[Winged Hussar]

In Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, the productive members of society effectively go "on strike" when the government expropriates the fruit of their labor to fund its social welfare system. The parables of the ants and the grasshopper, and the story of the Little Red Hen, carry a similar message.

If the government confiscates the Little Red Hen's bread to feed the animals who contributed nothing to its production, she can always make less bread the next time (to avoid steeply progressive taxation rates) or, as some people are now putting it, "go John Galt" (i.e. work fewer hours to stay in lower tax brackets). When all the Little Red Hens who make the bread live in one part of the country while all the pigs who want to eat the bread live in another, though, unpleasant economic and geopolitical driving forces come into play. This was the predominant driving force for both the War of Independence and Southern secession. In each case, one geographical part of the country (Britain and the North respectively) sought to enrich itself at the expense of another part of the country (colonies and South respectively). Perhaps Barry and his cohorts missed this when they studied American history, if they studied it at all.

For yet a third example of how dysfunctional national policies can be divisive in a nation with regional economic differences, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Convention

[RC2]

Wouldn’t it be interesting is all States brought about secession and left Washington DC on its own. How about a new Capital, like Texas?

[screaminsunshine]

I hope Florida gets out.

[mbarker12474]

I sure as h—l hope so.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

1857 all over again?

[ronnyquest]

"Could Obama ...re-create economic conditions that led to Southern secession?"

Yes. The sooner the better.

[AliVeritas]

More like Idi Mugabe Papa Doc Jim Jones Dada.

[Non-Sequitur]

Barack James Buchanan: Could Obama ...re-create economic conditions that led to Southern secession?

Not unless he's planning on bringing back chattel slavery.

[ladyjane]

Too many northern liberals have already moved down south. Unfortunately.

[ladyjane]

Too many northern liberals have already moved down south. Unfortunately.

[The Sons of Liberty]

The South shall rise again!
(and much sooner than anyone expects if 0dumbo stays in power)

[alexander_busek]

Barack James Buchanan: Could Obama ...re-create economic conditions that led to Southern secession?

When "Cotton is King!"

Regards,

[Durus]

Have you stopped to think that this may be exactly what the Obama administration wants? Forcing a limited amount of states to attempt secession that he can easily put down, in effect chilling any widespread rebellion? I would much rather see the spirit of ‘76 then recreate the civil war.

[Colonel Kangaroo]

In Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, the productive members of society effectively go "on strike" when the government expropriates the fruit of their labor to fund its social welfare system. The parables of the ants and the grasshopper, and the story of the Little Red Hen, carry a similar message.

If Atlas is to shrug in real life America, I doubt it will resemble anything as quick and dramatic as found in Rand's tale. It took several years in interwar Germany before years of different sorts of economic beatings ruined the German middle class. But the golden goose eventually will have had enough.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Atlas Shrugged ping