Ok-Lah-HO-Ma. You know, the state that’s on the other side of the Red River? Vacation destination for Texas legislatorswhen in-session? Full of “Injuns” armed with casinos? Sooners? Slowpokes Cowpokes Cowboys? Am I alone in the room?
Okay, maybe it’s not secession. Maybe they just declared what the Constitution clearly states, no matter the claims of the Cult of Lincoln: each of these united States is sovereign. [The real shocker here: politicians who can read (the Constitution)]
The text of the resolution is here. (Thanks to the LRC blog for the link)
But, hey, it’s a start. I don’t know what is driving this, but there are certainly plenty of reasons from which to choose. From unfunded federal mandates like Bush & Kennedy’s “No Child Left Behind,” to the NAFTA Super-de-duper Highway, to the threat of judicial tyranny in regards to OK’s anti-illegal alien laws. Oklahoma obviously has the cojones that I wish Texas still had.
What’s the probable outcome of this? Well, I think it’s kind of like that carnival game with all the gophers — though, in this instance, maybe “prairie dogs” would be more appropriate — where the first one to stick its head up is the first one to get whacked.
The libertarian in me kind of hopes that this ends up sparking a movement that stuffs the djinni of the federal government back into its lamp. Let’s look at what the US would look like if there were actual respect for Constitutional limits on government:
-
Most every Cabinet-level department would be gone. The President could still have a Cabinet of advisers, but the bureaucracies those positions now represent would no longer exist. Argument in support of a Secretary of Defense — as in, defense — could be made, but I think that would be a purely administrative position, sort of a glorified JCS. With no powers. All of the bureaucratic mess that is lumbering along now [largely, Congressional responsibilities that have been abdicated by Congress] would be returned to the legislative branch. Aw, heck. Make that “every Cabinet-level department gone.”
-
No standing armies. Look into history; any time a state has maintained standing armies, it has been because they were hegemonic or despotic, either oppressing citizens of another state, or oppressing their own citizenry. No standing armies would mean that we’d have no need of military installations in nearly 150 countries around the world. It would also mean the de facto state welfare [especially in the South] provided by the military would dry up, forcing states to develop their economies.
-
Gold standard; no central bank. The Constitution gives Congress — and Congress alone — the power to mint money. The Federal Reserve Bank is a quasi-governmental corporation, which essentially cartelizes and socializes the American banking industry. When banks lose, you lose. When banks win, you lose. Real, asset-backed money and market-set interest rates would stop the ups and downs of the business cycle. No boom, no bust, no bubbles.
- No redistribution of wealth. Not only would there be no IRS and no income tax [or un-FAIR tax, or sales tax, or any other direct tax], but there would also be no Social Insecurity, no welfare, no subsidies. Watch the markets boom when people become the masters of their own destinies incomes, when they are forced to work — even innovate — to eat. Watch industry soar and prices plummet when governmental meddling in such things as wages, transportation, capital investment, resource allocation, and prices comes to an end. No natural disasters which result in wasteful and fraudulent government aid at taxpayer expense. No market collapses that result in criminal seizure of taxpayer monies to prop up failed, anachronistic businesses which refuse to, or simply can’t, adapt to new market conditions. No subsidies distorting market forces and causing shortages in essential commodities.
- The role of the federal government would be circumscribed to the bare minimum: fix what roads are not privately owned; defend our sovereign borders [against actual threats — such as being overrun by Third World socialists — not presumptively "imminent threat" paper tigers with fourth-rate militaries half a world away]; promote healthy, mutually beneficial domestic and foreign commerce [largely by staying the heck out of the way of it — no sanctions, no "free trade" agreements, no "Most Favored Nation" status given to any foreign trade partner]; promote the general welfare by protecting the rights of [inherent] minorities and enabling equality of opportunity [but not foolishly trying to guarantee equality of outcome].
Don’t misunderstand me. I think human beings have an obligation to care for others who can’tcare for themselves; but charity is one thing, compulsion is another thing entirely. And I’m not some starry-eyed Utopian; I know full well that few, if any, of the above reforms are likely to happen.
But wouldn’t it be great if they did?
Oklahoma was pretty much a leader in the illegal alien thing — a trendsetter, even — and that made them “OK” by me. [C'mon... you knew it had to happen] Here’s to hoping that this lights off another wave: one of forcing the Federal beast to stay within its Constitutional limits.
