Secession? Maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all

Unfurl the banners. Sound the trumpets. Welcome to the Republic of Reagan, the world’s newest country. Comprising the former states of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, Reagan is dedicated to all that used to be good and beautiful about America — God, guns and guts. All white Christians are welcome. You others, there’s a line for you over there. Gays? Don’t bother. Here we wear our religion on our sleeves and our guns on our hips. All hail the Republic of Reagan.

This is the grandiose dream (nightmare?) of former Reagan aide Douglas MacKinnon who is promoting his new book, “The Secessionist States of America…the Blueprint for Creating a Traditionalist Country…Now.” Although MacKinnon insists the book is only an academic exercise, the dramatic and lengthy title alone leaves little doubt there is a lot of wishful thinking here. How hardcore traditionalist Christian would the new nation be? MacKinnon won’t allow Texas in because…immigrants. Perry and his minions will have to form their own country.

My response? I’m all for it. In fact, I wish it would happen. Despite the failures of boneheaded conservative economic and social policies instituted by the governors of Kansas and Wisconsin, voters in Red States still seem eager to hand Republicans the reins of government. Perhaps, just perhaps, if they witnessed the collapse of an entire country run by Republicans, it might start ringing some bells.

This is MacKinnon’s dream: In Reagan, everyone gets to carry a weapon anywhere. Christianity is the official religion. There’s no government welfare or safety net or social security and virtually all institutions and utilities are privately owned. Racism is condoned, being gay is illegal and women are second-class citizens. Only white males can vote or hold office. All media, from TV to movies to theatre, is strictly monitored and controlled by the central government. There are no unions, no minimum wage, no workplace safety rules, no food inspectors and no environmental protections. The government’s sole responsibility is the military, which is enormous.

Yes, it sounds like hell on earth, but this is what conservatives believe in. Let them have it. Give them the rope. Let them put their policies into action on a large scale so that the eventual crash is big enough, loud enough to wake up the slumbering masses. Some of you will claim that the above paragraph describes America today, but we’re not there, not yet at least, and perhaps the only way we won’t end up there is to allow conservatives to run their experiment somewhere else. Like the Republic of Reagan.

Our Future?

There’s no doubt that Republicans do a much better job of pushing voter hot buttons than Democrats. Now that we are in campaign mode, we hear the conservative mantra over and over again in their speeches and ads: No new taxes. Get the government off my back. Government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem. The interesting thing is that there aren’t any three or four or five word rebuttals to these statements. It requires analysis and thoughtful discussion to address these issues, but who has time for that? Certainly not the voting public. But as clever, emotional and effective as these phrases are, do conservatives ever lay awake at night and think about what our country would be like if they had all their wishes granted? It’s hard to believe they do, but if they would like a bit of help visualizing our country based on the actual realization of their campaign rhetoric, here’s a snapshot of America in the conservative era. Some might argue that much of what’s here is already fact, but believe me, it could be much worse if nothing is done to stop it. Pleasant dreams.

Small federal government:

A weak and toothless fed exists solely to serve the interests of the military/industrial complex. Continuous war becomes the only sustainable function of the federal government. Elections become so corrupted by money that participation dwindles and the process is eventually abandoned. The “unitary executive” philosophy is carried to its logical conclusion and we are eventually ruled by a “strong man.” Congressional seats are openly bought and sold. States become nearly autonomous countries with widely varied and contradictory laws and policies, and each has its own paramilitary force. The U.N. is kicked out of America and many past international treaties are annulled. The U.S. is considered a Rogue State by much of the rest of the world.

Low or no taxes:

Roads and bridges go unrepaired and become impassable. With no Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security, the elderly and disabled are essentially abandoned and left to beg or panhandle for food. The price of everything skyrockets. Healthcare is only available to the wealthy. There are no firefighters or emergency responders and communities must rely on volunteers when tragedy strikes. The wealthy live in enclaves and have private security forces. With no regulations or standards, the contents of the foods we eat becomes ever more questionable and millions of deaths a year are attributed to contaminated food sources. Unregulated businesses pump tons of toxic chemicals into the air and water, which also leads to the deaths of millions. Single-family homes are unaffordable for most families.

Privatize everything:

No public education. Private schools compete for students as colleges do now. Poor, minority, physically and emotionally challenged students fall through the gaping cracks and are lucky if they receive any education at all. With no national standards, schools are able to teach whatever nonsense they want. Unemployment due to an unskilled workforce soars. Teaching becomes religious indoctrination. There are no labor laws or regulations on businesses, so workers can be paid slave wages and forced to work in unsafe conditions. Children must work to help families survive. An underground and illegal economy evolves based on bartering and bribery. Gangs control the distribution of necessities such as gas, medicine, food, etc. Other countries set up sweatshops in America to manufacture products.

A Christian Nation:

Christianity is officially declared the national religion. Other religions are deemed false and followers are shunned or ostracized. Christians receive preferential treatment at every level of society. Laws are passed based on conservative Christian interpretations of the bible. Abortion is illegal under any circumstances and homosexual activity is a felony. Political descent is forbidden and the media is essentially a government mouthpiece. There is no government funding for the arts, and forms of artistic expression are strictly monitored and censored by the state. Gun laws are abolished and gun related fatalities soar.

Crime and Punishment:

The one industry in the country that thrives is private prisons. The law and order mentality of the Christian government means that millions of additional Americans are arrested and locked up each year. Crimes Against Christianity becomes a new category of laws under which many are jailed. Torture is commonplace as are public executions. Reeducation camps are created for artists and intellectuals who dissent from the thought parameters set up by the state. Police are given near limitless powers to arrest or detain citizens at will, and trials are a mere formality.