This thought has been niggling away at me for some time but, alas, I am short of time this morning so I can only pull out the pin and lob the grenade in amongst you all. I am provoked to this action by an article in The American Spectator by Marta H. Mossburg in which she warns us to watch and beware Gov. O'Malley of Maryland. I do not know for certain if he is possessed of swivelling eyeballs but from what Ms. Mossburg says he ought to! He it is who has introduced a 'rain tax' to the goof balls good electors of Maryland and seeing as how they put him in the job they deserve no less. Apparantly, satellites will map Maryland and any property having an excess of hard-standing will be taxed in order to reduce the runoff of rain water into the Chesapeake Bay. This is but one of several 'Greenie-socialist-la-la-land' ideas that Gov. O'Malley has in what passes for his mind, I suppose it is the whimsical 'Oirish' in him.
However, my main point is that O'Malley is not alone in his crazed desire to tax everything including rain. Over the other side, the 'Kommissariat of Kalifornia' continues its mad tax and spend binge as city after city goes broke throughout the State and businesses flee to Texas which, under a liberal tax regime is prospering like never before. But of course, given the federal nature of the United(?) States, Texas is forced to send money to Washington, now in the grip of Democrat socialists, who then send it out to places like Maryland and 'Kalifornia'. Now, if Obama is succeeded by another out-and-out socialist, and O'Malley is already planning his campaign, and the prospect of another eight years looms then the pressure will mount. So my question is, how long will they put up with it in middle America before that dread word 'secession' raises its ugly head? I'm not saying it will happen, I'm not even saying it is probable that it will happen but it has to be a possibility. After all, you all know how far behind the times I am, so if I've thought of it then sure as hell someone else has too!
But just remember, you read it here first!
Others have speculated about the possible disintegration of the USA. For instance, the Archdruid Report had an entertaining series about how military defeat might have this consequence.
http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/how-it-could-happen-part-five.html
Here's my own somewhat satirical response.
http://ravenfiction.blogspot.co.uk/
Today's post on Club Orlov suggests that an even more dramatic collapse may be underway.
http://cluborlov.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-rationale-behind-boston-psy-ops.html#more
Posted by: Odin's Raven | Tuesday, 23 April 2013 at 11:51
'Raven', we must have 'e-met' before, or, someone provided me with a link because I have your forecast? fable? already saved in my 'Blog Feeder' box but, alas, I haven't got round to reading it yet. During my excursions hither and thither today I pondered on the possibilities and I think I will post later and in more detail.
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 23 April 2013 at 16:56
To insert some small "to be fair" David - the tax isn't so much for the rain itself - rather the water runoff necessitating investments in things such as drainage systems.
We in states lining the Mississippi River, annually deluged and in turn towns and smallish cities inundated, in these states the taxes are levied within and upon the individual municipalities. Where the floods occur on croplands/livestock feedgrounds the Federal Government has, for about a century, had the (our) money to invest in levee systems.
That is no longer the case - they (we) can afford to spend a zillion on stuff like say, the F-35 fighter program. Admittedly, I haven't a real clear grip on how the states north of say, the Mason-Dixon Line (like Maryland), has handled infrastructure projects in the past - but I believe that is what the "tax on the rain" is all about.
Posted by: JK | Tuesday, 23 April 2013 at 19:12
Oh.
After the last election - 12 states' legislatures introduced bills to secede. So far as I know, the flag still has 50 stars.
Posted by: JK | Tuesday, 23 April 2013 at 19:17
It's the Fall & Decline of the Roman Empire all over again. This time we are here to witness it all. Or parts thereof, anyway. The interesting topic should be - who is the logical and/or likely successor?
Posted by: Andra | Tuesday, 23 April 2013 at 23:19
I wonder.
The 'rain tax' is a misleading indicator (I think) - it seems a vaguely reasonable way of securing funding for levees etc. but how long before people start asking why it is that necessary works (including to an extent F-35 for defence) suddenly require this new funding stream, whilst PC. pork-barrel and 'democrat' projects are swallowing all the funding which would have, in the past, funded them (just like here at home).
Despite all, in a socialist sense, I still think the US is not even close to where we were in the seventies (the point where 'enough was enough'), but more like the late forties with the beginning of the socialist bureaucratic takeovers (GM, health care, etc. - nationalisation anyone?). Yes, financially the US is as much a basket case as, if not more than, everywhere else but 'quality of life' is still relatively high, even with reductions, for the majority there.
Whilst there are many within 'fly-over country' who hotly contest this idiocy they are, on the whole, the hard working, tax-paying, but crucially 'patriotic' types. Look where most of the military comes from in the modern US,it certainly isn't from the Democratic metropolitan areas. So, as 'pissed' as they are I don't think secession is even seen as anything other than a message and attempted wake-up call by these voters.
I do see more 'going gulch' avoiding supporting the behemoth of the federal government and contesting its decisions and rulings though - with state governments already doing that to an extent now (national monument, forest, and CCW).
The question is, will the point where 'Republicans' and 'Libertarian' types have had way too much come before or after the point where the low-information and traditional Democrat voters wake-up and smell the coffee?
The problem then is, even if they do (which is far from certain), is there a US version of Mrs. Thatcher waiting in the wings ready to make the hard decisions and take the flack? I fear there isn't.
I don't realistically foresee secession, but another revolution, or civil war isn't as far fetched unfortunately.
Worrying!
Oh and Andra, isn't it 'The Decline and Fall'? Or is it reversed/upside down in the antipodes? (running and hiding as I type)
Posted by: Able | Wednesday, 24 April 2013 at 05:56
New post up above.
Posted by: David Duff | Wednesday, 24 April 2013 at 10:13
Able - you are right of course. I KNEW something was amiss when I typed that but my tiny mind couldn't sort it out in time. Don't forget I am a sort of female person too, and that makes a difference sometimes (when I say it does).
Posted by: Andra | Thursday, 25 April 2013 at 03:57
"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."
Robert A. Heinlein
Posted by: Able | Thursday, 25 April 2013 at 04:53