....Just guessing, but you appear to have forgotten the following rather interesting remarks from Governor Perry of Texas in 2009:

"You know, my hope is that America and Washington in particular pays attention. We’ve got a great union. There is absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what may come out of that? But Texas is a very unique place and we’re a pretty independent lot to boot."

What should we read into that? Nobody took the South seriously in the 1840s-1850s until 1861, when it was much too late for talk. My point is you have to take these kinds of remarks seriously enough to understand where they're coming from and to know how to minimize them, otherwise you just repeat previous mistakes.

Having lived in the Deep South for 22 years, I can tell you for a fact that the secession concept is not limited to those struggling to hold down a job in a job-poor economy. It cuts across all levels from the very wealthy to the dirt-poor, from business owners to those getting unemployment checks. Bad economies tend to stir up political unrest, and the US is no exception to the rule. Additionally, quite a few folks down here are still fighting the US Civil War 147 years after the end of the conflict and 135 years after the end of the US military occupation. The resentment toward Northerners and the Federal Government is still very real.