Pain for Gain: Soft Secession and a Red Recession

Yesterday, I wrote about how Republicans have always told us what they would do. I cited several examples of my own coverage and warned Americans that NSPM-7 will be a tool to crush ANYONE the regime deems “the enemy.”

Increasingly, people are discussing concepts like “soft secession” and “Blue state compacts.” Mother Jones has an in-depth breakdown of these movements HERE.

Basically, Blue states could band together to boycott Red states, attract talent, form healthcare consortiums where they set the rules, invest in biomedical research where they value science, fund their own standing militias, and more. One example of this is the West Coast Health Alliance.

I’m revisiting some old ground and tying it to the greater discussion of “soft secession,” plus introducing the concept of a “red recession,” to give people another way into this information.

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I preface the remainder of this piece by reiterating a common talking point: WHATEVER HAPPENS NOW IS GOING TO HURT, AMERICANS.

We have crossed the rubicon into territory where every American is going to be hurt. We are faced with a decision: Intentionally cause maximum short-term pain now to avoid years or decades of fascist pain later.

We must purposefully disengage from the US Economy.

I wrote about this kind of intentional economic boycott on 16 November 2024.

Purposeful Disengagement is essentially a General Strike. In the linked newsletter, I cited two things every democracy-loving American could do immediately, but I added a third below:

• Stop spending money and giving attention to every business that supports a fascist government. Every day, I add new companies to a public database HERE. Please use it and share with everyone you know.

• Stop all unnecessary spending. Only buy absolute necessities. Wherever possible, buy from local, democracy-loving businesses.

• Today, I’m adding a third point: STOP MAKING EXCUSES. “Well it won’t be that bad if I go back to Disney+. I’m only one household.” (Millions of Americans who do this add up to billions of dollars for a fascist company.) “Nobody will know if I drink this Coca-Cola.” (Ditto my previous statement.) “By keeping Paramount+, I’m supporting the guys at South Park.” (YOU ARE NOT. YOU ARE SUPPORTING FASCIST BILLIONAIRES.) “But what will I do with all my free time?” Hang tight. I have a series of newsletters coming just for you.

“But this will hurt innocent Americans who can’t afford to lose their jobs.”

EVERYTHING IS GOING TO HURT NOW, PEOPLE. It will hurt so much more when this government has fully consolidated power and disappears people into concentration camps because they’re poor/disabled/mentally ill//not white/not Christian Nationalist/not straight/etc.

We must completely boycott Red state economies…let’s call it a “red recession” to hit back on the economies that are already hitting us where it hurts…our rights.

If we learned one thing from the COVID pandemic, it is this: We share this planet. We can only do so much to insulate ourselves from the pain other people deliberately inflict with their selfishness and greed.

I lived in a Red state until this year. I know many lovely people who don’t deserve to be punished because their neighbors are racist Christo-fascists and their state governments are gerrymandered hellscapes.

But the only language billionaires and corporations understand is MONEY and PROFIT. The only language many Red state residents who vote for fascism will understand is losing their businesses/their farms/their healthcare/their homes.

The urgency of this boycott is exacerbated by South Carolina’s S-323, a total abortion ban that makes obtaining an abortion or helping someone obtain an abortion a FELONY that could receive the death penalty. If South Carolina passes this legislation (and they will), every Red state will copy it. Every woman and girl in your life IS NOT SAFE in a Red state. PERIOD.

• Don’t vacation in Red states.

• Schedule travel through hubs that don’t stop in Red states.

• Don’t book conferences or business meetings in Red states.

• Avoid Red state businesses that support this government.

“But this will hurt people in Red states.” EVERYTHING IS GOING TO HURT NOW.

Blue state citizens must encourage all elected representatives to implement the principles of “soft secession.”

Blue state governors and other elected officials need to know we’re behind them. Whether or not you live in a Blue state, tell these leaders you support things like the following:

• Blue state healthcare alliances that respect science, reject forced religious beliefs on everyone, and cover every citizen.

• Blue state biomedical research alliances that can capture and continue vital healthcare research.

• Blue state moving packages that attract healthcare and other talent away from areas where those jobs are being oppressed by Christo-fascist laws.

• Blue state climate agreements that could be extended to other countries (like California has already done.)

• Blue state trade deals with foreign countries that could work around tariffs.

• Blue state sequestrations of federal tax dollars for reinvestment in Blue state initiatives. It is ludicrous for Blue states to fund predatory federal and state governments that are determined to crush them.

• Blue state constitutional guarantees to abortion, gender-affirming care, same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, and contraception.

• Blue state militias to protect the citizenry.

• Blue state enforcement of the constitutional meaning of separation of church and state, where all religious laws are banned from government and public spaces are free of all religious indoctrination.

• Total Blue state non-cooperation with any invading federal or state force.

Educate your communities about these principles.

When I was writing about Project 2025, I lost count of how many Americans reached out to me and said, “We’re using your work to train our communities.”

GOOD. DO THE SAME WITH PURPOSEFUL DISENGAGEMENT/A GENERAL STRIKE/SOFT SECESSION/RED RECESSION.

“But this violates the Constitution.”

Republicans scrapped the Constitution on 20 January. They are no longer honoring the Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. They want to abolish the Nineteenth Amendment, and they definitely hate the First Amendment. Once they’ve fully consolidated power, even their revered Second Amendment will fall. Fascists cannot flourish with an armed citizenry.

So why can’t Blue states choose to disregard items like “federal powers supersede state powers”? Especially when the federal government is imposing blatantly unconstitutional laws?

There are almost 350 million of us, Americans. If just 5% of us (17.5 million) fully committed to complete economic disengagement, a full Red state boycott to create a “red recession,” and the principles of soft secession, we could change the trajectory of this attempted fascist takeover.

Yes, this will hurt people. Yes, Americans will suffer. Yes, it will cost things. But if we can avoid this for millions and millions of innocent human beings, our short-term suffering will be worth it:

Today’s newsletter is paywall-free. Please share it with everyone you know. It may kickstart some crucial discussions in your communities.