Should states be allowed to leave the USA?

[Jacobtm]

The real problem here is that, when there is a conflict with a government, the ultimate question is military might.

The U.S. says that states don't have a right to secede, and will use military force to prevent it. If the south would have won the war, then they would have been able to establish their own country. But militarily they couldn't, and we kept them in the fold.

Your "right" to do anything is dependent on your ability to enforce your decision.

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Do you have a "right" to live in your house?

What if people with weapons come and take you out by force?

Well you call the cops, but what if the people who took your force are stronger than the cops and keep your house?

You had an agreement with the cops to protect you, but if you failed, well, your "right" is a meaningless social agreement that didn't work out for you. Your "right" to your property is null and void if someone with superior force decides to take it

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So states will not be allowed to peacefully secede. If a state could somehow stand up to the entire U.S. military, it could do it, but that seems very unlikely.

I would prefer it if the U.S. could peacefully let states secede if they so wished, but it seems very unlikely.

[Jacobtm]

How do you all feel about Kosovo leaving Serbia, or Tibet leaving China?

The general issue of a region of a country wanting to secede, are you OK with it?

If so, why the exception for our country?

[Jacobtm]

Unless the people in the region wanting secession are being oppressed or massacred more than people in the rest of the country, secession should not be tolerated.

The Revolutionary War was different because the Thirteen Colonies weren't part of Britain. They were colonies, and had every right to independence.

This is just the winners writing the history.

Had Britain won they'd have just said "The Thirteen Colonies were Colonies of the Crown and thus had no right to independence, as such their treasonous rebellion was put down."

You have a "right to independence" if you can enforce it, or you have someone else who will enforce it on your behalf.

Russia has helped ensure several small breakaway Republics in the Ex-Soviet sphere have de-facto independence even though the West does not recognize that "right".