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A few things that are often sited in discussions about Texas seceding are the size of our National Guard and our economic strength. In regards to our military size, the National Guard is a part time force. However, Texas would not need much of a military because we would have no reason to take on the job of being the policemen of the world. We would probably maintain a military force close to what you see in Australia or New Zealand.

In regards to our economic outlook, we have about ninety percent of the oil refining capacity in the United States today. We are a major producer of natural gas, agricultural products, fishing, clothing, finance, military hardware and aircraft, automobiles, timber, coal, chemicals, computers, electronics, medical equipment, and so many other products and services that it would be impossible to list them all here. Texas is about as close as you can get to being self-sufficient. There is nothing produced in Texas that would stop just because we became a Republic.

With taxes received on our refined products, exported natural gas, and other import and export taxes, fees, and etc., it would be very unlikely that Texas would need to collect an income tax. This would prove to be a great attraction to businesses wanting or needing to reduce their expenses. Texas could double in size very rapidly. This would present a series of difficulties. First and foremost is where would you put all these people. It's difficult to drive in our major cities as it is. We would also need to develop new sources of water, expand our electricity capacity, and build new roads and towns. Mass transit would take on a whole new meaning.

We would also need to look at a monetary system. We know the mistakes of having a central bank and how it is a major cause of inflation, but what if the political leaders become convinced by the bankers to put in a central bank? If we can avoid this and use our natural resources to back our currency, we could have one of the strongest currencies in the world. However, it could take time to gain acceptance of our currency. We would need to work rapidly with our main trading partners to gain acceptance and would probably have to get some major country to agree to guarantee our currency until it becomes more established.

And then there is the question of what kind of political system we would have. Most of the world uses a parliamentary system where each party gets a proportional amount of the seats. This gives rise to many political parties, gives a greater say of the grass roots activist for the various partys, and allows a seat at the table for all views. However, our current system has worked fine and many, if not most, people will prefer to stick with what they know best and feel comfortable with.

The mere writing of a constitution is something that would be far from easy. To do this, you would need a special group of people, liberal and conservative, with the ability to work together and work quickly. They do exist, but they would have to be financially compensated. And you probably don't want many legislators because they are more involved with carrying bills than writing them. Even with this special group of people you have to ask yourself, exactly what will it say? Will they ban guns or will they allow open carry? Will abortions be allowed or outlawed? What about our school systems, city charters, property taxes, and economic incentives for businesses?

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