Real Politik says that if the foundation of a countries economy tries to secede, the response is one of force.
Economic wealth comes from the value-add step of production / distribution. You create wealth by getting something, then turn it into something that is sold for more.
This is always isolated by geography. 40% of the Iron Ore in the world comes from Australia. Most of that comes from WA. Most of that comes from a few mines.
If WA tries to take their dominance over the global Iron and Steel market, and just fuck off... well the answer is simple. Roll in tanks, crush the resistance then promptly set about addressing the genuine issues that the Western Australians have, so that they don't want to do it again.
You can make parallel examples using industrial production in Germany. Germany is one of the three biggest economies in Europe. The vast majority of their wealth comes from a few provinces that take cheap Russian gas and turn it into manufactured goods in sophisticated factories. If those provinces decide to just leave, the economy of Germany will implode overnight.
The Art of War says: To win without fighting is best. There was plenty of time to address the real and genuine concerns of the south. Failing that, the solution was to break them with military force and then fix the pieces.
At that juncture the alternative was to cede half the union and then have a hostile power on the southern border; which would have been untenable. It would have lead directly to military build-up and an even bigger war within 50 years.
The short answer is because of the same reasons the south was unhappy before the Civil war.
Access to road and port infrastructure. Lack of a Navy or merchant navy. Taxes on their goods and trade.
Border security would have been a nightmare, and it would have lead to escalating smuggling etc. as the Union would have attempted to impose tariffs and duties.
Both the North and the South would be required to arm and send troops to the border to guard them.
Add to the fact that slaves running to the Union would have immediately become free... and you have a volatile political situation.
We won't know what would have happened, but at the very least it would have set a precedent for splitting the union further every time that a state or group of states got upset.
Funny you should mention WA and secession because there's always been a simmering desire for it here, and they voted 60/40 for it in the 1930s. It wasn't accepted by England and then labor (note the unaustralian spelling of the party's name) came into power and squashed it.
They did do as you suggested to some degree, in that they solved some of the issues with a more equitable share of gov funds going to WA. And when WA's share of those same funds (largely generated by that mining you mentioned) plummeted again in 2010 or so and they tried to put in a mining tax, that is when you saw a burgeoning resurgence of those secessionist views.
The other states close down or throttle their mines and their (tasmania) lumber industries. Fine. That's their choice. But they shouldn't then get to take money from WA mines, is the reasonable WA viewpoint viewpoint. No mooching.
If WA tries to take their dominance over the global Iron and Steel market, and just fuck off... well the answer is simple. Roll in tanks, crush the resistance
Real Politik says that if the foundation of a countries economy tries to secede, the response is one of force.
Economic wealth comes from the value-add step of production / distribution. You create wealth by getting something, then turn it into something that is sold for more.
This is always isolated by geography. 40% of the Iron Ore in the world comes from Australia. Most of that comes from WA. Most of that comes from a few mines.
If WA tries to take their dominance over the global Iron and Steel market, and just fuck off... well the answer is simple. Roll in tanks, crush the resistance then promptly set about addressing the genuine issues that the Western Australians have, so that they don't want to do it again.
You can make parallel examples using industrial production in Germany. Germany is one of the three biggest economies in Europe. The vast majority of their wealth comes from a few provinces that take cheap Russian gas and turn it into manufactured goods in sophisticated factories. If those provinces decide to just leave, the economy of Germany will implode overnight.
The Art of War says: To win without fighting is best. There was plenty of time to address the real and genuine concerns of the south. Failing that, the solution was to break them with military force and then fix the pieces.
At that juncture the alternative was to cede half the union and then have a hostile power on the southern border; which would have been untenable. It would have lead directly to military build-up and an even bigger war within 50 years.
Why would the free southern states be any more hostile and untenable than Canada?
The short answer is because of the same reasons the south was unhappy before the Civil war.
Access to road and port infrastructure. Lack of a Navy or merchant navy. Taxes on their goods and trade.
Border security would have been a nightmare, and it would have lead to escalating smuggling etc. as the Union would have attempted to impose tariffs and duties.
Both the North and the South would be required to arm and send troops to the border to guard them.
Add to the fact that slaves running to the Union would have immediately become free... and you have a volatile political situation.
We won't know what would have happened, but at the very least it would have set a precedent for splitting the union further every time that a state or group of states got upset.
Funny you should mention WA and secession because there's always been a simmering desire for it here, and they voted 60/40 for it in the 1930s. It wasn't accepted by England and then labor (note the unaustralian spelling of the party's name) came into power and squashed it.
They did do as you suggested to some degree, in that they solved some of the issues with a more equitable share of gov funds going to WA. And when WA's share of those same funds (largely generated by that mining you mentioned) plummeted again in 2010 or so and they tried to put in a mining tax, that is when you saw a burgeoning resurgence of those secessionist views.
The other states close down or throttle their mines and their (tasmania) lumber industries. Fine. That's their choice. But they shouldn't then get to take money from WA mines, is the reasonable WA viewpoint viewpoint. No mooching.
Molon labe.
The example was not picked at random.
I don't think that the Sandgropers are managing their Iron Ore or Copper Ore supplies very well, but no one consults with me before they make policy.