which state would be the most viable as its own country?

[Strike For The South]

Well?


The Case For Texas

1. 678,051 km big
2. 23 million people
3. Massive military installitions including Ft. Hood



In 2006, for the fifth year in a row, Texas was ranked as the number one state by export revenues. Texas exports for 2006 totaled $150.8 billion, which is $22.1 billion more than 2005 and represents a 17.2 percent increase. In 2002, the Port of Houston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Houston) was 6th among the top sea ports in the world in terms of total cargo volume;[43] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas#_note-34) Air Cargo World rated Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas-Fort_Worth_International_Airport) as "the best air cargo airport in the world".[44] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas#_note-35)




NASA

We are what America always wanted to be but has fallen short of. We have 5 billion proven reserves of oil an agriculture whcih could bury most countries gas reserves and one of the few natrually occuring uranium depsoits in the enitre world.

"Texas: It's like a whole other country."

[Strike For The South]

and just look at the org members who are from TEXAS

Strike for the South- The best member of all time
Redleg
Ichigo
Alexander of Macedon

wow what a great group of guys:2thumbsup:

[Soulforged]

Yo pensé que Texas ya era un país a parte...:inquisitive:

[Lemur]

What, no Rhode Island option? They would be a Switzerland of the East Coast ...

[KukriKhan]

Texas might be able to make it alone. But wave good-bye to all those military bases, and I reckon they'll take whatever's not nailed down with them. 'The Fed' is funny that way.

California could only adequately defend half its borders, so I vote Cal, with the provisions we split it mid-state (around San Luis Obispo).

[Crazed Rabbit]

Alaska.

Washington wouldn't be that bad either - We've got Boeing, without which air cargo airports would be useless. And we have multiple oil refineries that are expanding, great ports, and great agriculture.

CR

[TevashSzat]

Hmm....How about Alaska?? It certainley is big enough and has lots of oil as well as having a large fishing fleet.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

We are what America always wanted to be but has fallen short of.


:laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4:

The state that elected Bush Governor . Home of the Christian right and half Mexican. Thats what we all want. NY is a far more balanced state with dare i say it a far more educated populous. Going by the way you look at things Calif. Is the clear winner. Us New Yorkers hustle like no one else in this country at least. We got along just fine before their was a Texas or a California and we can gat along just fine without them now :laugh4:

That was the point I was trying to make in the other thread. Not to turn it into a pissing contest. I was driving at what if we had followed the constitution and kept States rights as pre eminent as they had been. Or if every state were to become independent.

[lancelot]

Doesnt california have like the 6th highest GDP in the world on its own? So Id say them...

[Don Corleone]

Highest GDP per capita, highest employment rate and highest property ownership rate... all right here in the last remaining Federalist bastion. New Hampshire is the only state capable of going it alone.:yes:

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Texas, California, and Alaska could all make a go of it. But only Alaska would become a serious player in OPEC.

....now, how do we convince the Californians to actually do it.....:smartass2:

[Papewaio]

Australia... hang on we haven't been amalgamated yet... :help: :laugh4:

[AntiochusIII]

....now, how do we convince the Californians to actually do it.....:smartass2:Tell them Paris Hilton will be jailed in Nevada instead. :yes:

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Man you people give New York no credit. We are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves at least as much so as Calif or Texas if not more. Weve got it all. Few countries could compare. There are quite a few states that could be independent. In fact I would venture most. Lets go back to a confederation and start over.

[Proletariat]

You're just taking the thread too seriously, Gawain. If this thread wasn't all jokes and fun, we'd have to 'splain to SFTS that Texas is the one state that the rest of us wish it was it's own viable country. But, we're joined at the hip, and even with their god awful pizza and line dancing, we're buddies.

[Lemur]

If we lost Texas, I wouldn't be able to visit my brother in Houston, 'cause those crazy Texans would probably declare war on Oklahoma within a week, and there'd be U.N. observers all over the damn place, and I'd have to try to bribe my way past the baby-blue helmet guys from Canada, and by the time I got to see my bro, I'd be all out of money for fish tacos.

Don't do it, Strike. I need my fish tacos.

[Strike For The South]

Gawain you are misled firsts off Texas is not half mexican and even if it was that doesnt matter. Just like New york being the most jewish state doesnt matter. and its not 1/2 its 1/3 :juggle2:. Besides New York is dying people are moving away left and right. The city is just a dump filled with yuppies immagrants and those peolpe from sex and the city.

How is our pizza awful? and line dancing is fun!

[Csargo]

Gawain you are misled firsts off Texas is not half mexican and even if it was that doesnt matter. Just like New york being the most jewish state doesnt matter. and its not 1/2 its 1/3 :juggle2:. Besides New York is dying people are moving away left and right. The city is just a dump filled with yuppies immagrants and those peolpe from sex and the city.

How is our pizza awful? and line dancing is fun!

Dear God man how can you think line dancing is fun?

[Strike For The South]

Ok I lied but Texas is much better than New york. With all thas dadgum rude people

[Major Robert Dump]

of the choices, texas has a better balance of farming vs industrial and could most likely feed its own population without resorting to outside trade like cali and ny would. this would be the deal breaker, so i voted texas

[JimBob]

East Milwaukee? (http://www.kingdomoftalossa.net/index.cgi)

In seriousness, Cali. When your economy beats most of the world you win.

[Kralizec]

Vermont.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Ummm the problem with those three is that they are all so important that the rest of the USA would fight to keep them in the union, whereas a small state like Vermont splitting off to renew it's ancient tradition of independence would be less easily noticeable due to our relatively small population, economy and political influence.

So yeah GAH! it is.

Though I do think California would be theoretically better off as Texas and New York and New York would probably be a good bet too.

[King Henry V]

California would be the most succesful state if it became independent: large country, 33 million people, at least the tenth largest economy in the world and great potential for trade with the Far East. New York could also make a good job of independence, becoming something like the Honk Kong of the Atlantic. As for Texas, well, pfffffffft.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

of the choices, texas has a better balance of farming vs industrial and could most likely feed its own population without resorting to outside trade like cali and ny would. this would be the deal breaker, so i voted texas

Wrong. NY is better balanced. So is California. Both have vast agrigultural sectors and are well capable of not only feeding their own but exporting. The big thing Cal and Texas have on NY is oil and thats the only reason they have a higher gdp.


You're just taking the thread too seriously, Gawain

Im afraid you are taking me to serious.


awain you are misled firsts off Texas is not half mexican

OK 2/3 :laugh4:


exas is the one state that the rest of us wish it was it's own viable country.

Now if he had phrased the question that we most of us would agree :laugh4:


Just like New york being the most jewish state doesnt matter

NY is the most ethinicaly diverse state in the union


California would be the most succesful state if it became independent: large country, 33 million people, at least the tenth largest economy in the world and great potential for trade with the Far East. New York could also make a good job of independence, becoming something like the Honk Kong of the Atlantic. As for Texas, well, pfffffffft.

The voice of reason

[InsaneApache]

What on Earth is an Honk Kong? :inquisitive: :laugh4:

[Fragony]

Alaska and Texas, mucho oil.

[Odin]

Man you people give New York no credit.

Well Gawain that really isnt much of a stretch is it? :laugh4:

[Odin]

Gah

No one's going anywhere, particularly not Texas, we've yet to commit enough troops to secure it as is.

New York? Come one, take it from a Mass guy we would all be happy to expell NY asap.

Its been a drain on our resources for far to long, not to mention the radical's that live there. I heard they want universal health care and gay marraige....

Massachusetts is the only state that would be viable, because we are the closest ones to socialism, and without the billions of taxes spent on defense by the feds the only viable way for a state to survive is to become a socialist utopia.

texas and new york please.... they dont even have good sports teams :laugh4:

[Gregoshi]

Bah! Texas would be lost if it was its own country. Who would they brag to about being the best if they were on their own?

If ego could be exported, Texas could survive on its own.
If rudeness could be exported, New York could survive.
If flakiness and natural disasters (earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, etc)could be exported, California could survive.

To be fair, I'll take a shot at my own state too: If you could export potholes*, Pennsylvania could survive on its own.



If Texas left the US, would it have to be renamed Exas?
:thinking2:

* Pennsylvania is routinely rated by truck drivers as having the worst roads in the US.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Bah! Texas would be lost if it was its own country. Who would they brag to about being the best if they were on their own?

All the young lads would be racing around in their "technicals" defending Texas' freedom -- who needs to brag when you can four-wheel and shoot with patriotic abandon?


To be fair, I'll take a shot at my own state too: If you could export potholes*, Pennsylvania could survive on its own.

* Pennsylvania is routinely rated by truck drivers as having the worst roads in the US.

I always thought the commonwealth of PA should change the state motto to read:

Pennsylvania: Road Work Ahead

[Banquo's Ghost]

What on Earth is an Honk Kong? :inquisitive: :laugh4:

It's a wise-guy gorilla that drives a Yellow Cab. :bounce:

[Gawain of Orkeny]

New York? Come one, take it from a Mass guy we would all be happy to expell NY asap.

Its been a drain on our resources for far to long, not to mention the radical's that live there. I heard they want universal health care and gay marraige....

NY gives money to the other states its not a drain. Its the other way around the rest of you leech off us. And your calling us radical? Its hard to find a more liberal radical state the the Socialist republic of Mass.:laugh4: Just look at your senators. Yeah I know ours are not much better.

Mass would have a hard time on its own compared to any of the three states you just denigrated.

[doc_bean]

I say Canada.

[Devastatin Dave]

Texas sucks steaty hairy ball holders.... Long live GA, Baby!!!!:beam:

[HoreTore]

Well, what you'll need to form a country, is basically this:

- Exports
- industry
- some agriculture(hey, you can always import from brazil...)
- good ports(being landlocked ain't fun)
- good infrastructure, particularly for imports/exports

From what I know, Texas has all those things, so they can form a country of their own perfectly well...

Exports and ports are the most important ones, as you'll need money from exporting, and you'll need a port to actually export them....

California and alaska could do it too. I haven't got enough knowledge of the distribution of resources in the US to say anything about any other states...

Oh, and I don't put much value on military, it's not really needed in western countries anymore. If you attempt to secede through war, you'll lose anyway, do it peacefully and you can sign an alliance with the rest of the US(or mexico).

[Gregoshi]

Texas sucks steaty hairy ball holders....
Yeah Dave, but they are the BEST at it. :laugh4:



I always thought the commonwealth of PA should change the state motto to read:

Pennsylvania: Road Work Ahead

Seamus, that's the Tourist Bureau's slogan. In Pennsylvania, memories (and sitting in traffic backups caused by road construction) last a lifetime.
From a 1972 political radio ad run by incumbent governor Milton Shapp's opponent:

Voice: Hi. I'm a pothole, and I'm Milton Shapp's best friend. :laugh4:

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Well, what you'll need to form a country, is basically this:

- Exports
- industry
- some agriculture(hey, you can always import from brazil...)
- good ports(being landlocked ain't fun)
- good infrastructure, particularly for imports/exports

California and alaska could do it too. I haven't got enough knowledge of the distribution of resources in the US to say anything about any other states...

New York has all those things and more. Im tired of supporting the rest of you bums. Wheres Tito. Lets get out of here :laugh4: Hell we got lots of New Yorkers here.

Maybe we should make a poll and see how many we have here from each state. Then each group could get together and make an argument as to why they would make a good country on their own

[Gregoshi]

You know Gawain, for years, my biggest hangup with New York was the city...New York City - center of the Universe. ~:rolleyes: That was the unfortunate case until I actually spent some time in other parts of the state. There is so much more to New York than the city. The rest of the state is pretty nice - at least the parts I've seen. Southern New York - Rt 17 west from Binghamton was a beautiful drive as was driving I-90 up the Mohawk Valley from Albany to Syracuse. I wish I'd had the time to stop and enjoy it more. The Hudson River valley is gorgeous and West Point was worth the stop to tour - too bad access was severly restricted thanks to 9/11. :thumbsdown:

One observation about New York: the first time I drove into the state I was shocked at the cars. I had (and still haven't) seen that much rust driving on the road. From that experience, I gave New York the personal nickname of "the Rust State". :laugh4:

[Strike For The South]

New Yourk Beatuifual???????!!!!!!?!?!? Drivd through the Texas hill country your head will implode

[Gawain of Orkeny]

New Yourk Beatuifual???????!!!!!!?!?!? Drivd through the Texas hill country your head will implode

Probably :laugh4:

New York is far more beautiful.

Heck you dont even have snow or seasons

http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/95/83/23368395.jpg

And what have you to compare with this?

http://www.in-ontario.com/Images/niagara%20falls.jpg

[Strike For The South]

Texas

https://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7170/texas20hill20countrylp8.th.jpg (https://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=texas20hill20countrylp8.jpg)

I found thousands if not millions of pictures like that.

This was the best picture I could find of new york. The rest were homeless people

https://img185.imageshack.us/img185/2527/dont20wait20for20crash2xi2.th.jpg (https://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dont20wait20for20crash2xi2.jpg)

I would like to point out the people. I mean look at me Im beloved by all everyone likes me. I wouldnt be surprised if half of you had a shrine in your home deadacated to me

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Look above. Its hopeless give it up.

Texas

http://www.texaschapbookpress.com/magellanslog93/desert.jpg

:laugh4:

[Strike For The South]

I bet you theres oil under there

[Seamus Fermanagh]

From a 1972 political radio ad run by incumbent governor Milton Shapp's opponent:

Voice: Hi. I'm a pothole, and I'm Milton Shapp's best friend. :laugh4:

As I recall, they tried to blame all of the Agnes problems on him too. :smartass:

[HoreTore]

New York has all those things and more. Im tired of supporting the rest of you bums. Wheres Tito. Lets get out of here :laugh4: Hell we got lots of New Yorkers here.

Maybe we should make a poll and see how many we have here from each state. Then each group could get together and make an argument as to why they would make a good country on their own

I'll agree with ports and infrastructure, but does the state of new york have enough agriculture to feed even a few percent of it's inhabitants? And what do they have to export?

EDIT: not that I'm disagreeing, I really have no clue as to the agriculture and export industry of new york...

[Gawain of Orkeny]

I'll agree with ports and infrastructure, but does the state of new york have enough agriculture to feed even a few percent of it's inhabitants? And what do they have to export?


That is the common misconception of New York. People dont realise it but its mostly farms.


New York's gross state product in 2005 was $963.5 billion, ranking third in size behind the larger states of California and Texas.[7] If New York were an independent nation, it would rank as the 16th largest economy in the world behind South Korea. Its 2005 per capita personal income was $40,072, an increase of 4.2% from 2004, placing it fifth in the nation behind Maryland, and eighth in the world behind Ireland. New York's agricultural outputs are dairy products, cattle and other livestock, vegetables, nursery stock, and apples. Its industrial outputs are printing and publishing, scientific instruments, electric equipment, machinery, chemical products, and tourism.

New York exports a wide variety of goods such as foodstuffs, commodities, minerals, manufactured goods, cut diamonds, and automobile parts. New York's five largest export markets in 2004 were Canada ($30.2 billion), United Kingdom ($3.3 billion), Japan ($2.6 billion), Israel ($2.4 billion), and Switzerland ($1.8 billion). New York's largest imports are oil, gold, aluminum, natural gas, electricity, rough diamonds, and lumber.

[Strike For The South]

Texas's farms are bigger than the entire state of New Yourk hell we have ranches that are bigger than rhode island. Gawian if you serouisly want to talk agriculture New york is going to lose.

[Don Corleone]

Never mind.

[Strike For The South]

I've enjoyed this tet a tet thus far. But maybe we could remove the racial component to the analogy above? I don't see how it serves your purpose, unless your pupose is to admit to personal bigotry.

I dont really see how it makes me a bigot but I'll do it becuase you're a fellow sox fan

[Devastatin Dave]

Yeah Dave, but they are the BEST at it. :laugh4:


I thought that was our little secret.:furious3:

[HoreTore]

That is the common misconception of New York. People dont realise it but its mostly farms.

Huh, interesting. Thanks for that.

[Papewaio]

Texas's farms are bigger than the entire state of New Yourk hell we have ranches that are bigger than rhode island. Gawian if you serouisly want to talk agriculture New york is going to lose.

There are farmers in Aus who have stations that make Texas look like another holding... I would guess that Texas has an advantage because of water and likewise NY would have a better climate for a lot of agriculture... dust only grows so much...

[KukriKhan]

On the negative side for California (even my half-Cali proposal), w-a-t-e-r. We have everything we need to prosper as a nation, self-contained. Except enough fresh water.

We're so beholden to the neighboring Colorado River states for the stuff, if we didn't maintain really good diplo relations with them, we'd dry up and blow away in about 180 days.

So, until we perfect desalination of seawater (we're working on it), Cali independence = non-starter, despite the bragging.

[Marshal Murat]

Why doesn't California, Arizona, NM, Nevada, and Texas become it's own state?
(Oh wait, the Mexicans have them. Never mind)

I think California because it has 2 ocean ports (New York has 1).

[Crazed Rabbit]

Cali and New York couldn't survive, being ruled by tax happy socialists.

Now Washington - we've got a population that keeps taxes somewhat in check, and we own the oil refining on the West coast, and we have Boeing.

We also have great agriculture, and easy access to Canada. With independence and lowering of Business taxes, we could become the Eastern Pacific business haven! And no more restrictive federal gun laws!

Alaska would be even more so - they own the actual reserves, they're low taxes. However, they are farther from the Continental US.

Crazed Rabbit

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Cali and New York couldn't survive, being ruled by tax happy socialists.

Did you know there once was a movement to make Long Island a State? Hell we could survive on our own as a nation nevermind all of NY. But then again Long Island is a republican stronghold. Then again just like the other misconception so about frams, most of NY is republican if you go by land owners :laugh4: Again its the city that sways it into the liberal camp.

Isnt Washington famous for rain, rain and then more rain ?

[Gregoshi]

Isnt Washington famous for rain, rain and then more rain ?
:idea2: Sell the excess water to California!

[Crazed Rabbit]

Only Western Washington. East of the Cascade mountains it's dry as a bone.

And we have the democrat stronghold Seattle, but we don't let them be nearly as powerful as NYC.

Oh yeah, we also have microsoft.

CR

[Gawain of Orkeny]

We have as much high Tech industry on LI alone to match Washington. Does the Name Grumman ring a bell?

[Don Corleone]

Actually, Long Island's tech corridor is diminishing in terms of overall market share, though your satellite communications development is still second only to the Baltimore area.

I have an idea... rather than voting who's most viable as its own country, can we vote the one we'd most like to see leave off the island?

My vote: Sorry Alex, you're a diamond in the rough down there.... (http://www.state.nj.us/)

[Gawain of Orkeny]

I have an idea... rather than voting who's most viable as its own country, can we vote the one we'd most like to see leave off the island?

Well now Texas gets my vote :laugh4: