By Nathan Barton

Ari Armstrong, of Colorado Freedom Report, offers up a thought-provoking column concerning “Add More States…” this week.

He suggests that a fundamental problem with the modern Fifty States is just that: we are only fifty and not seventy or even more.

No, he is not suggesting annexing Canada, Mexico, or even Great Britain.  Rather, he is suggesting that the mega-states (particularly California, Texas, New York, Florida, and even Illinois and Pennsylvania) with huge populations, should divide themselves into multiple states.  More than just the three now proposed for California.  He suggests a state in the American union should be no more than ten million souls strong. Thereby providing better government at home and in DC.

This is, of course (and perhaps oxymoronically), a monarchist notion – creating MORE state governments and MORE senators.  It does in part accept the notion that government that is closer to the people is better, and Ari does (with well-thought-out reservations) point out that his proposal would be “more democratic” and improve both Congress and the electoral college in several ways.

As well as pointing out the disadvantages: a California split into five parts would very likely give at least six (if not eight) more Barbara Boxers and other Tranzi (liberal) types. (And although he does not mention it, there is always the thorny problem of (if you split Texas into five states) who gets the Alamo. Splitting the six “mega” American states into an average of four would add eighteen more senators. (A prospect which is, to me, totally disgusting – MORE senators?) Even if we don’t increase the number of Representatives. And some of those divisions might be pretty artificial (like that line between Colorado and Kansas, splitting families and farms and even towns).

But from a monarchist point of view, his invention has some merits.

From my own self-governing, anarchist point of view: not so many.  Yeah, I could see the Texas Panhandle getting out from under Austin’s thumb.  And even more, the people of
“true” Northern California liberated from the sickening nanny state of the Bay Area and LaLa Land. And the Florida Panhandle no longer dictated to by the votes and reps of Miami or Tampa Bay. But more government, more lordlings lording it over us, more bureaucrats booting us?  No, no, NO thank you.

And being under a magic number – whether ten million or six million – does NOT mean you have better government.  As Ari’s own Colorado demonstrates daily. (Ditto for Rhode Island or, say, Maine.)

Because it does NOT address the basic issues of government. Mandatory human government is inherently evil. First, because it allows people to control other people (as well as being rebellion against the Creator). Second, it is built on the premise that something immoral (wrong!) for an individual person or small group, is right and good if a majority supports (allows) it. (Taxes versus theft, for instance.)  Third, it is inefficient, corrupt, and built on lies.  Having Sixty-Eight instead of Fifty States eliminates none of these problems.

Ari’s idea would make more sense if we were still a federation, as Switzerland is – or even as Canada is. If we truly had (as we once did) a federal government of limited and restricted powers.  It would work – for a while.  But as the people of Alberta and Newfoundland can tell you, the FedGov always grows – in power, in wealth, and in greed for both.

And he is correct, that if this goes on, we in flyover country will find ourselves in far, far worse shape than we possibly can imagine.

Enough is enough.  Ultimately, government – federal, state, local – must fall.  If we want liberty for our descendants.