The Divorced States of America
By Fred Daniels
The United States of America need to have an amicable divorce.
Let’s face it. The citizens and politicians of the United States have been growing apart for decades and decades if not centuries. Especially recently, after every election, one side is always forlorn, dejected, sick to their stomachs. We are a deeply divided country because of our ideas not because we hate each other. Even Rachel Maddow was sad when Donald Trump got Covid-19, and she even wished him well. We all have loved ones who hold opposing views from ours. This is why we cringe at the holidays.
Like a loveless married couple, we need to divorce.
We have to, because the only way your party (whatever it is) can govern is by forcing the other party to acquiesce and ‘suck it up.’ We once believed that rhetoric, the power to persuade through debate and the logical presentation of our ideas, could sway the great majority of the nation to unify and to support any president. But debate, persuasion, and rhetoric no longer work.
Think rationally: what debate, what argument could get a pro-lifer to give up the belief that abortion is murder? None.
At what point will a liberal ever give up the belief that a woman should have reproductive rights (meaning, have an abortion)? Never.
Ann Widdecombe, a former member of the British Conservative Party, put it best: There is certainly no speech that I have heard in my 12 years in parliament which has made me change my mind.
Oh sure, we all know about the occasional ‘about face’: a Christian turns atheist, an atheist finds God, a liberal leaves the left, a conservative joins the democrats. It happens, but it is so rare in politics and in the ‘masses’ that it is a non issue.
Irreconcilable Differences
We need to divorce because our list of irreconcilable differences is endless. Capital punishment, gun rights, immigration issues, affirmative action, reparation for slaves, raising the minimum wage, teaching evolution vs. creation, corporate tax, to keep or not to keep the electoral college. Quite frankly, these debates between opposing parties on these issues are pointless. We are not going to change our minds.
And here’s a novel idea. We don’t have to change our minds! Keep your views and live by them!
Why fight about whether there are only two genders vs genderfluid ideas? Why debate about the right to burn the flag or not burn it? Who cares whether you pray in school or ban prayer? Just have a two party run America. Split the country. No, not split wide swaths of geography. Don’t give liberals California and New York. Don’t give Republicans the whole midwest. There’s another way.
How To Divorce the Country: Vote and Govern within Zip Codes
Hear me out: We already vote by county, and it seems that quite often the city slickers (blue) vote democrat and the suburbanites (red) vote republican. See, for example, the 2020 election map of Texas.
Since we already collect votes by carving up areas of the state, let’s carve a bit more. Instead of counting votes by county, we count votes by zip code (I will refer to them as ‘zones’ as well).
The majority vote within the zip code wins. Representation is no longer needed. No more electoral college, the majority vote takes the zone. No more voter fraud, for it will be easy to oversee the voting in a zip code. All of the citizens in a zone can take part in the monitoring. They can talk as neighbors whether they want to be governed by democrats or republicans. Then vote.
The same voting rules we have today apply: all citizens at least 18 years old can vote etc.. There will be more incentive to participate in voting as your zip code will be directly affected. Too often, voting seems like a distant issue.
Imagine Giving Full Assent To Being Governed
Let’s elaborate using the zip code 90210 — voting for Biden — as an example.
If zip code 90210 votes Biden, then that zip code is under the governance of President Biden and all things democrat. If it votes Trump, it is under the governance of President Donald Trump. There will be two presidents. (How will we split the Oval Office? Two years in, two years in an office down the hall.
1. Businesses in 90210 will follow Biden/democratic laws etc. Businesses will need to pay employees whatever minimum wage increases the democrats/Biden set, and they may need to engage in more affirmative action. (If a business owner in 90210 wants to be under Trump/republican laws, then that business should move to a republican zip code). Sure, it’s a pain. But so is paying high corporate tax. Businesses already move farther than a zip code. They move half way around the world!
2. Employees in 90210 may have income taxes raised etc., but they also might get free health care, free education, and maybe even free housing and a universal income. And great news for the republican tax payers — they don’t have to pay for all of this ‘free’ stuff. And even greater news for those who are destitute — the democrat businesses and community will be more than happy to pay their fair share of taxes to help those in their community. Democrats are warm and welcoming. So too are republicans, only the republicans will want you on your feet working as soon as possible. If you are destitute in the democrat zone, there will be government soup kitchens and shelters. If you are destitute in a republican zone, Christians and other religious charity organizations will come to your aid. If you prefer one over the other, then wander into that zone. But be forewarned, republicans will have stricter laws about loitering etc.
3. Citizens in 90210 can surrender their firearms or follow whatever gun regulations are set by their democratic government. In republican zones, citizens can carry concealed or carry open, whatever the particulars of the zip code vote for. If democrats want to have stricter gun control, let them. It will make them happier.
4. Citizens in 90210 can defund their police department. But whatever zone you commit a crime in, you will go through the legal system of that zone. If you want life in prison with rehab, commit your crime in the democrat zone. If you commit heinous murders in a republican zone, you are likely getting the death penalty.
5. Citizens in 90210 can welcome undocumented workers and their families. In republican zones, you immigrate legally. Illegal immigrants [they will call them that] discovered in republican zones will be deported. Undocumented workers in democrat zones may be granted amnesty. They are going to need to collect a lot of taxes. But in four years, if the 90210 votes republican, those undocumented workers will become illegal immigrants.
6. We can even solve more marginalized issues by voting in and governing zip codes. Take the idea of gendered bathrooms. Democrat zones can choregraph this as they like. They can provide multiple bathrooms for as many genders they wish. In republican zones, they can privatize all bathrooms and charge a fee to enter (stealing the only good idea from Europe).
7. Citizens in 90210 can use abortion clinics for services. But what about republican women who want abortions? That dilemma forces us to talk about how zones are set up and the freedom of movement throughout what was formerly the United States of America.
We Still Interact
What happens when we want to move through or do business with opposing zones?
There’s no issue. We can do it. Here are some scenarios:
1. A republican woman wants an abortion. She goes to a democrat zone and pays for the services. A democrat woman may want an abortion as well. Maybe for her it will be covered in her health care by her employee? Or, even better, maybe it is free through government services? Either way, the zones vote; the zones live how they like.
2. A democrat loves the barbecue at John’s Brisket café in the republican zone. No problem, go eat there. Just be aware that there will be many guns concealed. Enjoy your dinner, you’ll be safe. The police will patrol, the economy will be booming, and nuclear family values and Christians will welcome you. If you don’t like that vibe, then eat in the democrat zone. The big question for all of us will be this: Where — in reality — will the great Mexican restaurants be located? You think you know, but don’t be so sure.
3. A republican wants to have back surgery at a great hospital in the democrat zone. Not an issue. The doctor who chooses to work at that hospital might be a democrat or republican. It doesn’t matter. If the republican doctor wants lower income tax, then he or she can work at another hospital, or live in a republican zone and work in a democratic zone. The democratic hospital will have plenty of democratic doctors who would love to work in a government hospital the way doctors work in Europe, UK or Canada. How long will the wait be? If you ask a democrat, they will say the government hospital will be wonderful, quick, and maybe even free. I guess we will finally know the answer if we implement this plan. (If the doctor soon learns that he or she is better off at a private hospital, then he can open up in a republican zone).
4. If either zones want to set up check points in potentially ‘high’ crime areas, they do so at their own expense. For example, let’s say a republican zone is next to a democratic zone with high crime. The republicans can pay for a check point to make sure drugs and illegal gun holders are not entering their area. If democrats want to make a toll both to charge for entry, they have that prerogative.
5. If democrats want to ban fossil fuel vehicles in their area they can. Republicans can have democrat family members pick them up when they want to visit their democrat relatives for Thanksgiving. Your long haired-son in law will pick you up in his Tesla, one that he owns, or obtained through car sharing, or one that is government provided, regulated and tracked. Or, democrats could charge republicans a high tax for bringing combustion engines into their area. Something like that.
6. All big tech companies need to follow the laws in the zones, or be banned by the citizens (not big tech banning citizens). Or, if citizens prefer, create some version of a conservative Twitter. Don’t worry democrats, you’ll still be allowed to use it and post if you like. And if you prefer to ban conservatives from your platform, go ahead! You’ll never be offended. The whole zip code will be a ‘safe space.’
Obviously, this will be a bit more complicated than I am making it. Some areas of life, obviously, will need to be operating in bipartisan agreement.
1. Freeways
2. Freight
3. Airports
4. Military Bases
5. Farms
6. Sports Teams (controversial team names are voted on by the fans)
The career politicians or other pundits can figure that bipartisan stuff out. Clearly, they are wizards at it. I just wanted to get the ball rolling.
The Zones Can Change in Four Years
Finally, during campaign years, zones can either welcome candidates to speak in the zones or ban them. The question for you is, what zone would you live in? If you voted for Trump, would you allow Biden to speak in your zone [either in person, masked of course, or live from his basement]?
If you voted for Biden, would you allow Trump 2024 to campaign in your zone? Or would you ban him?
Do you want all Americans to have the right to pursue happiness — as they define it…..or is the pursuit of happiness only okay for other Americans if they are following your view of happiness?
Let’s save the children of the union by divorcing. This isn’t the 1970s. Divorces don’t need to be vicious. We will divorce how they did in the 1990s, amicably and civil.
And who knows, maybe, just maybe, this divorce, will reveal who creates the better society. And once we see that the grass is politically greener in the other zip code, maybe the majority will move toward one, effective, ethical, political mindset? When that happens, we can renew our vows.
For now, let’s not call this divorce, just a separation.
