There hasn't been much talk in the popular media about America's We the People website. It was created by Barack Obama's administration in September 2011, with the goal of soliciting opinions from citizens and which promised to release an official response when the number of signers of an individual petition reached a certain threshold.
Since the re-election of Barack Obama, unhappy Americans have been using the website to create petitions promoting the secession of 35 of the country's 50 states. The bar was first set at 5,000, but the powers that be quickly upped the ante to 25,000.
The day after the US election the petition for Texas had quickly passed the threshold and had gathered well over 77,000 signatories. It has now received 116,248. Louisiana has garnered 36,775, Florida 34,513, Georgia 31,835, Tennessee 30,855 closely followed by Alabama with 30,067.
Five states have two petitions and Georgia leads with three that together attracted over 33,000 signers the day after Obama's election.
A few counter secession petitions have been started as well, including one that calls for deportation of signers of secessionist petitions (25,115) and another that suggests they should be stripped of their citizenship and exiled (15,053).
It will be interesting to watch out for the White House response although I doubt if it will be at all favourable given America's past history.
Secessionist movements are always driven by crackpots. America is no different.
ReplyDeleteVermont, I think was first in the hunt and there are people in the other former New England colonies who are of that opinio. Having met some "crackpot" is not my impression. Rational free thinkers is more like it. My personal view is that they should rejoin England.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I fully accept that America has a disproportionate influence on all our lives – when it comes to what states are in and what states are out then I must revert to the time honoured words of Rhett Butler …
ReplyDelete”Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”
Leaving aside the merits of any particular petition, isn't anyone else stunned - in a boot stamping on your face kind of way - by the US government mirroring the UK (pseudo-)government's online petition wheeze?
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wonder (as have many other things, notably the smoking ban): is everything co-ordinated across the western world? And are the products of all that coordination only ever pointing in one direction, i.e. away from freedom?
Mmm William. :)
ReplyDeleteWell that's an opinion right enough Demetrius. :)
ReplyDeleteOh JRB, a little harsh, no? Let's not forget how oft the UK copies the US. :)
ReplyDeleteI should have said to JRB, ' how oft the UK and US exchange policies Snowman.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your second question, I believe that is what's happening. It's called social engineering, chapter 3 entitled: 'reduction to the lowest common denominator'.