Ron Paul: This weekend I got a couple of calls from the media asking me questions about Rick Perry, our governor here in Texas and the statements he made about possible secession. Now, he didn’t call for secession, but he was restating a principle that was long held and at least in the original time of our country, and that is that there was a right to secession.
Actually, after the Civil War, nobody believes there is a so-called right to secession, but it is a very legitimate issue to debate because all of the states that came into the Union before the Civil War believed they have a right to secede and New England in the early part of the 19th century actually considered it, and nobody questioned them about whether they had the right to do it or not.
Since the Civil War, it’s been sort of a dead issue, but he brought it up. It stirred the media and believe me, it really stirred some of the liberal media where they started really screaming about what is going on here. “This is un-American”, I heard one individual say, “This is treasonous to even talk about it.”
Well, they don’t know their history very well because if they think about it, it’s an American tradition. It’s very American to talk about secession. That’s how we came into being. Thirteen colonies seceded from the British and established a new country, so secession is very much an American principle.
What about all the strong endorsements we have given over the past decade or two of those republics that seceded from the Soviet system? We were delighted with this. We never said, “Oh no. Secession is treasonous”.
No. Secession is a good principle. Just think of the benefits that would have come over these last 230-some years if the principle of secession had existed. That means the federal government would always have been restrained, not to overburden the states with too much federalism, too many federal rules and regulations.
But since that was all wiped out with the Civil War, the federal government has grown by leaps and bounds and we have suffered the consequences, and we need to reconsider this. It’s not un-American to think about the possibility of secession. This is something that’s voluntary. We came together voluntarily. A free society means you can dissolve it voluntarily. That was the whole issue was about.
Just remember one of the reasons that Wilson drove us in unnecessarily into World War I. He talked about what we have to give, have every country in the world the benefit of self-determination, a good principle. Of course, I don’t think he really believed that. But self-determination is a good principle. It’s a very American principle, so to me it’s a shame that we can’t discuss this.
You know, it’s interesting that so many of us have been taught for so many years, and as long as I can remember from the first grade on up taking the pledge of allegiance that we have a republic that’s “indivisible” and we have been preached that and preached it. So therefore, there is no contest, no question since the Civil War that we have even the thought that this could happen.
But you know what a lot of people don’t talk about and they really don’t even know about is who wrote the pledge to the flag. The pledge to the flag came from, for instance, Bellamy, an avowed Socialist who wanted to put into concrete in the pledge this principle of being indivisible, and he did it, you know, for the celebration ironically 400 years of the celebration of the landing of Christopher Columbus, so it was in 1892.
I mean, the pledge of allegiance has not been here, you know, all our history. So I think it’s worth of discussion. I think people should discuss this because right now, the American people are sick and tired of it all and I think the time will come when people will consider it much more seriously is when the federal government can no longer deliver. That time will come when the dollar collapses.
No matter what they do and how many promises they have and how many bailouts they have, they can’t do it if the money doesn’t work. So then, the independence of the states will come back and it doesn’t mean that you’ll be un-American to even contemplate what might have to be done once the dollar crashes.
While this video was originally recorded on 4/19/2009, Ron Paul spokeswoman Rachel Mills confirmed earlier today (11/13/2012) that Ron Paul “feels the same now” about secession as he did in this video.
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I think you are looking bit too hard into it, but you do understand what I meant: You can’t take land that you don’t own, without it being stealing, which is illegal.
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I was talking about a modern situation and legal ownership of the land. I was not talking about a situation where the land is taken by force, the owner concedes defeat and gives the land to the winning side, which is what happened with the war you referenced.
I was talking about the fact that a state can not just say that they own the land and disband the union.
That’s a funny argument ‘GOOGLE IT’, I can also go and Google information that says that reptilians are controlling the world too.
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Firstly, unless you are part of the first American Majority (the original natives of this land) you don’t own squat. Secondly, under your premise the US is still OWNED by the United Kingdom. If you truly believe what you are spouting then you are just a squatter and should be evicted or imprisoned by either of the first two parties. You aren’t even smart enough to realize you live in a Republic nor do you know it’s meaning. Google it and learn something then re-examine what you have stated.
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You are wrong. In your analogy it would be like surveyors coming and saying that THIS is your property line. We have an HOA so look over the contract before signing it. You see nothing wrong with the contract and join the HOA. You don’t steal anything BUT every few years the HOA changes the rules and charges you fees ‘without representation’. You can try and vote out the HOA but they are entrenched. There is nothing in the contract that requires you stay in the HOA so you try to leave.
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The Constitution doesn’t give Congress the power to end state unions.
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Congress has the power to create and end state unions.
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Puerto Rico can’t be made a state by executive order and Puerto Rico’s vote means absolutely nothing. Puerto Rico could become a state even if none of their residents wanted to be a state.
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You and Paul couldn’t be more wrong. Can states be kicked out of the union against their will?
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I meant what are you talking about regarding giving Puerto Rico statehood by fiat.
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for a state to secede from the union all states must vote for or against.only a vote of all states voting YEA will alow a state to secede. p.r. may be made a state by a vote in p.r. and an executive order!
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The whole point of entering a Union is that it will serve the good of all the States entering it. When it ceases to do so, sovereign States have the right to leave if they please. That is the beauty of a union. That was the original meaning of the US flag. Each star represents a State in a voluntary Union.
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Dr. Paul is right. State sovereignty was not questioned at the founding. A “Union” is by definition a league of sovereign states, each of which has the right to withdraw from the union if it pleases. E.g., the European Union, the Soviet Union. See Federalist Paper 40. See Article I, section 10, which lists things States in the Union may not do. Secession is not on the list. A motion at Philadelphia was brought to put on the list: it was tabled without debate.
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So it belongs to the people? 300 million people or so in your country that the country belongs to. Let’s say a state like Texas which has 25 million people decide to secede and take the land from the people. In that case it doesn’t belong to the 300 million people who are part of the union anymore, but the people of Texas who by your own logic stole the land from those 300 million people living in the United States, you think that’s okay?
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Actually, you can try and effect the government. Definition of democracy is not ”Leave when people disagree with you”. People have to work together, not just leave when things don’t go their way, but if they decide to leave then they aren’t supposed to take the LAND with them, as if they own it.
Imagine if you rented land to bunch of people and they pay you rent(like states pay some of their tax to the government). Then you do some decisions that they don’t like and declare they own your land.
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you act like that money belongs to the federal government in the first place. Btw texas has the 11th biggest economy in the world i don’t think they’d have a big problem
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Im pretty sure that this country belongs to the people not the federal government. My house doesn’t belong to the federal government i paid for it with my labor. neither do my neighbors houses. So if we decided to have our own society why is that illegal. I don’t think secession is ever going to happen so its a mute point but there is nothing “illegal” about secession
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Ron Paul ! Please come speak at the University of North Texas. I will promote for you.
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Of course. Everyone here can see that you are much more intelligent and accomplished than Ron Paul.
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And this, my friends, is really the only argument that the statists have.
“The government owns you, and they can do whatever the hell they want. So shut up and get back to work, peasants.”
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Lol this guy is an idiot
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Hell Yes
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OR DO WE NEED TO ASK AN INDIAN????
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Im on board for secession. Im tired of being taxed by low lifes who make kids and I have to pay for them. And yet those low lifes can vote, yet to determine how we spend our tax money. Give me an island, and I will give you an answer.
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States are not allowed to secede from the Union. If you do not agree with the ideas of America you are allowed to leave, but you cannot take the land that belongs to the United States government.
If a state or group of people do not like the ideas of United States of America they may leave and start their own nation in a land not owned by the united states, or they can try to secede and start another civil war.
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What are you talking about
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a state may secede if all states vote for it.its funny thogh Puerto rico may be given statehood by fiat.
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What is next? A fragmented U.S.A? I thought the plan was to take over the World?
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Can states be expelled from the Union? If not, then they can’t secede either.
“An inference from the doctrine that a single state has a right to secede at will from the rest, is that the rest would have a right to secede from it; in other words, to turn it, against its will, out of its union with them.”
– James Madison
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Actually Russia has more mineral resources than the entire USA.
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I’d think again pal. Texas’ oil economy is based on commerce between US, Canada etc.
An embargo would bring Texas to its knees in a matter of weeks. Think of all the supply lines, highways etc and all of the federal money Texas rakes in to make sure nobody messes with Texas.
Plus consider how much the oil companies are subsidized by the US taxpayers.
Face it Texas: you need us more than we need you.
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Do some research bud, Texas pays more in taxes than we receive. We also provide about 25% or more of the united states oil. A point of reference would be that the middle east provides around 12-15% of our oil. So re-think who would go bankrupt.
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texas has a bigger economy than Russia!
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Instead of seceding why don’t you go find another country that shares your values?
Like Saudi Arabia or Russia? Russia has a flat tax and Saudi Arabia shares your “family values”.
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You know why Red States won’t secede?
They take more money from the Federal gov’t than liberal socialist blue states.
I would love to see Texas secede from the Union just so I could see them come crying back when their economy collapses.
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In a nutshell….wah wah wah.
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