to leadership? Are they voting? Are they encouraging their family members to vote? Until the majority get active against this insanity it's going to get worse.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

As it so happens, yes. My family has been politically active as Texas progressives for almost 100 years now, and I’m part of that chain. I’ve been at the protests, made the phone calls, signed the petitions, and donated the money I can spare. Furthermore, I have a lot of friends who have been doing the same.

We aren’t all complacent down here. Our state has been heavily gerrymandered to the point that we need a lot more than a simple majority to win an election. We’re doing everything we can, but anyone looking at the Republican Party right now can see that it is a huge and dangerous organization. They use smoke and mirrors to make their control in this state seem a lot more absolute than it actually is.

Edit: I also wanted to add that when you call your Texas representatives, they don’t answer the phone. Shame doesn’t sway these people, which is why our best hope is changing demographics and getting out the vote.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

All I have to say is keep up the good fight. I know not all of Texas is like my family who are trump humping bastards. Keep fighting, I hope you guys can make some progress and de-program some of your peers but I know it's an uphill battle. I don't even live there and I'm exhausted with it all. I truly truly appreciate what you guys are doing. I don't even live in Texas and I'm exhausted with their politics. Good luck, rooting for you from the East Coast 💖

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[–] [email protected] 46 points 10 months ago (5 children)
[–] [email protected] 77 points 10 months ago (3 children)

They're trying to provoke a reaction that they can sell to their media-fueled-paranoid Christonationalists to drive them to the polls.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 10 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

They should react, because ignoring this line-toeing is what causes them to just be bolder next time. Remember when all the Republican calls for banning abortion were just rabble rousing for political benefit and they didn't really mean it? Trump telling his followers to fight? Republicans saying trans people are molesting kids?

Ignoring their provocation isn't winning 5D chess, it's paving the way to actual violence. If a state says they're going to block the federal government and calls for aligned states to send troops to support them, you need to shut that shit down.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Full blown treason at this point.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 51 points 10 months ago (4 children)

If America falls we're taking all of you fuckers with us

[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (2 children)

100% true. We are kind of a tad bit important to the world economy. The way I worded it was over the top for comedic value but when it comes down to it, if America goes down its gonna be an absolute fucking mess for everyone.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago

The number of countries that pegged their currency to the USD is staggering. If the US defaults for any reason the global economy ceases to exist. Crashed by Adam Tooze is a great deep dive into the 2008 financial crises and goes in depth on how interconnected all the major economies are.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago

You're also forgetting the general slide into fascism that could have far more dire effects on the world.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

That is definitely true, but I will still be laughing on the way down with you ;)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I personally welcome my always was Chinese overlord

[–] [email protected] 31 points 10 months ago

+5 to your social credit for willfully accepting the CCP.

-25 for engaging with an unsanctioned online community.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So the largest threat to the United States is Gregory Abbot...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

#alwaysHasBeen

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago

I'm not JAG, but article 142 seems to apply to the Texas State Guardsmen. They're following unlawful orders.

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