this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2023
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WACO — Standing in front of a massive state flag on Saturday, Claver Kamau-Imani outlined his utopian vision of a Nation of Texas that he believes is just on the horizon.

No taxes or Faucis, no speed zones or toll roads. No liberals, no gun laws. No windmills, no poor people. A separate currency, stock market and gold depository. “Complete control of our own immigration policy.” World-class college football, a farewell to regulators. And unthinkable, unimaginable wealth.

“We are going to be so rich,” he chanted. “We’re gonna be rich. We are gonna be rich. We. Are. Going. To Be. Rich! … As soon as we declare independence, we're going to be wealthy. I personally believe that our personal GDP will double in five to seven years.”

“The independence of Texas is good for humanity as a whole,” he added to cheers.

Kamau-Imani, a Houston-based preacher, was among 100 or so people who spent the weekend at the Waco Convention Center for the first conference of the Texas Nationalist Movement, which since 2005 has advocated for the Lone Star State to break away from the United States — a “TEXIT,” as they call it.

Supporters of the movement said they are more energized and optimistic than ever about the prospect of an independent Texas, and pointed to appearances or support from current and former lawmakers — including state Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, who spoke at the event — as evidence that their movement is far from fringe. The get-together also came as TEXIT supporters celebrated what they believe is crucial momentum: Days before the meeting, the Texas Nationalist Movement announced that it was more than halfway to the roughly 100,000 signatures needed to put a non-binding secession referendum on the Texas Republican primary ballot.

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[–] xkforce@lemmy.world 84 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yes please secede. Texas has enough electoral votes that if it split off, the modern republican party would never win again.

[–] pingveno@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago

Like always, the equilibrium will just adjust around a different center. It would definitely be a big shift to the left without the largest red state.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 40 points 11 months ago (4 children)

"We are going to be so rich,” he chanted. “We’re gonna be rich. We are gonna be rich. We. Are. Going. To Be. Rich! … As soon as we declare independence, we're going to be wealthy. I personally believe that our personal GDP will double in five to seven years."

😂

Oh, he's serious. Where would the food come from? Because Texas is terrible for farming. You can't live off of beef.

Days before the meeting, the Texas Nationalist Movement announced that it was more than halfway to the roughly 100,000 signatures needed to put a non-binding secession referendum on the Texas Republican primary ballot.

Non-binding‽ Stop! I can't take it! 🤣

[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 19 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Texas seceding would be peak FAFO entertainment if it weren't for all the innocent people who would get fucked over. It'd be like the US's own little brexit.

[–] orclev@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, this is very much not the threat they think it is, and if anything it would go even worse than brexit and that's already one of the worst clusterfucks in recent history. All it would take is less than a year later when everyone is starving and freezing to death yet again due to Texas shit power infrastructure failing during winter storms for these morons to maybe finally realize they are in fact the problem. Or maybe not, they're still in deep deep denial about all kinds of things.

[–] Rootiest@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I'd vote against the US providing them humanitarian aid.

Let them beg Mexico for help

[–] alienzx@feddit.nl 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Fair point, but secession is only something Texas politicians bring up to win easy political points with these kinds of people. It gets tossed around all the time, especially when things don't go their way in elections, and these rubes eat it up. They would never vote on it seriously.

The politicians know it would be economic and political suicide, because Texas does not have the infrastructure to be autonomous, unlike the UK, which was autonomous before joining the EU.

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Talking as someone from the UK, we have been fucked by Brexit, (well by the Tories in general) it's just hidden by layers of bureaucracy. Inflation has been sky high for the last year or so. We also have the most expensive energy prices in the world.

Just because it is stupid, doesn't mean politicians won't run with it.

Lol oh my god I genuinely hope they try it - especially if it becomes a “promised land” for MAGA types and Nationalist Christians. We’ll vote with our feet, and I’m pretty confident the results will be quite unambiguous.

[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Maybe they will try to grow something in Odessa. 😃

[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago

If he's a preacher why hasn't his church had his tax exempt status removed. All federal perks or aid to him or his church need to be taken away

[–] MrPhibb@reddthat.com 17 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Go ahead, this'll be fun. Let's see, to travel out of your country, you'll need a passport, and for that to be accepted, you'll need a treaty in place Sure, you've got oil, but you basically need to be part of OPEC to sell it, and they decide price and volume. To ship anything you produce, you need treaties in place

Yep, let's see how this goes.

[–] Ambiorickx@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You do not need to be part of opec to sell oil. The US, UK, and Norway, just to name three, are not members.

https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/25.htm

[–] MrPhibb@reddthat.com 1 points 11 months ago

Ah, thanks, wasn't sure as they seem to pretty much rule the market

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 17 points 11 months ago (1 children)

No Liberals? Do they plan to sell Austin?

[–] c0c0c0@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

I imagine they're planning to purge Austin.

[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

Ok, but next january or february when the snow wipes out their electrical system, we won't be sending any linemen from the United States to help patch things up.

[–] Beelzebob@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago

I'd trade Texas for Puerto Rico any day.

Also... Oh, your colleges aren't in the US? No, you don't get to play with us. You can't have it both ways, shitheads.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This would be such a shit show. Democratic states outside of Texas would be all for this, because the right would loose a ton of representatives.

Moreover, all the big centers of commerce in Texas would push back hard. Austin, Dallas, etc. The big cities that make the money are all blue.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Texas currently has 38 seats, Republicans outnumber Democrats 25-13. If Texas had already seceded than Hakeem Jeffries would be the Speaker right now.

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] capital@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

46% of the voting population of Texas voted for Biden in 2020.

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[–] culprit@lemmy.ml 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Wonder how long it would survive without US support? Probably less than a year. Mexico could reclaim their land after that.

[–] psivchaz@reddthat.com 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's what I was thinking. No US military means they're on their own. Though... It looks like they have their own military that is about 10-15% the size of Mexico's. That's actually nothing to sneeze at, and it would also come down a lot to what the US would leave behind (if anything) in such a scenario.

An independent Texas with leftover US nukes is the nightmare that will be waking me up tonight.

[–] Railing5132@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

There is no way in hell that the DoD would let any nuclear weapons reside in a secessionist state.

[–] IphtashuFitz@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Please do! Without their 40 electoral votes we won’t see a Republican in the White House for generations.

[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago (4 children)

If they succeed well they will accomplish is getting their ass whooped while being invaded by the us, you'd think the last civil war would be a tipoff that you can't succeed.

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[–] ExfilBravo@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

Texas state government received $39.5 billion in grants from the Federal government. I'm sure that would put a dent in their infrastructure maintenance for the state. Source: https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/2017/november/federal-funding.php

[–] DevCat@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

There is only one proper response to this:

https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-population-majority-latino-census-bureau-update/

Texas has been majority white since at least the mid 1800s, but Hispanics have been expected to overtake the majority for some time. Now, new data shows that happened at some time in 2022.

The U.S. Census Bureau updated its official population estimates, and the numbers confirm Latinos have officially made up the largest share of the state’s population since at least last July.

Lloyd Potter, state demographer of Texas and director of the Texas Demographic Center, said Hispanic Texans made up 40.2% of the state’s population last summer, edging out non-Hispanic white Texans, who made up 39.8%.

“When we look at demographic and population change, there’s what we refer to as components of population change,” Potter said. “The three major components are births, deaths and net migration. So when we look at and when we compare population change between the non-Hispanic white population and the Hispanic population, the dynamics of those elements are different.”

For example, Hispanics tend to have higher birth rates than the non-Hispanic white population, Potter said.

[–] itsgroundhogdayagain@lemmy.ml 6 points 11 months ago

They deserve everything that's coming to them. Best of luck in your endeavors.

[–] sleet01@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago (4 children)
[–] ExfilBravo@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Bye Felicia!

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[–] modifier@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago

Quit shitting your pants about it and just do it, Texas.

[–] pingveno@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

These fools are severely underestimating how much value comes with being part of the US. There's are just too many advantages being in a strong economic union like the United States. Its cities especially would have their population leaving in droves. Of course, none of these prosperity gospel preachers are going to have Texas go anywhere. The South already tried that once, and it didn't turn out so well for them did it?

[–] DragonTypeWyvern 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Who cares?

Stop trying to dissuade them and let them hang themselves.

[–] pingveno@lemmy.ml 4 points 11 months ago

Unfortunately, I have friends and family who are anchored to these loons.

[–] Soggytoast@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

But what's wrong with windmills??

[–] pingveno@lemmy.ml 9 points 11 months ago

Insufficiently destructive of the environment.

[–] callouscomic@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago

Bye bye! Don't let the missing welfare transfer hit you on the way out. It'll save the other states tons.

[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 3 points 11 months ago

I LOVE this Country and want to NOT be a Part of it anymore!

[–] Pulptastic@midwest.social 3 points 11 months ago

The libertarians will get what they want: freedom from taxes and public services like police, courts, insurance regulations, you know, stuff nobody needs.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This is the best summary I could come up with:


WACO — Standing in front of a massive state flag on Saturday, Claver Kamau-Imani outlined his utopian vision of a Nation of Texas that he believes is just on the horizon.

For years, experts have thrown cold water on Miller’s movement, saying that secession is patently illegal and unconstitutional, and would be economically catastrophic for the United States and Texas alike.

(Miller vociferously disagrees, arguing that there is no constitutional ban on secession and that the post-Civil War court case often cited by experts — Texas v. White — is also unclear on the issue).

And the event's lineup included Hall, the Edgewood senator, who discussed “securing” Texas’ elections and power grid, and Kyle Biedermann, a former state representative who in 2021 proposed putting a referendum on secession to voters.

Packed in a small exhibit hall between amateur knife traders, book publishers and essential oil sellers, they commiserated in their intense distrust of government – a sentiment that they said has become more normalized since the COVID-19 pandemic, to the boon of their movement.

Beyond grievances about federal overreach and corporate welfare, though, few attendees offered concrete details on what a new Texas nation would look like, or how it would operate or confront the many intractable economic, cultural or political problems that could follow.


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