Is NH Secession Silly?
Dear Liberty Block,
I’ve seen NH folks advocate secession, but, come on, surely you’re joking! Not without a massive economy and resources and trade routes that don’t violate US land/airspace! But more importantly, any state that left America wouldn’t be “American” anymore — an America that uniquely allows you to even discuss secession.
Certainly, we don’t need to take on the (astronomical) burdens of running a functional nation-state! What’s the appeal here?
Signed, Secession Not Appealing
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Dear Secession Not Appealing,
I’ll try to address some of your main concerns.
Your claim about a country requiring a “massive economy and resources and trade routes” is not entirely correct. Many countries — smaller than New Hampshire in geography, population, economy, and resources — already exist: Singapore; Liechtenstein; Hong Kong (previous to China’s takeover); Luxembourg; San Marino; Andorra. Not to mention a free NH would likely see massive economic and population growth, and would probably become something like the next Singapore.
Your next concern that New Hampshire wouldn’t be “American” anymore … I mean, first off, who cares? And second off, the united states are supposed to represent the idea of human freedom, self-governance, and consent of the governed. Obviously, America no longer represents any of these ideals: America is a tyrannical government living off a past when it used to be closer to this ideal. That America is dead. Today’s America is the land of excessive taxation, socialism, gun control, world-leading economic regulation, corruption, and disgraceful monetary policy. A free New Hampshire would revitalize our original American principles. And need I mention that secession is the most American act: our very founding was a secession from Great Britain.
Your question about whether this discussion would be allowed in countries other than America is confusing. Are you trying to say that because this conversation wouldn’t be allowed in an even more authoritarian regime, we should voluntarily not have such a conversation? Wouldn’t it be smart to have this conversation now, rather than after the increasingly powerful American authoritarians try to outlaw it?
The problem with America right now isn’t slightly too large a bureaucracy, slightly excessive spending, and slightly too much regulation. Cutting back these areas would not solve our problem. The problem with the American government as it has devolved is that it is now fundamentally corrupt, devoid of its principles. It has become the enemy of the people. It exists for its own benefit. It has overridden the original constitutional constraints that were meant (at least in theory) to protect its citizens from their rulers. The American constitutional republic is dead. In its place is an authoritarian fascist-corporatist regime.
We are Rome in its economic/political/social collapse. An independent New Hampshire would be the new Constantinople. It would revitalize the principles of America, hopefully for a thousand years!
Secession — or at least widespread nullification with the threat of secession — is the way.
Tim is a NH native and business owner. He attended graduate school for political theory and American politics at the University of New Hampshire.
