Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

In general, it seems, a newspaper should run letters to the editor that are a) grounded in or supported by fact, and b) provide a reasonable and sound (even if unusual) point of view to whatever topic the writer is commenting on. Unfortunately for readers of the Oklahoman, those sorts of letters are rarely run. Instead, the paper often runs letters from laypeople questioning prevailing scientific opinion, or from ill-informed voters decrying an elected leader's stance on economic policy even though said stance is a sheer fabrication. Yesterday, we were told that the government should arm MORE ordinary citizens to protect the country from mysterious and unnamed Islamic fundamentalists who are on the verge of taking away all of our freedoms.

These sorts of things just don't appear in legitimate major newspapers, and it is an embarrassment to the state that its largest paper continues to run truly stupid letters like the one appearing today from Mike Jones of Oklahoma City. We need only read the headline and the first two sentences:

States have right to secede

Washington and the liberal states say secession is a bad idea. That should make us suspicious that it would be bad for them. ...

Holy crap. While Mr. Jones does not explicitly state it, the subtext is there: Oklahoma (and other states dominated by the far right) should secede from the Union. So, before addressing the rest of the letter, let's take a moment to see if this is actually a good idea. Let's ask ourselves what would happen if Oklahoma left the US-- and were allowed to do so without a fight. What would be the result?

The two major and immediate impacts would be a dramatic cut in revenues for the fledgling nation, and a dramatic loss in jobs. After all, as has been well documented, Oklahoma is among those states that receives more in federal money than its citizens pay. Indeed, between 2000-2005, the state received about $1.40 for each $1.00 it paid. That's a tremendous gap to try and make up. However, given the state's conservative anti-tax stance, though, it seems more likely that the government would make up for that gap by cutting spending rather than raising taxes-- or worse, a combination of spending cuts coupled with the institution of highly regressive taxes such as a sales tax.

The cut in spending would create huge problems for the new country. For instance, public works and infrastructure would crumble as the money to maintain them is slashed. Worse, huge numbers of government employees would lose their jobs as, in the face of massive budget cuts, schools and protective services (e.g. police and fire) would have to let hundreds of employees go.

These job losses would be compounded by the fact that the thousands of Oklahomans who are employed by the federal government would be out of work. Of course, some would be replaced by the new government (e.g. an Oklahoma Postal Service replacing the US Postal Service). However, is impossible to imagine that even close to 100% of them would. For example, while the new Nation of Oklahoma would no doubt want to have a military, it simply could not support enough of a force to populate, say, Tinker Air Force Base, or Fort Sill.

Within just a few years, the new Nation of Oklahoma would have dramatic unemployment. State leaders, embracing the ridiculous policies espoused by right wing news organizations, would continue to cut spending and lower taxes in the hopes of somehow generating more revenue. But hey-- at least all these conservative-loving people would be "free", right?

Or would they? Numerous state officials have advocated for an implicit Christian theocracy to run government and it is not hard to see how-- freed from the bonds of the United States Constitution-- those implicit aims would be made explicit. Public prayer would be mandatory in schools, before sporting events, in courtroom, and in legislative sessions. Similarly, public displays of Christian iconography (crosses, the Ten Commandments, etc.) would be common. Public office would be limited to those who practiced certain brands of Christianity. Indeed, attending church (of the evangelical variety) would, perhaps, be mandatory. In schools and universities, the instruction of science and mainstream humanities would be replaced with more biblically-focused courses.

I could go on, but there really isn't much need. An independent Nation of Oklahoma would be a disaster for most as within a generation it would turn into a "Petroleum Republic"-- a highly socially and economically stratified theocracy that survives only because it can export a desirable commodity (in this case, natural gas). I'm trying to think about what country that sounds like, but it just isn't coming to me.

Anyhow, it is obvious that a secession of Oklahoma is a horrible idea. But the Oklahoman runs a letter advocating it-- no doubt because it concludes with this gem:

Today, if conservative states exercise their right to secede, liberal states will continue their unconstitutional agenda, which history has repeatedly shown will lead to a police state and a wrecked economy. Meanwhile, the conservative states will continue their constitutional agenda, which history has repeatedly shown will lead to individual freedoms and a healthy economy.

What planet is this guy living on? Was he awake during the last 20 years? It is completely divorced from reality-- which is perhaps why the Oklahoman chose to run it.