petitions seek secession from U.S.

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And, following hard on the heels of the "omnishambles" universe in which we all seem to live, there is this story from the BBC:

Twenty states have petitioned to secede from the United States.

Most voted for Mitt Romney, the Republican who lost the presidential election to Barack Obama last week.

The last time states officially seceded, the US Civil War followed.

In proportion to the population, the Civil War was America's most costly war ... hint-hint, nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
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