Stephan, all kinds of libertarians must be feeling pretty humiliated right now, even beyond the grave. For Timothy Sandefur has declared that there is no “right to secede.” Now I suppose Alexis de Tocqueville was more of a classical liberal than a libertarian, but he sure thought there was a right to secede. So did that humiliated idiot Richard Cobden. Let’s not forget that idiot Thomas Jefferson, who mentioned the idea numerous times. How happy he must now be, wherever he is, to be corrected by Timothy Sandefur. Lots of other complete idiots might be cited, all of whom now marinate in miserable humiliation.

If only they had had the insights of Timothy Sandefur, who insists to us that the idea of “one nation, indivisible” is a great engine of liberty in which we should place our hopes. Well, if the present state of the U.S. government isn’t all the refutation that idea requires, then Sandefur is probably stuck forever in Straussian la-la land, where evidence does not travel.

What the concept of “one nation, indivisible” is very good at, on the other hand, is creating a giant, irresistible war machine whose powers cannot be effectively checked by any lesser body. Hmm: liberty or warmaking ability — which one do you suppose, when the chips are down, the Straussian is going to go for?

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