By Timothy Loftus, Editor & Publisher | Sergeant Bluff Advocate
(SBA) – Ever get tired of hearing loudmouths on TV or online say their state should leave the United States? They talk like it’s no big deal. Like they could just pack a cooler, grab their boots, wave goodbye to Washington, and boom—a new country. These folks have no clue what they’re talking about. Leaving the Union isn’t like returning a shirt to Walmart. It’s more like getting a divorce and fighting over who gets the house, the car, and the dog.
Still, let’s imagine a state actually went through with it—really pulled it off. It’s that time of year again, when families gather around the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and Uncle Bob inevitably opens Pandora’s box with some off-the-wall political comment that sparks a turkey-and-mashed-potato food fight. Just for fun, let’s pick on Texas. It’s always Texas that brings it up. Texans love to remind everyone they were once their own country back in the 1830s and 1840s. Some even romanticize those days, forgetting they were marked by debt, disorder, and foreign armies crossing their borders.
If Texas ever truly tried to leave, the fallout would be huge. The Civil War was bad enough, but today’s world is far more connected. Back then, the fight was over slavery and state power. Today, the problems would be about money, defense, trade, citizenship, and what it even means to be American.
First off, it’s illegal. The U.S. Constitution doesn’t say a state can leave. The Supreme Court decided long ago, in 1869, that no state can secede on its own. So Texas can’t just pass a law and quit. The only way it could happen is if Congress and all the other states said yes—and that’s about as likely as Congress agreeing on healthcare during the government shutdown. If Texas got away with it, other states might try too, and the whole Union could fall apart.
But let’s pretend it did happen anyway. What would it look like?
The first problem would be the military. Texas has some of the biggest U.S. military bases in the country—Fort Cavazos, Fort Bliss, Joint Base San Antonio, and more. These aren’t just bases; they’re small cities full of families and workers. If Texas became a new country, the U.S. military would have to decide, pack up and leave, or rent space from Texas like it does in Japan or Germany.
Leaving would be a nightmare. You can’t just load tanks and jets into moving trucks. It would take years and billions of dollars. And if the U.S. pulled out, Texas would have to protect its borders—both with Mexico and with the United States. That’s more than 2,400 miles of land. Texas would need to build an army, navy, and air force from scratch. That’s not easy. It’d be like handing someone a Ferrari when they’ve only ever driven a golf cart.
If Texas tried to take over the bases, the U.S. would call it theft. Things could get ugly fast. Troops facing off. Shots fired. So much for a peaceful split. And if Texas let the U.S. stay, it wouldn’t really be independent anyway.
Then there’s the border. Overnight, the lines between Texas and Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico would become international borders. That means border stations, passports, customs, and long lines. Driving from Dallas to Albuquerque could take hours. Want to visit Grandma in Iowa? Better bring your passport.
Citizenship would be a mess. Would Texans lose their U.S. citizenship? Could they have both? What about those who don’t want to be part of a new country? Millions of Texans pay federal taxes, serve in the U.S. military, and love America. The federal government might tell them, “You can keep your citizenship—but not if you live in Texas.” Families would split. Businesses would close. It would be chaos.
Trade would take a beating too. That new border would be one of the busiest in the world. Trucks hauling cattle, oil, and cotton would be backed up for miles. Iowa farmers shipping grain south would have to deal with tariffs and piles of paperwork. Businesses that work in both Texas and other states would face a legal mess overnight.
Money would be another disaster. Texas uses the U.S. dollar now. Would they keep it? Make their own? Call it the Lone Star Dollar or the Barbecue Buck? Switching would be confusing and costly. What happens to bank accounts, loans, and Social Security payments? Washington isn’t sending checks to people who left the country. Millions of retirees and veterans in Texas would lose their income overnight unless Texas built a new system—and fast.
Healthcare would crash too. Texas hospitals get billions from federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Without that money, many hospitals would shut down. Doctors and nurses would move north. Colleges would lose federal funding and student loan programs. Imagine telling college kids, “Sorry, your loan is gone.” Many would pack up and leave.
Foreign relations would be awkward. Would other countries even recognize Texas? Probably not until the U.S. did. And joining groups like the United Nations or NATO would take years. Mexico wouldn’t be thrilled about a brand-new country with tanks sitting on its northern border either.
But the biggest problem would be people’s lives. Imagine you’re a mom in Dallas with a kid going to school in Iowa. Now you need a passport just to visit. Or you’re a worker in El Paso with a job in New Mexico—you’d now be crossing an international border every morning. Big companies might just move out completely, taking jobs and tax money with them.
Some Texans say, “We’ll be fine. We have oil and cattle.” But that’s not how the modern world works. Texas oil goes to refineries in other states. Texas beef gets processed in Kansas and Iowa. Austin’s tech industry depends on money and patents from Washington. Cut Texas off, and the whole system breaks.
And culture? Texans are proud of their roots, but they’re also deeply American. They’ve fought in every U.S. war, shaped American music, and helped define what it means to be American. Telling them they’re not Americans anymore wouldn’t just hurt—it would cause a huge identity crisis.
The truth is simple, modern states are connected in every way. You can’t just pull one out without tearing everything around it. Secession would mean legal battles, economic collapse, and social chaos. It would take decades to even try, and it would never be clean or peaceful.
So sure, it’s fun to imagine Texas with its own flag, money, and national anthem. But the real picture is ugly—passport lines, empty hospitals, lost pensions, and mountains of red tape. Secession isn’t freedom. It’s the end of normal life as we know it.
Talking about Texas seceding is like arguing whether Wile E. Coyote could really catch the Road Runner if he just bought one more Acme rocket. It’s funny for a minute, but not realistic. The moment you ask, “Would Texans need a passport for Disney World?” you’ve already lost the plot. It’s a pointless debate that only talk show hosts enjoy. And if you think Texas secession sounds wild, imagine Iowa trying it. What’s the plan—border guards in the cornfields? Smugglers hiding in cattle trailers? Passport control at Casey’s General Store? The idea is so ridiculous that the only real question is why anyone still wastes breath pretending it’s worth talking about.
So seat Uncle Bob at the kids table and pass the mashed potatoes.
