States. STATES. Ha ha ha ha ha!
— ?It's?Almost ⛄️Christmas? (@jtLOL) November 15, 2016
So many post-election hot takes, it’s hard to keep up. But we’d be remiss if we failed to show this one some special attention:
Opinion: "States are a relic of the past. It’s time to get rid of them." https://t.co/lPfH8EOwx9
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 15, 2016
Oh, this oughtta be good.
Lawrence R. Samuel writes:
But times have changed, and we need to rethink the notion of the “United States of America.” Our states are no longer culturally diverse regions with their own respective identities; rather, they are artificially constructed geographic entities that certainly would not be formed today. Borderlines between states are especially nonsensical. Pensacola, Fla., is a lot more like Mobile, Ala., than Miami. Upstate New Yorkers are less than happy about being in the same tax pool as Manhattanites.
…
A federation of states was a wonderful idea in the late 18th century, but represents an unnecessary and costly burden in the early 21st. Two layers of government — federal and local — offers a cleaner, more sensible and much more affordable system than our current one, a notion not unlike cutting out the middle layer of an overly bureaucratic, inefficient company. Eliminating this middle layer would save the American people billions of dollars a year, the kind of money that could go a long way toward paying down our national debt or preparing for our looming crises in Social Security and health care.
…
State affinities will likely never completely disappear, and there is no reason that the University of Florida or the New York Jets could not keep their names (even if the latter plays their games in New Jersey). But it’s time we start thinking of ourselves as one people — Americans — who live in real, local communities rather than as 50 kinds of people living in imaginary regions.
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Wow. Hard to process all that brilliance.
https://twitter.com/SonnyBunch/status/798651044184006656
https://twitter.com/SamaDaMana/status/798653123870879744
Good idea.
https://twitter.com/TANSTAAFL23/status/798648948302843905
Opinion: LOLNO. https://t.co/BMNbxtkI8e
— Michelle Ray (@GaltsGirl) November 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/slushstuff/status/798652563562184704
I don't think so
— bob farley (@joemanckin) November 15, 2016
The fact that low-tax, low-regulation Texas siphons people from high-tax states renders this passage very wrong. https://t.co/ZwkNPgfC2L pic.twitter.com/CKJhYHEMTW
— Michael Haugen (@HaugenATX) November 15, 2016
I AM SAD TRUMP WON SO HERE'S A RASH DUMB IDEA https://t.co/VVymiDU2hE
— Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair ? (@senatorshoshana) November 15, 2016
That's silly.
— O Tidings of Comfort and….James? (@Mr_JamesLandis) November 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/fastnerman/status/798652344544022528
good luck with that.
— Mike Phillips (@MikePhillips65) November 15, 2016
This is a bad opinion. Also reactionary and stupid but I repeat myself
— Mrz.T (@MaeTellu) November 15, 2016
On the other hand:
https://twitter.com/DarrenODaly/status/798657905184546816
Fewer syllables? Can’t argue with that.
***
Related:
Good luck with that! Barbara Boxer introducing bill to abolish Electoral College
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