[extropy-chat] FSP: Killington Votes to Secede

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Adrian Tymes <wingcat at pacbell.net> wrote:
> --- Technotranscendence <neptune at superlink.net> wrote:
> > I know this is in Vermont, but I wonder about
> > similar legal processes in
> > other states of the US.  It might be yet another way
> > to alter the
> > system...
> 
> I can tell you flat out it couldn't succeed in
> California.  True, some of the cities were founded
> before California (some of them were founded when this
> was still Mexico), but the state has explicit legal
> soverignity over all cities, counties, and other such
> governments within its geographic boundaries.  I
> suspect the same applies to, at least, most states on
> or near the Pacific, if not all states in the US
> period.

Not really. Any state which has a "home rule" clause in law or its
constitution gives power to local governments that reaches the power of
secession, potentially. Any which empowers local governments to reform
their form of governance and which proclaims that all grievances can be
redressed under the law, leaves open the potential for secession if
their greivances are legitimate, but the state legal system denies
redression.

Any state which was formed out of the territory of another by an act of
secession must implicitly recognise that secession is a legitimate act
of self-determination, else its own legitimacy is debatable. These
states include ALL states in what was once the Louisiana Territory, the
Oregon Territory. This also includes many eastern states.

There have been many acts of secession throughout our history, many of
which have been successful. The Civil War was the only incident in
which force was used to prevent secession (though the Conch Republic is
another possible instance).

There is also a precedent of a former territory of NH rejoining it. The
Republic of Indian Stream was once a sovereign government between the
US and Canada in what is now the northern tip of NH, and arose from
overlapping border disputes between the US and Britain in the area.

For the record, I would support SF or Bay Area secession.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Chairman, Free Town Land Development
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
                                       - Gen. John Stark
Sado-Mikeyism: http://mikeysoft.zblogger.com

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