This “photo” is generated by AI (ChatGPT) so there are lots of goofy things about it, but the point is made.
As most readers know, Colorado has been transformed into a virtually completely blue State, run by Regressives (who call themselves Progressives), are Woke, mostly Democrats, and supposedly “liberal” in more and more ways. The State, or rather, the General Assembly and a long line of governors, has legalized cannabis both for recreation and medical purposes, pushed for abortion until birth, is a de facto sanctuary State for border jumpers (with many official sanctuary cities), created draconian laws and regulations regarding firearms, working to prohibit propane and natural-gas-fired appliances (as well as gasoline-powered lawnmowers, snowblowers, etc.) and pretty much ban the sales of fireworks to “civilians” beyond sparklers and the smaller firecrackers.
On the other hand, Wyoming is almost a solidly red State (except for Jackson Hole and Laramie (home of the University of Wyoming)). A number of Colorado firearms, ammo, and related merchandise (magazines, etc.) have fled from Colorado to Wyoming. Southern Wyoming has long hosted a huge array of retailers of fireworks of increasing spectacular visual and noise effects. Wyoming is trying to end all abortions, strongly supporting the sanctity of unborn children.
It is an interesting, and stark contrast.
After all, Denver and Cheyenne are only 100 miles apart, though the border between the two States is only ten miles from the Capitol in Wyoming. A number of people (including some of us at TPOL) have long suggested that the empty High Plains point where US Highway 85 crosses on the way from Cheyenne south to Greeley and Metro Denver is a great place for an unusual sort of shopping center. Not quite an outlet mall, but still, featuring opportunities for the residents of each State (and the tourists visiting both) to buy goods and services which the other State frowns upon, and seeks to outright ban.
Hence the graphic above. Which brings us to an interesting idea a few people are pointing to.
Would it be possible, given the growing divide between the Red and Blue States from coast to coast, to go back more than 200 years, and come up with a new version of the Articles of Confederation? That was, after all, what the men in Philadelphia were supposed to do. Not replace the Articles with a “Constitution” but improve them. Address the issues that were keeping things in an uproar?
Today, we find that in the last 237 years, we’ve come up with a lot of ideas, techniques, that would let us address those issues while still restoring the full sovereignty that the 12 States had. A key idea is the systems of compacts between States. This idea replaced the concept of treaties. The State of New York, for example, does not sign a treaty with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the State of New Jersey to resolve issues and cooperate on things like waterways, highways, railways, and “hot pursuit” of criminals across the Stateline. Instead, compacts are used, often with more than just two States entering into them, to address common concerns and work together.
Why, we ask, would not this work in a very massive way to reduce the need for the Federal bureaucracy and all of the Acts of Congress, and the bloated and turtle-slow judicial system? If not actually (we believe and want to see) the reduction of the massive Executive Branch spider web of interlocking agencies who seek to dictate every act by every person, every minute of the day?
After all, there are literally hundreds of associations of State government agencies: of Secretaries of States, of Highway and Transportation Officials, of Health Departments, and more. These groups coordinate between the various member States to come up with uniform standards for a wide variety of things. Everything from highway signage and markings to standards for birth and death certificates, the Uniform Commercial Code, building and professional codes, and much more. Many times, the so-called primacy of the FedGov agencies (like DOE, DOT, the FAA, etc.) does little more than rubber stamp (and demand obeisance) the ideas that are worked out by 40 or 50 State agencies and their officials.
If applied uniformly, the FedGov could again be reduced back to a small establishment that would be concerned primarily (if not entirely) with foreign affairs and defense of the Union: not running the world. It would be a massive decentralization. A system which does much to restore and/or preserve liberty. Why depend on 535 members of Congress and a couple dozen Cabinet officials (and of course, their massive staffs, all with their hands in both the till and the political soup pot)? When there can be fifty (or more) specialists each reporting back to their home State legislatures, to coordinate everything from water rights and air pollution controls to extradition procedures and how much funding the State Department should get. There would still be a role for Congress, and with reduced responsibilities for micromanaging 350 million people in 50 States and a few territories, they could actually have an opportunity to pay attention to things like whether or not to go to war or whether China or Iran or the EU is the greater threat to American life and commerce.
It wouldn’t be perfect – nothing human ever is. But it certainly would seem to have potential to be far better than the conspirators in DC trying to force Wyoming to be just like California, or even Florida to be like Georgia. The various blue and red states could go their own way, but secure in being able to cooperate in defending themselves and each other. And sharing common standards of coinage, measurement, and roads, railroads, and airports. A new Confederation of North America, if you would. And still having a system that would help resolve issues between the States when they can’t quite come to an agreement.
Just an idea!
