Texit?

Is a Texas exit from the United States a possibility? Daniel Miller, president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, says it is. Ranking as a #1 New Release on Amazon, his new book, Texit: Why and How Texas Will Leave the Union, shares his perspective.

I had a chance to interview Daniel to learn more.

What are some reasons Texas might try to claim independence?

There are a multitude of reasons why Texans should vote for independence. However, it’s important to note that we’re not talking about some singular, future event. Rather, what’s important at this moment is the actual support for the issue right now and whether or not the trajectory shows an increase in that support.

In 2009, Research 2000 conducted a poll asking Texans if they believed that Texas would be better off as an independent nation. At that time 50% of Republicans, 45% of independents, and 15% of Democrats answered affirmatively. In a 2014 poll conducted around the time of the Scottish independence referendum, Texans were asked if they believed that Texas should leave the union and become an independent nation. Over the intervening years the numbers had grown significantly and the attitudes had hardened in favor of independence. 54% of Republicans, 50% of independents and 35% of Democrats at that time indicated that they wanted Texas to leave the union.

Over time we’ve seen the surface policy issues change, yet we’ve seen support grow. At any given moment the reasons that Texans themselves cite for their support may be different, but the underlying support continues to grow. If, however, you distill it down, Texans are tired of being part of political and economic union that subjects them to 180,000 pages of federal laws, administered by 440 separate bureaucratic agencies and 2.5 million unelected bureaucrats. Texans believe that the best people to govern Texas are Texans.

What benefits does Texas get from staying in the union?

This is a difficult question to answer. What makes it difficult is that the costs are so exorbitant and extreme as to almost completely obscure the benefits. Those who are opposed to Texit often like to fall back on these supposed benefits as why Texas will never leave the union. However, they ignore the fact that Texas overpays into the union to the tune of $100-$150 billion every year. Furthermore, they ignore the fact that every claimed benefit, such as national defense or being part of a large economic trading bloc, are relationships that currently exist between the United States and other countries that are not a part of the union. The United States is part of NATO and has executed multiple mutual defense pacts with countries that were not required to join the union as a condition of the agreement. The same goes with the multiple free trade agreements that have been executed between the United States and nearly 2 dozen other countries.

I think it is important to rephrase the question and have it put to people, not just in Texas, but in all States of the union. “If your State were currently an independent nation, would you vote to enter the union and why?”

It seems inconceivable that people would vote to foist $21 trillion of debt on future generations. However, they should be given the choice.

What would a Texit look like?

The process for Texit is straightforward. At the end of the Second World War there were 54 recognized countries in the world. At the end of the 20th century there were 192. Because of this we’ve got plenty of examples to use for instruction and information. In short, Texas will need to pass a law authorizing a Brexit-style referendum on the issue. Once that’s done and the terms for the vote are laid out, the people of Texas will have a vigorous debate on the issue and vote. If the people of Texas vote for independence, then it begins the process of extracting ourselves from the union politically and economically.

That process involves amending the current Texas Constitution to expand some of the current operations of the State government into ones that are more reflective of a self-governing nation-state. It also involves some legislative efforts to implement Texas versions of some laws and protections that currently exist only on a federal level. Beyond this, it’s a matter of serious negotiation with the United States to minimize disruption on both ends. This can be accomplished by having Texas sign on to existing multi-lateral agreements and convention of which the United States is currently a part, executing separate bilateral agreements with the United States dealing with trade, travel, and banking, as well as having Texas officially sign on to any of the international conventions of which the United States is a part.

While some may view “Texit” as a singular event, embodied in the referendum. It truly is a process, much like independence is also not an event. Independence is a state of being to which we all, individual and State, should aspire daily. It is claiming for ourselves that fundamental right of self-government.

To view one of Miller’s Fox News interviews, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTyewdxLhhU.