On another note:
@Whippy McGee posted his great map in another thread and although it obviously isn't going to happen, it did get me thinking about the economics, foundation and function.
The Liberty States of America would/should include a handful of the states designated as midwest on the map and it would be so disproportionately rich in natural resources. The American heartland constitutes the largest bloc of contiguous arable farmland in the world with the extensive navigable waterways making transport extremely convenient and cost-effective. It would have virtually every major shale oil and natural gas field in the country including the highly productive Bakken, Eagle Ford and Permian formations. An energy indepedent powerhouse with plenty of capacity for global exports and a concurrent build up of nuclear energy projects.
You'd think it loses a whole lot on the tech front but not really given the way that multinational corporations operate, which would likely see them fleeing the exorbitant taxes imposed. In any case: Intel wouldn't cease their extensive Arizona and New Mexico manufacturing operations, there would be no impact whatsoever on the FDI from the likes of TSMC's Arizona mega-site investment nor Samsung's fabs in Texas, while Micron and TI are both already headquarted in the liberty states as it is. We already have the ecosystem and supply chain in place.
Where all of the land-based ICBM nuclear warheads are siloed.
Obviously Arizona's gun legislation should be the starting point on any sort of firearm regulation although I imagine the NFA of 1934, FOPA of 1986 and ATF all being effectively repealed or abolished outright.
What do you think,
@PrinceOfPain? <45>